Emory Decatur Hospital

Preparing for Surgery

Preparing for Joint Replacement Surgery

Joint replacement surgery is a major decision, and now that you’ve made the choice to have orthopedic surgery in Atlanta, it's our job to make sure everything goes smoothly. The team members of the Joint Solutions Center will work with you and your doctor to make sure you know exactly what to expect before, during, and after your hip or knee replacement.

Joint Replacement and Orthopedic Surgery Schedule

There are many things you can do to prepare yourself emotionally and physically for a successful orthopedic surgery experience. Using the following suggested timelines, we can help you put together all the pieces so you’ll have peace of mind going into and coming out of orthopedic surgery in Atlanta.

4-6 Weeks before Joint Replacement Surgery

Begin your pre-operative exercise program if prescribed by your doctor. Our Joint Care Manager will review these joint care exercises with you in detail during the Pre-Operative education class or you can follow the routines here. Only exercise to your comfort level.

View Joint Exercises

Select Your Coach

Your personal Coach will play an important support role in the delivery of your care and recovery. Coaches are selected by you -- the patient -- and typically are a close friend or family member.

Your Coach’s role is simple. To help motivate and support you so your surgery is a success. Their job is to help you remember all the little details that your doctors and the recovery team will tell you. Your Coach will also accompany you to group physical therapy in the Joint Gym, and our staff will train them to:

Assist with your at-home exercise program before and after surgery
Recognize the signs and symptoms of an infection or blood clot
Change your surgical dressing when you get back home
Understand your prescription medications and interactions

When you’re ready to go home, they’ll attend the discharge class with you and keep a checklist of what you’ll need to stay on the road to recovery.

7-10 Days Before Joint Replacement Surgery

Emory Decatur Hospital or your surgeon’s office will be contacting you to schedule a pre-admission appointment. Your pre-admission appointment will be on the first floor of the DeKalb Medical Women’s and Surgery Center (the same building where you will have your orthopedic surgery). During your pre-admission appointment, we will conduct any necessary X-rays, labs or blood work that your doctor has requested prior to performing your orthopedic surgery. You will meet with an anesthesiologist to discuss your current medications and answer any questions you may have about joint replacement. Appointments for orthopedic surgery pre-admission testing are typically scheduled on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Watch the Pre-Op Video

The Orthopedic Nursing Staff at the Joint Solutions Center

At the Emory Decatur Hospital Joint Solutions Center (JSC), our nurses aren’t just trained in how to attend to your medical needs, they’re trained in helping you take those first steps with your new joint and into your new life. As part of a dynamic, dedicated orthopedic unit, all of the nurses at the Joint Solutions Center possess specialized training in total joint care.

In addition to ensuring your comfort and safety, they are an integral part of a multidisciplinary team that will help you achieve optimum mobility and performance. Your nurse will also help manage any post-surgery pain (including changing your medication if necessary) so you can receive the greatest benefit from your physical therapy and daily walks on the Georgia Sightseer Tour.

Joint Exercises

Starting joint mobility exercises before your orthopedic surgery is a smart thing to do. Continuing the exercises after your orthopedic surgery will also speed up your recovery! The joint exercises only take about 15-20 minutes to do each day. Taking this initiative will prepare you to be as fit as possible going into and coming out of your orthopedic surgery.

The Importance of Starting an Exercise Program

Ideally, you should think about starting an exercise program 4-6 weeks prior to surgery and immediately after surgery (or as your doctor orders). You’ll obtain optimum benefit if you do the joint mobility exercises twice a day, but-- only exercise to your comfort level.

The exercises can be easily performed on the bed if the floor is not comfortable and will strengthen your entire body, including your arms, which you’ll be relying on more after surgery to get in and out of the bed, etc.

Joint Exercises

Ankle Pumps

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

When to Do: before and after surgery twice a day

How to Do: You can do this exercise while lying flat on your back (on your bed) or in a seated position. Flex your foot up and down at your ankle.

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Supplies Needed: none

Benefit: Increases blood circulation in the leg to prevent blood clotting.
Arc Quads

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

Short Arc

How to Do: Sit with your back against a chair and then raise and straighten you knee so that your leg is parallel to the floor. Hold your leg in the straight position for 5 seconds and then slowly lower it back to the ground. Repeat.

When to Do: before and after surgery

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Supplies: Chair

Long Arc

How to Do: Sit with your back against a chair and then raise and straighten you knee so that your leg is parallel to the floor. Hold your leg in the straight position for 5 seconds and then slowly lower it back to the ground. Repeat.

When to Do: before and after surgery

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Supplies: Chair
Armchair Pushups

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

How to Do: Sit in an armchair and place your hands on the armrests. Straighten your arms and raise your bottom up off the chair seat if possible. Your feet should remain flat on the floor.

When to Do: before and after surgery

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Benefit: Strengthens your arms so you can walk more steadily with crutches or a walker while you are recovering.

Supplies: an armchair
Gluteal Seats

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

How to Do: Lie flat on your back in the bed and then contract (squeeze) the muscles in your buttocks. Hold for a count of 5 to 10 seconds. Your pelvis should rise a little during this exercise.

