What to expect in hip and knee replacement surgery

WABC-TV—March 16, 2010

Every year, nearly 200,000 people decide to do something about the pain in their hip and undergo hip replacement surgery. But what they expect after surgery is sometimes different than what the surgeon thinks is possible.

A new study found a disconnect between what the patient expects and what the doctor expects. One class at Hospital for Special Surgery tries, as you might say, to keep it real.

The class is also a reality check for the patient about to have hip replacement surgery.

“Nobody wants to hear that you’re going to have pain for two weeks after surgery. We try to link the expectations a little more realistically,” said Jack Davis, R.N, M.S.N.

One study found that patients had much higher expectations from a joint replacement than did doctors. One of the goals of the class is to make patients expectations more realistic. The class also explains the basics of the procedure and recovery.

“We want to allow them to engage in different phases of the recovery in a more enthusiastic way, with less fear and with fewer concerns,” said Alejandro Gonzalez Della Valle, M.D.