Your operation

What to expect from a hip or knee replacement, from first appointment to full recovery. The steps are the same for both.

Before surgery

• Consultation. We go through your symptoms, examine your hip or knee and look at your X-rays together.
• Planning. We take an X-ray with special markers on it, and sometimes a CT scan, so I can plan your operation in 2D and 3D. I usually plan and perform knee replacements with robotic assistance (see how I work). We then discuss the different treatment options and see what suits you best.
• Pre-operative assessment. If you want to go ahead with surgery, you will have an assessment with a nurse and the anaesthetist, so we understand how to provide your surgery as safely as possible.
• Waiting for surgery. There is then a period of waiting for surgery, which depends a little on where you have surgery and how it is funded.
• While you wait. The charity Arthritis UK (formerly Versus Arthritis) has clear, trustworthy advice. In short:
  • Keep moving. Regular exercise strengthens the muscles around the joint, eases pain and speeds recovery after surgery. Their Let's Move for Surgery exercises are designed for people waiting for a joint replacement.
  • Weight. Even a modest weight loss reduces the load on your hips and knees, and lowers the risks of surgery. Managing your weight.
  • Pain relief. Pace your activities, use heat or ice, and take regular pain relief if you need it; your GP or pharmacist can advise. Treatments for arthritis.
  • Everyday help. Supportive footwear and a walking stick can take strain off the joint. Footcare and footwear.
  • Getting ready for surgery. Stop smoking, have a dental check-up, sort out transport home, and set up your home so what you need is within easy reach. Their guides to hip replacement and knee replacement cover this in more detail.
  Arthritis UK also runs a free helpline on 0800 5200 520.

On the day

• You come into hospital early on. You will see me or one of the team, and a consultant anaesthetist, who review you, make sure everything is right, correct and safe to proceed, and check you are happy to go ahead.
• When it is your turn we take you through, and the operation takes about an hour.
• Our aim is to get you up and walking the same day and, if it is safe, home within 24 hours of surgery.

Recovery

• Hospital stay: home on the day of surgery or overnight.
• Walking aids: the physiotherapists and occupational therapists give you crutches to walk with, and you can stop using them as soon as you feel ready.
• Driving: you can drive again when you feel safe to do so. For some people that is about two weeks, for others about six; you need to judge your own safety getting in and out of the car. Check with your insurer before you drive again; some policies set their own rules.
• Follow-up: After private surgery I check your recovery with a short questionnaire at about six weeks. I will see you in clinic if the answers suggest you need it, or if you would like a visit. Tell Michelle if you would prefer to be seen.
• Physiotherapy: physiotherapy after your operation is not included in the price of your surgery. Find a physiotherapist you get on well with and enjoy working with, as this matters a great deal for a good rehabilitation programme and for staying motivated. Find someone convenient for you, near where you live: it makes it much easier to stick with your exercises.

My patient information page has leaflets for each operation and injection, trusted advice while you wait and when to get in touch.

When to get in touch

Before surgery: if you are struggling or have any concerns you would like to talk through, please get in touch.

After surgery, contact us, or the ward, the same day if you have:

• a dressing that comes off or has a problem, or any bleeding through the dressing;
• increasing redness, swelling or discharge from the wound;
• a fever, or feeling hot and shivery;
• pain or swelling in the calf, or sudden breathlessness or chest pain (call 999);
• a fall, or sudden new pain or a change in the shape or length of the leg.

Private patients: Michelle will tell you who to call after surgery. NHS patients: see the NHS section of the contact page.