3 Tips To Prepare For Total Knee Replacement Surgery

You suffer from osteoarthritis and your knee pain is unbearable. After years of limited mobility and the inability to maintain an active lifestyle, you agree to have an orthopedic surgeon examine your knee. The surgeon determines you are a good candidate for a Total Knee Replacement (TKR). Most patients undergoing TKR are 50 to 80 years of age. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons a reduction of knee pain is experienced by more than 90% of TKR patients. Additionally, basic activities of daily living significantly improved.1 Preparation for your joint replacement will help ease the stress of major surgery. AllegroMedical.com provides 3 Tips to help you prepare for your Total Knee Replacement Surgery.

1.    Identify Your Support Team

2.    Prepare Your Body

3.    Make Your Home Safe

 Identify Your Support Team

Who will care for you after you are released from the hospital? If you do not have a caregiver at home you will need to arrange for care in a rehabilitation facility. Establish an individual for driving you to and from appointments. Utilize a medical transport service if you don't have a caregiver to drive you to appointments. Make sure your caregiver attends pre-op appointments and clearly understands the expectations required to keep you safe and healthy.

Prepare Your Body

During your evaluation with your doctor discuss your current lifestyle, medications and dietary supplements you are taking. If you smoke cigarettes your doctor will advise you to stop. Smoking increases your risks for complications and will extended your recovery time.   Smoking specifically is linked to delays in wound healing from surgical procedures.2  If you drink your doctor will likely recommend no alcohol 48 hours prior to your procedure. Additionally, you may be asked to stop taking dietary supplements or other medications one or two weeks prior to surgery.3 Practice your post-op therapy exercises prior to surgery to give you confidence and build the foundation for a successful therapy program.

Make Your Home Safe

Once you are home from surgery daily living tasks become challenging. Preparing your home in advance will allow you a safe and more independent recovery period. Set-up a “Healing Center” in your home for your recovery. In the “Healing Center” you will want bottled water, facial tissue, hand lotion, lip balm, waste basket, reading glasses, pen and paper, remote control and reacher. Include items that will keep you mentally occupied such as your favorite magazine, book, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, iPad, Kindle, and Television.

[caption id="attachment_3190" align="alignleft" width="150"]Raised Toilet Seat Raised Toilet Seat[/caption]

 

Modify your bathroom to include durable medical equipment like grab bars, shower chair with hand held shower, and raised toilet seat.Getting on and off the toilet without hurting your operated knee is risky business without a raised toilet.   Practice using a walker or rollator in your home to make sure you can fit through the bedroom and bathroom doors. The last thing you need after surgery is a surprise that you won't be able to sleep in your bed or use your bathroom. If you find you can't fit through these areas set-up a temporary sleeping quarters, you might need to move your bed into the living room and use a bedside commode for toileting. Pick up any unsecured throw rugs and clutter that will put you at risk for falls.

 

 

Since 1997 Allegro Medical has been a leading supplier of medical equipment and medical supplies.  If you are scheduled for knee replacement surgery  rely on AllegroMedical.com for all of your bathroom assists, daily living aids, and mobility equipment to keep you safe and independent during or after your recovery.

 

1 http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00389

2 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1323208

3 http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00220