FAQ - Is there anything I can do to prepare myself for surgery?
Surgery, and subsequent recovery, will always go more smoothly if you can improve your general level of fitness. Any exercise you can still do without provoking too much hip pain is good. Examples would include walking and swimming. Some find walking painful but can still ride an exercise bicycle or use a rowing machine. Mr Bloomfield does not believe there is a specific set of pre-operative exercises for hip surgery as the patient will usually be in too much pain to carry them out effectively!
If you smoke, give up at least 6 weeks before admission - maybe this is a good time to give up for good?
Alcohol and surgery do not mix well! If you are drinking above the recommended limits, cut back.
Click here for more information from the BUPA website.
Link Mr Bloomfield has noticed that patients who drink above the recommended limits have increased levels of post-operative pain and tend to become confused, simulating acute alcohol withdrawal.
If you are overweight, going on a diet is never a bad idea! Join a local club or class as the mutual support of others trying to achieve the same goal is very affirming. Mr Bloomfield feels it is not so much the weight you are when you come to surgery; as the weight you have recently lost using a sensible diet that is important. If you want to build muscles, you lift weights. If you want to tone the general metabolism and make it more efficient, loose weight.
Mr Bloomfield realises that all the above is not always easy, but worth the effort if you want to minimise the risk of complications. The preceding comments should not be seen as judgements of lifestyle, rather as well-intentioned advice in the context of anaesthesia and orthopaedic surgery.
We generally find that only the minority of patients need a blood transfusion after single-sided joint replacement. This will be even less likely if you have optimal iron stores so taking oral iron in the form of ferrous sulphate 200 milligrams twice daily for around one month before admission may be helpful.
This is especially true for women who are still menstruating, or anyone with a history of iron deficiency anaemia. Patients with hip or other joint pains may be on high doses of analgesics such as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS). These drugs can erode the stomach lining to cause tiny ulcers that are asymptomatic, but cause slow, barely perceptible blood [and therefore iron] loss.
Persons eating a well balanced diet will have good iron stores, so not everyone will benefit from extra oral iron. At least it should do no harm, except in the case of rare diseases such as haemochromatosis or haemosiderosis, in which case the patient will probably already know they have a problem. Ferrous sulphate is an 'over-the-counter' or OTC preparation which does not require a formal prescription from your GP or family doctor, but speak to your pharmacist who should be able to offer appropriate advice if you have any doubts.
