Total joint replacement is a surgical procedure where a damaged hip, knee, or shoulder joint is replaced with an artificial implant. Although the surgery itself isn’t long, the steps you take in the weeks and months beforehand can influence your healing and long-term mobility. Careful preparation helps reduce the risk of complications, shortens recovery time, and allows you to return to daily activities more successfully. Discover more about preparing for total joint replacement.
Exercise and Build Muscle
Strengthening the muscles that support the affected joint is one of the most effective ways to prepare for surgery. This approach is often called prehabilitation and improves stability, flexibility, and endurance. Exercise now makes the early stages of rehabilitation more manageable.
Your surgeon or physical therapist can recommend exercises tailored to your condition and the joint being replaced. For hip and knee replacement, these may include quadriceps sets, straight leg raises, gluteal squeezes, and ankle pumps. Low-impact aerobic activities, such as swimming, water aerobics, or stationary cycling, can improve cardiovascular health without excessive stress. Consult your care team before beginning a new exercise routine, and stop any activity that causes significant pain.
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Your overall health affects how well your body tolerates surgery and heals afterward. Making positive changes before your procedure can lower the risk of infection, blood clots, and other complications. Key lifestyle factors to address include:
- Balanced nutrition: A diet rich in lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains supplies the nutrients needed for tissue repair, while adequate calcium and vitamin D support bone health.
- Weight management: Reducing excess weight lessens the load on your new joint and can lower surgical and anesthesia risks.
- Smoking cessation: Smoking restricts blood flow and slows wound healing. Quit smoking as soon as you can before surgery.
- Limiting alcohol: Excessive alcohol use can interfere with anesthesia, medications, and the healing process.
Managing chronic conditions: Keeping diabetes, high blood pressure, and other conditions well controlled helps reduce complications.
Pre-Op Care
In the weeks leading up to surgery, your care team will conduct a thorough medical evaluation. This assessment typically includes a physical examination, blood tests, a urinalysis, and an electrocardiogram. Depending on your health history, you may also need clearance from your primary care physician, cardiologist, or another specialist.
Provide your surgeon with a complete list of the medications, vitamins, and supplements you take. Certain medications, including blood thinners, anti-inflammatory drugs, and some herbal supplements, may need to be adjusted to reduce bleeding risk. Never stop a prescribed medication without guidance from your physician.
Your surgeon may also recommend completing any necessary dental work beforehand. Oral infections can increase the risk of infection in the new joint. You will receive specific instructions regarding fasting, bathing with antiseptic soap, and what to bring to the hospital.
Post-Op Care Prep
Arrange transport to and from the hospital before total joint replacement surgery. Because mobility will be limited during the first several weeks, arrange your living space in advance to prevent falls and strain. Set up a recovery area on your home’s main floor with a firm, supportive chair that has armrests.
Schedule Total Joint Replacement
Thorough preparation is an essential part of a successful joint replacement. Strengthening your muscles, adopting healthy habits, completing your pre-operative evaluations, and organizing your home for recovery will help make the procedure easier. If joint pain is limiting your mobility and quality of life, speak with an orthopedic surgeon about whether total joint replacement is right for you.
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