THR - Total Hip Replacement

 

Pre-admission

 

 

 

Pre admission clinics vary greatly from hospital to hospital. Generally the appointment if offered, will probably last between 30 and 60 minutes. It can be beneficial to take someone with you (spouse or very close friend), as you may not be able to remember everything that is said to you in the appointment. Be prepared to ask any questions about any aspect you are unsure of.

 

You may get some of the following from your hospital.

 

A nurse may assess your fitness for the operation and administer or order tests, such as urine test to check for diabetes and kidney function, blood tests (blood tests may be carried out by a pathologist - a blood specialist) to check your blood type, MRSA swabs (usually one in the nose and one in the groin area, which you can do yourself), and an ECG heart trace. You will probably be asked about your general health and about any relevant previous illnesses, operations, anaesthetics, allergies, and your preference relating to blood transfusion. You should expect to be asked about pills, medicines, inhalers and any herbal or over-the-counter medicines that you use.

 

The nurse will probably also ask about smoking and your alcohol intake. It is advisable to quit smoking if you can. If you are overweight for your height (BMI index over 30), they will want you to lose weight, in some areas, the health authority may refuse Total Hip Replacement for overweight patients. Stopping smoking and reducing your BMI to under 30 will reduce your risks and help speed your recovery.

 

In order to plan for your discharge, questions will be asked about your home situation, availability of a carer after discharge from hospital, and requirements for special aids such as long reach grabbers, long shoehorns, dressing aids, toilet seat and chair raisers.

 

You should be given a form to sign to show that you agree that the hospital can share the outcome of your joint surgery with the National Joint Registry. The data that is sent to them is anonymised, so no-one knows that the data is about you.

 

You will usually be given a variety of information leaflets about various aspects of the procedures involved. You can also access a variety of information sources online - see ►Online Resources

 

It may be possible for you to meet an anaesthetist, if so you can discuss the types of anaesthetic available for your operation.

 

 

You should remember that the decision to proceed with any elective surgery is yours - you can stop the process at any stage. Like all operations, a Total Hip Replacement operation carries an element of risk. The 30 day mortality rate for THR is approximately 0.2%, the 90 day mortality rate is approximately 0.5%, but these rates vary with both age and gender. It is also possible to delay your surgery if you request to avoid some important event in your life such as a family wedding or a pre-booked holiday.

 

You should remember throughout your recovery that this is a very personal process, you will get setbacks during it. Your recovery may be similar to other people's recovery, or it may differ markedly. Timescales to reach various stages are guides only and some will probably slip, be prepared as you may not for instance be allowed to drive at 6 weeks, or go back to work after 12 weeks. It helps to set yourself realistic targets for things that you want to do, like walking without aids in the house, walking to a town shop or pub, playing sport, taking up fitness classes, ballroom dancing, etc. [five04boy]

 

Remember that the recovery of one joint will put a tremendous strain on all the joints of your legs.

 

 

- ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ -

The content on this Website is provided for general information only.

It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. In particular, any information is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other healthcare professional.

If you are not a healthcare professional then you should ALWAYS check with your doctor if you have any concerns about your condition or treatment and before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on this Website.

If you are a healthcare professional then this information (including any professional reference material) is intended to support, not replace, your own knowledge, experience and judgement.

- ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ -

Contact: Webmaster (at) thr. org. uk

Page last updated: 23 March 2016 - 19:53