What Can I Do To Make Sure I'm Ready For Joint Replacement Surgery?

— -- Question: What can I do to make sure I'm ready for joint replacement surgery? (Obesity, boood pressure, etc.)

Answer: Preparing for joint replacement surgery is an important procedure.

One needs to understand first and foremost whether or not they are a good candidate for joint replacement procedures.

A patient's quality of life must be significantly affected in an adverse fashion before considering undergoing a joint replacement of the hip or knee and or any other joint within the body.

Once they have established that, patients need to be aware of their medical conditions. If they have significant medical conditions that are chronic and have required previous surgery, such as coronary artery disease requiring coronary stents or a bypass procedure, or if they are a long term smoker and have emphysema, they are going to require potential medical intervention prior to their surgery.

Patients that are healthy and take very few medications often need an office visit with their orthopedist and/or their primary medical doctor to review their medications and to perhaps do some routine tests such as a chest x-ray, EKG and other routine laboratory tests to ensure that their medical condition is commensurate with undergoing a joint replacement.

Next: What Can I Do To Best Recover From Joint Replacement Surgery?

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