After your surgery you will be using either a walker or crutches. If you are younger and have good upper body strength you will prefer crutches. If you are older, have weaker arms or are obese you may find a walker easier. You should try these around the house and make sure important areas (bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom) are easily accessible. You may need to rearrange furniture or temporarily change rooms for your convenience after your surgery. Remove all throw or area rugs that could cause one to slip. Bathroom modifications that may be helpful include a shower chair, gripping bars, flexible shower handle, non-slip floor surfaces or mats, soap bars with a string attached and a long-handled scrub brush.

If you live alone, you may want to make arrangements to have a friend or relative stay with your for a few days after your surgery. This is especially useful in meal preparation, carrying various items such as plates and cups, and putting on socks. It may be helpful to wear shirts with pockets and/or to drape a small canvas or plastic bag over your shoulder for carrying smaller items.

If you have no one who can help you at home, most insurance carriers will pay for 1-2 weeks in a rehabilitation facility. I prefer that patients make arrangements to stay home whenever possible because staying rehabilitation facilities increases your risk of infection. Home health aides can be hired for 1-2 weeks at relatively low cost ($15-20/hour), but insurance does not cover this cost. Sick people congregate in hospitals and rehab facilities. My goal is to get people out of the hospital quickly in 1-2 days and avoid rehabilitation centers altogether to minimize risk. We are now even able to perform some hip and knee replacements in healthy younger patients as outpatient procedures at our ambulatory care center and avoid the hospital altogether.

Studies have shown that outcomes for joint replacement are better in high volume centers. But most high volume centers are at large hospitals where very sick people with resistant bacteria congregate. Actually, outcome is more dependent on the surgeon than the hospital. I think a high volume surgeon who performs surgery in a smaller hospital or outpatient setting is the best of both worlds. Proof for my position is that my deep infection rate is 0.1%, while the national average is 1-2%.