Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 22)

Kathy McFarland knows a thing or two about joint replacement. She should. A rare form of arthritis called calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease has led her to have six of them in the past 12 years. Although she says the first surgery scared her, they don’t anymore. “Now I’m totally fearless,” McFarland says. If you’re facing joint replacement for the first time, you’re probably apprehensive, too. And that’s natural. But arming yourself with knowledge can help put your fears to rest. Fear: It wIll hurt. It’s true that there will be pain. It is surgery, after all. “Joint replacement is a surgical procedure, and a considerable one at that,” says Christy Oakes, R.N., president of the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses. “Patients who think they won’t have pain need additional preoperative education.” But McFarland and others who have had joint replacement insist it’s worth it. “The pain you’re in now is so much worse than what you’ll have after surgery,” she says. The pain from arthritis is constant and will only get worse, whereas the pain associated with surgery is temporary and will go away in time. “We’ve made great strides in pain management,” says Douglas Dennis, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip and knee replacements and a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. “We try to attack pain from many different angles, and doing so allows us to pretty much eliminate the intense pain when a patient wakes up from surgery.” Oakes echoes Dennis’ philosophy. “Having surgery be pain-free is unrealistic, but having pain that is well-controlled is the goal. The goal of every hospital, doctor and nurse is to mitigate and minimize that pain.” If you’re facing joint replacement for the first time, you’re probably apprehensive, too. But arming yourself with knowledge can help put your fears to rest. 22 Spring 2 013 Fear: I wIll need to be off my feet for a long tIme after surgery. The idea that joint replacement surgery means weeks or months of bed rest is more than outdated. In fact, as your orthopedic surgeon will tell you, using your new joint soon after surgery is the best possible medicine. “It’s not one of those surgeries where you go home and just sit in the easy chair,” Oakes says. “You need to maintain your mobility.” After a hip or a knee replacement, that generally means you will be encouraged to get up and walk the day after your surgery, if not the same day. Most patients are able to leave the hospital in three to five days. Physical therapy starts immediately. “Patients rehabilitate at different rates,” Dennis says. “Some at the four- to six-week interval are back to performing their normal activities of daily living. Others, it might take longer than that.” Fear: rehabIlItatIon wIll be too hard or tIme-consumIng. Yes, rehabilitation is hard work. “Joint replacement is not a surgery you can just have and do nothing. There needs to be a personal commitment on the part of the patient, too, to be successful,” Oakes says. “But when you look at the outcome and the fact that you will be able to go grocery shopping without pain, I would hope that patients would think there is a return on that investment and commit to rehab.” Dennis agrees. “My recommendation is that when patients decide to proceed with joint replacement, they need to make the commitment to work on rehab after,” he says. “The surgical procedure is important, but rehab is critical to the long-term function of the joint. If they don’t work on rehab programs, they’ll end up with joints that are stiffer and have less strength.” McFarland is a big supporter of rehabilitation, having seen firsthand what a difference it makes. “It’s pretty minimal what you have to do,” she says. “Do the basics and keep active, and you’ll have a lot better result. You have to keep up your end; your doctor can’t do everything for you.”

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center
Contents
Phil’s Feature
Where Lasting Weight Loss Begins
Open Heart Surgery Journey
You’re the Star
Heart-to-Heart
Lighten Up!
Have No Fear
Work It!
Diane Keaton
What Are the Chances?
9 Symptoms Never to Ignore
When Allergies Attack
Virtual Health
PrimeTime Health
Aiding Babies
Back on Top
Out of the White Coat
Transforming Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center