Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 24)

“I often tell my patients it’s not about what your joint replacement won’t allow you to do. It’s about what it will allow you to do. Fear: I won’t be able to do the thIngs I lIke to do. There may be some limitations in the activities you can do with your replacement joint. But if pain is keeping you from doing those things now, what will you be missing? “I often tell my patients it’s not about what your joint replacement won’t allow you to do. It’s about what it will allow you to do,” Dennis says. “No, we don’t recommend impact-loading activities like running, basketball or racket sports. But we do encourage other activities—like swimming, golf and biking—with no limitations at all.” McFarland recommends being realistic about your new joint and being open to adapting your activities to it. “These are metal [and polyethylene] parts that don’t regenerate like your body does, and they do wear. So you probably shouldn’t do extreme sports or things with impact,” she says. “I go to the pool almost every day. Aqua jogging works for me. It may not be what you did before, but there’s always something you can do.” Fear: the joInt prosthesIs wIll need to be replaced agaIn In 10 years. Joint prostheses have come a long way since the first replacement surgeries in the U.S. were performed in the 1960s and are much more durable. Implants are made of varying materials, depending on the joint 24 Spring 2 013 being replaced and the condition of the surrounding bone. Common materials include metal, such as stainless steel or titanium, and polyethylene, a durable plastic. Some newer implants, particularly knees and hips, are made out of a special type of ceramic material or oxidized zirconium, which are both smooth and durable. These new implants can last 20 to 25 years as opposed to older implants that had a 10- to 15-year life span, according to the Arthritis Foundation. “With the newer polyethylene joints, which we began implanting in 2000, the wear has been dramatically reduced at the 10-year mark,” Dennis says. “They could end up being 30-year implants, but we just don’t have that data yet. It’s very exciting and will certainly lead to a reduction in revision hip or knee surgery in their lifetime.” Again, patients play a large role in the joint’s success. “A lot of the ability as to how long they last has to do with the patient and his or her care of the joint,” Oakes stresses. Fear: I need to waIt as long as possIble before havIng joInt replacement. Because in years past joint prostheses didn’t last as long, people used to wait until the last possible moment to have the surgery. Today, that philosophy has changed. Because the implants are lasting longer and because we know that the healthier you are when you have the surgery, the more successful it will likely be, people aren’t waiting as long in pain. McFarland advocates talking to your doctor sooner than later. “There’s a concept out there that joint replacements are the treatments of last resort,” she says. “I know tons of people who wait until they’re in total agony, and I always tell them you don’t have to wait. My advice is that when it starts affecting your quality of life, go get it done. If you don’t wait until it’s so bad, you’ll have a better outcome.”

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