Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 5: Recovery and Rehabilitation · Article 31 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Most patients go home within one to three days after surgery, depending on the joint replaced and their individual recovery. Pain, swelling and fatigue typically improve steadily but unevenly over the first…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 5: Recovery and Rehabilitation · Article 30 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Surgery Builds the Joint; Rehab Builds the Function It’s a useful way to think about it: your surgeon’s job is to give you a well-positioned, mechanically sound new joint. Your job —…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 5: Recovery and Rehabilitation · Article 29 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points ERAS is a structured, evidence-based approach to surgical care spanning from before your operation to after discharge, not just a single step during recovery. It has been directly responsible for the shift…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 5: Recovery and Rehabilitation · Article 28 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Pain, drowsiness and some swelling are normal and expected in the first day, and are actively managed by your team. Most patients are helped to sit up and often stand within hours…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 27 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Before Admission You’ll usually be given specific instructions in advance about fasting (not eating or drinking for a set period beforehand), which medications to take or pause on the day, and what to…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 26 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Robotic and computer-assisted systems help surgeons plan and execute implant positioning with greater precision, but the surgeon performs and controls the operation throughout. Evidence shows these systems reliably improve the accuracy of implant…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 3: Understanding the Risks · Article 18 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Revision surgery means replacing or adjusting some or all of a previous joint replacement, and is generally a bigger, more complex operation than the original. Outcomes from revision surgery are, on average,…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 3: Understanding the Risks · Article 17 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Having read through the risks in previous articles, it’s just as important to understand what’s actively done to reduce them. The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist, structured infection prevention, and VTE prophylaxis are…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 3: Understanding the Risks · Article 16 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Diabetes Diabetes, particularly if poorly controlled, increases the risk of infection and slower wound healing after joint replacement. Well-controlled diabetes is not a barrier to surgery, and the focus is on optimising…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 3: Understanding the Risks · Article 13 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Most hip and knee replacements can be performed under general anaesthesia, spinal (regional) anaesthesia, or a combination of the two. Spinal anaesthesia is often preferred for joint replacement, with evidence suggesting fewer…