When to Do: before and after surgery

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Benefit: This exercise strengthens the muscles around your hip to provide support of your hip when standing and walking.

Supplies: None
Heel Adduction

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

How to Do: Lie flat on your back in your bed and keep your knee straight and your toes pointed up to the ceiling. Slide your leg out to the side. Then slowly return to the starting position. Remember to slide the leg, don’t raise it up off the surface.

When to Do: before and after surgery

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Benefit: This exercise strengthens the muscles on the inner and outer thigh to provide support of your hip and knee when standing and walking.

Supplies: None
Heel Slides

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

How to Do: Lie flat on your back and slide your heel toward your buttocks while bending your knee. Then slowly lower your heel back to the position where you began and repeat the exercise.

When to Do: before and after surgery

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Benefit: Strengthens and increases the flexibility of the muscles around your hip and knee.
Isometric Adduction

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

How to Do: Lie on your back in the bed with your knee straight and your toes pointed to the ceiling. Place a rolled up towel between your thighs and squeeze the towel with your inner thigh muscles. Hold for a count of 5-10. Release and repeat.

When to Do: before and after surgery

Benefit: strengthens the muscles around the thigh to provide support for your knees.

Supplies Needed: a towel

Repeat this exercise 20 times
Knee Extension

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

How to Do: Sit with your back against a chair and then raise and straighten your knee so that your leg is parallel to the floor. Hold your leg in the straight position for 5 seconds and then slowly lower it back to the ground. Repeat.

When to Do: before and after surgery

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Supplies: Chair
Quad Sets

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

When to Do: before and after surgery

How to Do: Lie flat on your back and begin the exercise with your knee straight. Then contract the muscle on top of your thigh (the quadricep) and hold it for a count of 5 to 10 seconds. Note: It’s o-kay if your foot raises slightly off the flat surface while you are doing this exercise.

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Supplies: none

Benefit: Strengthens the main muscle around the knee for better support when you’re walking.
Seated Heel Slides

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

How to Do: Sit towards the edge of the seat with your leg straight out in front of you and your heel resting on the ground. Bend your knee by sliding your front foot toward the chair. Bend your knee as much as you can comfortably without raising your hips off the seat of the chair. Then slide your foot back outward until your knee is completely straight again. Always keep your foot on the floor during this exercise.

When to Do: before and after surgery

Repeat this exercise 20 times
Squats

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

How to Do: Stand with your walker or behind a stable chair so your balance is supported. Put your feet parallel and about 4-6 inches apart. Bend your knees and lower your body down toward the ground about 4 inches. Keep your back and torso up and straight. Note: If you feel pain, don’t lower down quite as far (i.e. only bend down 2-3 inches instead of 4.)

When to Do: before and after surgery

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Supplies: a walker or a chair

Benefits: Strengthens all the muscles in your leg to provide better support when standing and walking.
Standing Knee Flexion

Be sure to consult your physician prior to beginning your joint exercise program and only exercise to your comfort level. You’ll obtain optimum benefit from your joint exercises if you do them twice a day.

How to Do: Stand with your walker or behind a stable chair so that your balance is supported during. Keeping your thighs together, bend your leg up behind you so that your foot raises up towards your buttocks. Note: keep the thigh as perpendicular to the floor as possible when you do this exercise (i.e. don’t let it move forward when you raise your foot behind you).

Repeat this exercise 20 times

Supplies: a chair (pre-operative) or a walker (post-operatively)

Benefit: Strengthens the muscles behind your knee for greater flexibility and better walking.
Stretches

Knee Extension Stretch

How to Do: Sit in a chair and rest the foot of your surgical leg on a stool. There should be nothing underneath your knee while in this position. Rest in the position as long as you can (from 20 minutes up to 1 hour).

When to Do: before and after surgery

Benefit: Increases the motion and flexibility in your knee. It is especially important if you are currently unable to straighten your knee.

Hamstring Stretch

How to Do: Sit on your bed with your surgical leg flat on the bed and your opposite foot resting on the floor. Keep your back straight while bending forward at your hips and reach toward your toes with your hands. Be sure to keep your knee flat on the bed and don’t allow it to raise up during the stretch. You will feel a pull in the muscles behind your knee.

When to Do: before and after surgery
Using A Walker

Curb Climbing (Ascend)

How to Do: Walk as close to the curb as you are able with your walker. Place your walker up onto the curb with all four walker legs securely on the upper surface. Step up onto the upper surface with your STRONG leg first. Then bring your weaker or more painful leg to the upper surface by lifting yourself with your strong leg and with your arms on the walker.

Curb Climbing (Descend)

How to Do: Walk to the edge of the curb with the front legs of the walker as close to the curb as is safely possible. Put the walker down onto the lower surface making sure each of the four walker legs is securely on the flat lower surface. Then step down with your weaker or more painful leg to the lower surface. Make sure this foot is flat and secure on the lower surface. Then lower your stronger leg to the lower surface.