The surgical therapy team wants to make sure that patients who are getting hip or knee replacement surgery know what to expect, and how to cope after surgery. And now they’ve got more tools to accomplish their mission.
The team has developed comprehensive booklets for hip and knee replacement patients. The booklets outline exactly what will happen during and after surgery and address pain control, bathroom safety, travel and transportation, possible complications, and answers a host of other questions.
“Our goal, as therapists, is for people to enjoy their life, move well, and recover successfully from surgery,” said physiotherapist Elizabeth Plowright.”
“It’s a lot to think about having hip or knee surgery, and we want people to come prepared, and to get moving as quickly as they can afterwards. These types of tools really help because they answer a lot of questions patients might not think of.”
The team has created a new video too that illustrates how to do exercises, how to get in and out of bed, up and down stairs, and how to use a walker. “So it’s very visual and we’ve had amazing feedback from our patients, because instead of coming to a class and getting the information once, they can review it several times,” Elizabeth added.
The video can be viewed online, or a DVD can be provided for those without internet. The booklets and video, Elizabeth said, also cut down on the amount of pre-surgical time the patient has to spend at the hospital, and leaves them better prepared and more confident.
About 700 knee and hip replacements are done annually at Brightshores.
“The sooner the individual can start some therapy before their (hip or knee) replacement, the better their chances of success after surgery. The more you invest, the more you get out.”