THE DAY OF SURGERY
Arriving at the hospital
On the day of your hip/knee replacement surgery, you will be admitted to the hospital. You will have been told when to stop eating or drinking and where you need to report. In general, you should not eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery. Plan to arrive two hours before your scheduled surgery time. When you arrive, there will be paperwork to complete. The nurse will make sure all your blood work and other tests are current. The nurse will take you to the pre-procedure room and have you change into a hospital gown.
When your chart is in order, your blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and temperature will be taken and an I.V. line will be started. The anesthesiologist will come by to talk with you, review your chart, and discuss options for anesthesia. Spinal versus general anesthesia are my preferences.
The operation
When it is time, the anesthesiologist and the nurse will escort you in a bed to the operating room. Once you have been transferred to the operating table, you will receive anesthesia. The nurse will then place a catheter in your bladder. A stocking and compression device will be placed on your non-operative leg.
Your hip/knee replacement surgery should take between 1-1/2 to 2 hours. An incision will be made for the hip/knee replacement. The damaged bone and cartilage in your hip/knee will be removed and replaced with implants. A drain may be placed inside the wound prior to closure.
The recovery room
Once the operation is complete, you will be taken to the PACU (Post-Anesthesia Care Unit) by the anesthesiologist and I will speak with your family about the operation. In the PACU or recovery room, the nurses will monitor your condition as you recover from the anesthesia. This takes about two hours and family is typically not allowed to visit. After this time, you will be taken to your hospital room on the orthopaedic floor. If you have medical problems that require special monitoring, your surgeon or anesthesiologist may decide to keep you in the recovery room for a longer time.
