Trying to decide if knee replacement surgery is right for you can be one of the most significant decisions of your life. One that shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you are anything like me, you will want to know just about everything there is to know about the knee surgery prep, hospital stay, and post-op before you even think about signing the paperwork and agreeing to the knee replacement surgery.Here is a helpful list of the 20 most useful questions for your orthepectic surgeon to help prepare you for your knee replacement journey! Â
20 Most Useful questions
Now, if you have been following My Journey at all, you know I decided to go along with a partial knee replacement. Much like the TKR, but they replace roughly half the knee instead of the whole. Trust me, though, it’s just as painful, and we partial knee warriors go through all the same process as the totals do. *wink So, I decided to share my list of the 20 most useful questions to ask your orthopedic knee surgeon. These questions helped me gain insight into what I was getting myself into and truly make the right decision.
- What complications are there?
- Is there a way for me to decrease the risks for these complications?
- How long is the average recovery time?
- How experienced are you at this type of procedure? And have you done many of them in the last year?
- What type of therapy will I need afterward? And for how long?
- If I don’t have surgery, What could happen? Read HERE why I think you shouldn’t wait.
- How long is the average hospital stay? Read about my stay HERE
- How long will my new knee parts last?
- How long until I can return to my normal daily activities like housework, job, exercise, gardening, etc
- Are there particular sports I can not return to after surgery recovery?
- What kind of medications should I expect to be on during and after my surgery?
- Will I need anyone at home with me after the surgery? For how long?
- Is it true I will need antibiotics every time I go to the dentist?
- What are the implants made out of? Will it set the security alarms off at, say, the airport?
- How long before I can become intimate with my significant other?
- Is there a specific position I need to sleep in after surgery? Read more about sleep HERE
- Is there anything I can do to prepare my house before surgery?
- How long should I take off work?
- What tests need to be done before surgery day?
- Is there any insurance paperwork that needs to be done before surgery day?
I made a PDF version of this list that you can print out or save to an electronic device to fill in the answers to these questions as your knee surgeon answers them. Just pop in your email address. I promise I won’t spam you; I’ll just be emailing some knee tips, tricks, and deals on knee-related things like ice packs and shoe inserts. Promise! Check it out below.
What do you think is missing from the list? Leave a comment below or contact me HERE. I’d love to see what questions you come up with. Maybe you want to have some of these questions answered by me, the patient, instead of the doctor to get another perspective? I tried to add links throughout the questions for the ones I’ve responded to in previous blog posts, but leave a comment, and I’d love to answer them the best I can! You might even see it in a future post!
Good Luck with your future research on knee replacement and possible upcoming surgery! Until next time, take care!
Want to read my knee replacement journey from the beginning? Start HERE
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician.
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