This 5-minute video is to inform people who are considering joint replacement surgery for their hip or knee osteoarthritis.
When you start to think about having an operation there are lots of things to consider and it may be frightening. Many patients have told us that they would like to know more about the quality of the surgeon and the hospital but they don’t know where to look. This page should help you.
Where can I go for my surgery?
Firstly, you can choose where you have your operation. Locally most people go to:
Other nearby hospitals are:
Get in touch if you would like to go elswhere or ask about other services. Not all locations are suitable, for example, The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton is not listed above as it does not carry out elective hip and knee surgery. (Surgery is ‘elective’ if you have planned to have surgery; it has not been forced on you by an emergency).
Can I talk to someone about my choices?
You can discuss your choices with our team at any time. See Getting In Touch.
How long will I have to
wait for surgery?
Waiting times vary from week to week and between hospitals / providers, so ask your Patient Care Advisor who will have the most up-to-date estimates.
How you can you help make your surgery a success.
Exercise as much as you can and build up your muscles. Join a ‘prehab’ class (see below) or take a look at Versus Arthritis surgery toolkit.
Think about your weight. If you are a healthier weight your joints will be under less strain and your surgery will also be safer. If you are a smoker, can you consider cutting down or quitting? One You East Sussex offer help and advice on both.
You can find out why exercise is so important after surgery and what is available locally to help you in ‘A Guide To Having Healthy Hips And Knees’.
Horder Healthcare offer a ‘prehab’ class for any patients considering hip and knee surgery. Joining classes like this could help you prepare for and be better suited for surgery, and also help you with your recovery from surgery.
See also Keeping Well Whilst Waiting, a guide on how to maintain physical activity and health for and after surgery.
National Joint Registry:
On the National Joint Registry website you will see charts showing ‘patient improvement’ and ‘patient reported outcomes’. These statistics are gathered from thousands of questionnaires which patients who have had surgery completed both before and after their surgery to show how much improvement they have had from their surgery. The questions cover such topics as:
- How much you can move about.
- How easy it is to look after yourself, to wash and dress, for example.
- How easy it is to do the normal things like work, study, family or leisure activities.
- How much pain you were in before the operation and afterwards.
- How anxious and depressed you were before and after the operation.
- Overall, how you feel about your health.
Resources:
Independent information is available via the links below:
The National Joint Registry – https://www.njrcentre.org.uk
The NJR records information about joint replacement surgery to monitor the results and protect patient safety.
Clinical Quality Commission (CQC) – https://www.cqc.org.uk
The CQC is the independent regulator of health and social care. It checks that all hospital services meet certain standards of quality and safety and publishes its findings.
One You East Sussex – https://oneyoueastsussex.org.uk
OYES can help you with smoking cessation, dietary changes and weight loss.
Versus Arthritis – https://www.versusarthritis.org
Educational links, information regarding MSK conditions, exercise advise and online resources, for example the Versus Arthritis surgery toolkit.
Horder Healthcare ‘Prehab’ Classes – https://hordercentre.co.uk/patients/preparing-for-your-surgery
East Sussex MSK – ‘A Guide To Having Healthy Hips And Knees’.
Our own hip and knee booklet is full of information to help you decide. It includes simple exercises, signposting, what to expect if surgery is the next step and pages of information to help with your whole health and your joint replacement journey.