What is Joint Replacement Surgery?

Total joint replacement surgery is a procedure that involves replacement of an arthritic or badly damaged joint with man-made parts. The man-made part is called a prosthesis (prohs-thee-sis) and can be made of many different materials including metal, polyethylene (plastic), ceramic or a combination of materials. Your surgeon will choose the prosthesis that is best for you. The goal of joint replacement surgery is to increase mobility and lessen pain.

Why You Need a Joint Replacement

Usually people who need a joint replacement have a long history of osteoarthritis (ohsteeo- arth-ri-tis) or rheumatoid (rew-muh-toid) arthritis of the hip or knee.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

When you have rheumatoid arthritis, the tissue lining the joint (synovium) becomes inflamed and causes pain. Over the years, this inflammation causes swelling in the joint and damages the cartilage and bone of the affected joints. Cartilage is the pearly white covering at the ends of bones that provides a smooth surface.

Osteoarthritis

When you have osteoarthritis, the cartilage becomes frayed and pitted from wear and tear of repeated stress and trauma. When the cartilage is damaged, the normally smooth movement at the joint is replaced by painful friction. This occurs primarily in weight-bearing joints such as the hip, knee or foot.

What to Expect With a Joint Replacement

Joint replacement surgery takes approximately two to three hours and requires about a three-day hospital stay. Patients are usually admitted on the morning of surgery.

Day of Surgery

Routine care after joint replacement involves wound care, pain management, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Recovery Time

Recovering from joint replacement surgery depends on your general health before the procedure and the type of joint that is being replaced. The goal of recovery is to comfortably return you to the activities of daily living that are important to you. While most joint replacements are successful in relieving pain and/or improving movement, recovery does take time.

By six weeks many patients have resumed their daily activities but individual recoveries will vary. It is important to remember everyone progresses at their own pace.

To learn more about joint replacement surgery or make an appointment, please call us at 855-KNEE-HIP (855-563-3447) or email us.