Mr Matt Walker Orthopaedic Surgeon for Hip and Knee joint-Preparing for Surgery

Once you and your Surgeon have decided that surgery will help you, you’ll need to learn what to expect from the surgery and create a treatment plan for the best results afterwards.
Preparing mentally and physically for surgery is an important step towards a successful result. Understanding the process and your role in it will help you recover more quickly and have fewer problems.
Before surgery it is important to to make sure you don’t have any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or its outcome. Routine tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, may be necessary about a week before any major surgery.

Discuss any medications you are taking with your family Doctor or the Anaesthetist to see which ones you should stop taking before surgery.
Discuss with your Surgeon options for preparing for potential blood replacement, including donating your own blood, medical interventions and other treatments, prior to surgery.
If you are overweight, losing weight before surgery will help decrease the stress you place on your body. However, you should not diet during the month before your surgery.
If you are taking anti-inflammatory medications or warfarin or any drugs that increase the risk of bleeding you may need to stop taking them one week before surgery to minimise bleeding.
If you smoke, you should stop or cut down to reduce your surgery risks and improve your recovery.
Have any tooth, gum, bladder or bowel problems treated before surgery to reduce the risk of infection later.
Eat a well-balanced diet, supplemented by a daily multivitamin with iron.
Report any infections to your surgeon. Surgery cannot be performed until all infections have cleared up.
Arrange for someone to help out with everyday tasks like cooking, shopping and laundry.

Have someone available to take you home, you will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours.
Do Not drink or eat anything in the car on the trip home.
The combination of anaesthesia, food, and car motion can quite often cause nausea or vomiting. After arriving home, wait until you are hungry before trying to eat. Begin with a light meal and try to avoid greasy food for the first 24 hours.
If you had surgery on an extremity (leg, knee, hand or elbow), keep that extremity elevated and use ice as directed. This will help decrease swelling and pain.
Take your pain medicine as directed. Begin the pain medicine as you start getting uncomfortable, but before you are in severe pain. If you wait to take your pain medication until the pain is severe, you will have more difficulty controlling the pain.