Your post-joint replacement surgery checklist

While knee or hip replacement surgery can feel intimidating, there's no need to worry. With the right preparation and a good recovery plan, you'll be back to your routine in no time.

Before you go in for surgery

Here are a few things you may want to ensure you have ready for when you return home:

• Set up an area in your home where you'll spend most of your time. Position a phone, laptop, remote control, reading materials, medications, and water within easy reach.
• Make sure items you need daily—clothing, toiletries, pots and pans, food—are stored at arm height, so that reaching or bending isn't necessary. Use a long-handled tool for reaching items beyond arm's length.
• Clear clutter and remove any rugs on which you might slip.
• Cook and freeze foods so you can reheat them as needed, or stock up on prepared foods.
• Find an apron with big pockets to help you carry things around your home, leaving your hands and arms free to use crutches or help you balance better.
• Purchase any assistive devices you'll need, such as a grabber stick (to reach things without bending), a long-handled shoehorn, and a sock aid (to pull on your socks).
• Install a raised seat for the toilet. Grab bars may also help.
• Apply for a temporary disabled parking permit through your state department of motor vehicles. You'll want to do this several weeks before your surgery. If you are having a right hip or knee replacement, be aware that driving is not recommended for six weeks after surgery, because your right foot controls the gas and the brake.

When you first arrive home after surgery

You'll need help. Make arrangements with a family member, friend, or someone you've hired for help with meal preparation, cleaning, bathing, shopping, and just fetching things you need. Depending on your medical condition, a visiting nurse or home health aide may be helpful.

The first few weeks post surgery

Unlike many operations, joint replacement is not something you recover from passively. Once surgery is over, physical therapy begins and ultimately, the effort you put into your therapy will determine the success of your implant, just as much as the skill of the surgeon who performed the operation.

A physical therapist may come to your home or schedule regular appointments. In many cases, it's worth the effort to visit a reputable outpatient therapy center, as these facilities tend to offer more aggressive and standardized treatment to help you get on track. In addition to formal exercises, gradually increasing the distance you walk and the quantity of normal tasks you do improves your strength and stamina.

For more on strategies for pain-free knees and hips, plus a Special Bonus Section on knee and hip replacement, read Knees and Hips, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. 

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