Expert surgeons and advanced technology help people achieve favorable outcomes following joint replacement, but patients also play an important role in their own success by doing what they can to improve their health before surgery.
For example, patients who manage major medical issues like obesity and diabetes prior to surgery have the best chance for optimal results and complication-free recovery, said Endeavor Health orthopaedic surgeon Ryan Sullivan, MD.
“The goal is to get through surgery safely and research has shown that maintaining a healthy BMI, managing diabetes and quitting smoking all reduce risks for complications,” said Dr. Sullivan.
Dr. Sullivan digs deeper into four keys to joint replacement success:
Losing excess weight
Body mass index (BMI) is a measurement used to assess health risks of obesity and is generally stratified into ranges like 25-30 BMI overweight, 30-35 BMI obese and 35-40 with medical comorbidities, or 40+ morbidly obese.
“The risks go up in surgery as the BMI increases and there comes a point where the risks may outweigh the benefits of doing surgery,” said Dr. Sullivan.
In addition to improving surgical risk profile, losing 10-20 percent of body mass for overweight people can play a significant role in getting diabetes under control and improving cardiopulmonary or other health issues.
Dr. Sullivan and colleagues encourage patients to seek professional medical guidance when making diet and lifestyle changes aimed at losing weight and improving their health. Endeavor Health offers weight management clinics providing comprehensive programs offering healthy diet modifications, mindfulness and exercise programs and medication when appropriate.
Eating healthy
Working with registered dietitians helps patients develop healthy eating habits and ensure things like sufficient protein intake. Even obese patients can be malnourished, not taking in enough protein, which is necessary for wound healing.
“We see that patients who follow through with getting assistance to lose weight have great success at optimizing their other conditions and they do well after surgery, recovering with less pain,” said Dr. Sullivan.
Quitting smoking and reducing alcohol use
Quitting or at least significantly decreasing smoking/tobacco use four to six weeks before surgery also helps patients get through surgery with an optimal recovery, added Dr. Sullivan.
It’s also recommended that patients minimize any alcohol consumption before surgery and during the post-operative recovery period.
Improving mental health
A positive mental state at the time of surgery can also positively impact surgical outcome, as mental health conditions such as depression can affect postoperative pain, function and recovery.
“Optimizing your mental state is important,” said Dr. Sullivan. “We work collaboratively with patients to help them reach their best potential before and after joint replacement surgery.”
