What should I know about a knee or hip joint replacement?

Joint replacement can be helpful, but here are some other things you should keep in mind when it comes to the operation.

Transcript

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[MUSIC PLAYING] It may allow you to have increased range of motion, increase the ability to move, but the best surgery

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is the surgery you can avoid.

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In very severe cases, joint replacements are necessary. And medicine has evolved to a point

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where that's now available. The important thing for you to understand that putting a new joint in your body, whether it's

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a knee or a hip, as wonderful as it may be has serious possible side effects,

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serious possible complications, and is never as good as the joint you came to this Earth with.

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It's helpful. It may allow you to have increased range of motion, increase the ability to move, increase the ability

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to do sports. But the best surgery is the surgery you can avoid.

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But in cases and where it is necessary, it's a wonderful, wonderful thing to have done. The most important thing about joint replacement surgery

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that I need to emphasize is that you need to make sure that you have, for example, your leg lengths checked prior to surgery and after surgery.

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One of the greatest complications of joint replacement surgery invariably is creating greater inequality of leg lengths

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than before the surgery, and that's why it's so important. So make sure you check your leg lengths before and after.