Joint replacement surgery isn’t what you think. Here are the facts.

You may have suffered chronic pain for years. And perhaps you’ve reached the stage where pain has changed who you are as a person — keeping you from doing things that bring you joy. Here are a few points you should consider:

The pain relief you’ll experience after surgery makes it well worth it.

One kind of pain does not equal another kind. Arthritis causes your joints to feel achy. Surgical pain is a result of wound healing, swelling and inflammation, which will subside as you heal after surgery. Almost all patients who have joint replacement surgery are glad they did so because their chronic joint pain disappeared, like a switch was flipped. 

Recovery likely won’t take as long as you suspect.

Surgical and technological advancements, including better pain management techniques before, during and after surgery, have improved joint replacement recovery times. You’ll probably use a cane or walker for about two weeks, start driving after two to four weeks and return to work after a month, depending on your occupation.

Insurance coverage shouldn’t be a problem.

Joint replacement is a well-established procedure, meaning insurance probably will cover it, depending on your plan. Many joint replacement patients are at least 65 years old and covered by Medicare, which typically pays for the procedure.

You won’t necessarily need another replacement.

Joint replacement materials continue to improve and usually last at least 20 years. Research shows many knee replacement patients still could walk as much as they wanted 20 years after surgery.
Joint replacement surgery is one of the true miracles of modern medicine.
— Robert Neff, MD, Houston Methodist orthopedic surgeon.

You don’t have to wait until you can’t walk to have joint replacement.

You should consider joint replacement when chronic pain becomes part of your life and you find yourself compensating for it. For example, you eat out more because your pain is so bad you can’t prepare a meal, or you use the elevator at work because it hurts too much to take the stairs.

After joint replacement, you’ll be able to do many of the things you’ve avoided.

“Joint replacement surgery is one of the true miracles of modern medicine,” says Robert Neff, MD, a Houston Methodist orthopedic surgeon. “It gets people back to their lives, doing the things they want to do and that they previously took for granted.” Joint replacement relieves stiffness and pain caused by arthritis, which limits mobility. You’ll feel like your old self, Neff says.