How to prepare yourself for joint replacement 

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[Text on screen:
Ohio State Health & Discovery
How to prepare yourself for joint replacement]

Jeffrey Reeves, MD: There's a few different things we think about in optimizing somebody for their joint replacement. 

[Text on screen:
Jeffrey Reeves, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center]

The first is getting as strong and as flexible as you can prior to surgery. Now with an arthritic joint, I know that sounds like a lot, but oftentimes improving muscle strength around the joint of focus can help recovery be a little bit more smooth for you.

The second would be optimizing your BMI or your body mass index. There's studies that show that increased BMI above 40 can put you at a higher risk for complications after your surgery. So we always shoot for your BMI to be below 40 prior to surgery.

Nicotine use can also impact your joint recovery. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor and can delay wound healing. When wounds are delayed in their healing, it increases your risk for infection. So we do try to get everyone off of nicotine prior to their surgery to help optimize their chances of success.

Nutrition is an additional area that we focus on. And albumin is a marker of protein in our body, and there's been studies that show when your albumin is below three and a half, you have a higher risk of complications after surgery. So we also try to optimize your nutrition prior to surgery.

[Text on screen:
Ohio State Health & Discovery
For more information, visit:
wexnermedical.osu.edu/orthopedics]

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