Joint replacement questions you should ask your surgeon
- Posted on: Sep 15 2021
If you have tried non-surgical treatment such as physical therapy and medication to relieve your symptoms and they aren’t improving, you may now be thinking about a joint replacement surgery.
Here are some of the questions you should ask your doctor when consulting about a joint replacement surgery:
- Have I exhausted all non-surgical treatment options?
- What tests will be done to determine whether surgery is my next best option?
- Am I a good candidate for surgery? Am I at a greater risk for complications?
- How do I prepare for surgery?Â
- How much help will I need at home after surgery and for how long?
- What can I do to minimize my risk of complications from surgery?
- Is surgery my only option at this point? If I don’t have surgery, what is the risk? What can I expect?
- What complementary treatment options (massage, acupuncture) would help?Â
- What is my best case scenario and worst case scenario?
- What are my surgical options? Is minimally invasive surgery available?Â
- What is the implant made of? Will it set off metal detectors?
- What are the most frequent complications of surgery? What are the complication rates for this surgery?
- How often do you perform joint replacement surgery?
- How long does surgery take?Â
- How long will I be in the hospital after surgery?
- How much pain and discomfort can I expect to have after surgery and after I go home?
- Will I be on pain medicine in the hospital and at home?
- Will I be doing physical therapy after surgery? In home or in a facility?
- Will surgery relieve all of my pain?Â
- Is there anything that I won’t be able to do after surgery?
- How long after surgery until I am able to return to my normal activities?Â
- What can I do after surgery to speed up my recovery?
- How long will my new joint last?Â
If you are facing joint replacement surgery, call us at 707.544.3400 to make an appointment and learn about your options for treatment.
Posted in: Joint Sprain
