If you are facing a knee replacement or other procedure, you will need to schedule a "pre-op" appointment with your orthopedic surgeon. While you will be required to fill out a medical history form and discuss your current health conditions with the doctor or nurse, there are a few things that you may forget to talk about.
Here are two things that you shouldn't forget to discuss with your orthopedic surgeon prior to undergoing your procedure:
Anxieties Or Phobias
Surgery can be a traumatic event, however, being a well-informed patient can help alleviate some of your anxieties. Prior to your procedure, talk to your surgeon about any anxieties or phobias you may have pertaining to surgery or recovery.
Some patients are very anxious about going under general anesthesia or experiencing post-operative nausea and vomiting. When your surgeon is informed of your concerns, extra counseling can be arranged so that you feel calmer about your operation. If you fear getting sick from the anesthesia, your surgeon might administer an anti-emetic medication while still in the operating room so that you won't feel nauseous when you wake up.
If this will be your fist time having surgery or being in the hospital, you may also be worried. If this is the case, your doctor can arrange for you to tour the floor that you will be on after your surgery so that you can get acquainted with the nurses and other staff prior to your admission. This way, you'll be greeted by familiar faces once you're in your room, and less likely to feel nervous or unsettled.
Failure Rate
It is common for doctors to focus on the benefits of surgery instead of the negatives. It is for this reason that your orthopedic surgeon may not talk too much about failure rate. Most artificial knees or other prosthetic joints do not last a lifetime and because of this, you may need to have one or more additional surgeries.
While your doctor will probably tell you that your device may need to be replaced at some point in your life, ask your health care professional to elaborate more. For example, find out which risk factors or lifestyle habits raise the risk for needing additional surgeries to replace an existing artificial knee or hip. Obesity, smoking, diabetes and degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis may necessitate a replacement surgery sooner than later.
If you have forgotten to discuss the above issues at your preoperative appointment, call your orthopedic surgeon. In addition to helping alleviate your fears, your doctor will also talk to you about things you can do at home to help promote healing and reduce the risk for complications.
To learn more, contact a company like Orthopaedic Associates Of Rochester with any questions you have or if you want more information.
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