Joint 101 to Guide Your Recovery

The team at Baylor Orthopedic and Spine Hospital at Arlington looks forward to assisting you in your journey toward an improved level of activity and higher quality of life following your joint replacement surgery.

Each year, over 500,000 people in the U.S. undergo total joint replacement surgery. Typically, candidates for this surgery are individuals with chronic joint pain from arthritis that severely diminishes their ability to perform normal daily activities. This often leads to a loss of independence and self esteem. A replacement joint can make a big difference in your ability to return to work or other activities that you enjoy.

Total joint replacement patients usually recover quickly. The hospital stay is typically two-three days. New surgical techniques and improved analgesic methods have allowed us to speed up the recovery process. In fact, most patients will be expected to walk on the day of surgery.

Quick recovery usually allows the return to most activities in six to eight weeks for motivated individuals. This includes driving, walking distances, swimming and golfing. How quickly you return to normal activity is highly dependent upon your preoperative physical conditioning. The better your physical condition is prior to surgery, the quicker your recovery to more normal activity will be. Also, patients who take an active role in their recovery experience the most positive results.

Your Hospital Team
Baylor Orthopedic and Spine Hospital has a team of professionals who specialize in the diagnosis, education, care and treatment of individuals undergoing joint replacement surgery.

Our highly skilled team of professionals includes:

• Your orthopedic surgeon
• Anesthesiologist
• Hospitalists
• Case Manager
• Pre-Operative nurses
• Surgical team
• Recovery room nurses
• Post Surgical Unit nurses
• Physical therapists