Planning for the best possible outcomes
Preparing for surgery
Your journey
Your surgical journey will start after you and one of the highly skilled total joint surgeons at UNOVA Hip and Knee Center have exhausted all the appropriate conservative measures to address your hip concerns. At this time, you will undergo a pre-surgical evaluation to determine how best to optimize you for your surgery. Your primary care physician and your specialists will work diligently with the team to get you to your optimal medical condition. Occasionally there may be general health issues, medical conditions, or test results that may cause concern, and must be dealt with prior to being scheduled for surgery.
Before surgery
1. Schedule specialist appointments
We recommend that you set up appointments to see any specialists caring for you, such as cardiologists, pulmonologists, hematologists/oncologists, as soon as you and your surgeon make the decision to undergo surgery. Our surgery scheduler will help facilitate this. This guarantees to the best of our ability that your primary care physician will have the specialist’s clearances when he or she sees you.
2. Check your nutrition
The role that nutrition plays in pre-surgical preparation and post-surgical healing cannot be overstated. The body must have a reservoir of fuel, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. We will test for many of the nutritional component levels and correct those that we deem necessary prior to your surgery, so that after surgery the body has enough to heal itself.
Your Albumin level, a gauge of your body’s protein supply, should be as close to 3.5 mg/dl as possible.
Your Vitamin D, a vitamin essential to wound and body healing, should be at a level greater than 40 ng/ml. Regularly walking or sitting in sunlight improves your body’s ability to make Vitamin D.
Modifying your diet, incorporating more fruits, dark berries, and vegetables, green leafy veggies, prior to surgery will also enhance your recovery.
Select a coach
Because your safety is our primary concern, you must have a coach selected prior to your surgery. This person may be a spouse, adult child, sibling, or close friend. Your coach must accompany you to your pre-op visit and your Bone Camp class. More information.
Before surgery
-
Schedule specialist appointments
We recommend that you set up appointments to see any specialists caring for you, such as cardiologists, pulmonologists, hematologists/oncologists, as soon as you and your surgeon make the decision to undergo surgery. Our surgery scheduler will help facilitate this. This guarantees to the best of our ability that your primary care physician will have the specialist’s clearances when he or she sees you.
-
Check your nutrition
The role that nutrition plays in pre-surgical preparation and post-surgical healing cannot be overstated. The body must have a reservoir of fuel, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. We will test for many of the nutritional component levels and correct those that we deem necessary prior to your surgery, so that after surgery the body has enough to heal itself.
Your Albumin level, a gauge of your body’s protein supply, should be as close to 3.5 mg/dl as possible.
Your Vitamin D, a vitamin essential to wound and body healing, should be at a level greater than 40 ng/ml. Regularly walking or sitting in sunlight improves your body’s ability to make Vitamin D.
Modifying your diet, incorporating more fruits, dark berries, and vegetables, green leafy veggies, prior to surgery will also enhance your recovery.
-
Select a coach
Because your safety is our primary concern, you must have a coach selected prior to your surgery. This person may be a spouse, adult child, sibling, or close friend. Your coach must accompany you to your pre-op visit and your Bone Camp class. More information.
Review the medical conditions below, and how they may impact your surgical preparation. Click on the condition to read more.
Important action steps prior to surgery
Please review the following video for information regarding the action steps you will have to take prior to your surgery.
Hard-stop parameters before surgery
At UNOVA Hip & Knee Center, although we believe every patient is unique, there are a few hard stop rules that we must abide by before we can undertake your surgery. These rules exist to ensure your safety and to give us the best opportunity to help you achieve your desired outcome with the lowest possible chance of encountering a complication. The parameters linked to hard stops are non-negotiable, so please read them carefully. If any of the following are a concern at the time of your surgery, we will simply reschedule.
Break in skin
Any break in the skin with a surrounding blanching red area. Therefore, it is best to avoid any work in the garden or outdoors that may cause cuts or punctures of the skin.
Dental issues
Any dental issues such as painful teeth or excessively bleeding gums. This may be a sign of an infection. Please complete tending to any dental issues at least six weeks prior to your surgical date.
Urinary tract infection
Any symptoms, such as discomfort or burning during urination, increased frequency of urination, or urine that smells unpleasant should be brought to the attention of your care team. Symptomatic patients will undergo a screening urinalysis and, if positive, a urine culture. If an infection is evident, you will simply begin a five-day treatment plan and be rescreened two days after its completion.