If you were to picture the average person who undergoes a knee or joint replacement operation, you probably picture someone near retirement age who is looking to get a new knee or hip to allow them to remain active long into their wonder years. While people in their 60s and 70s do make up a large portion of our joint replacement cases, they are far from the only people undergoing joint replacement surgery. We’ve operated on people in their 20s and 30s, and we’ve also helped people well north of 80. That’s because age alone is far from the only factor that dictates whether or not a person is an ideal candidate for joint replacement surgery. We explain why, and which other factors go into the decision in today’s blog.
Factors That Determine Joint Replacement Candidacy
While age ends up being a pretty common theme among the average hip or knee replacement candidate that we assist, it’s not what drives us to make the decision to operate. A number of other factors are much more important in the decision making process. Those factors include:
- Deterioration – The extent of joint deterioration is far more important than a patient’s age when determining if they are an ideal candidate for hip or knee replacement surgery. We’ve seens patients in their 80s or 90s with great looking joints for their age, and we’ve seen patients in their 30s whose knees have been wrecked by chronic injury and stress. Determining how much healthy joint is left will really be a driving force behind your candidacy.
- Your Activity Goals – Determining why a patient is considering joint replacement surgery is also helpful in figuring out if they’d be a good candidate. If you want to keep biking but your knees have become painful, you may be an ideal candidate for knee replacement surgery. However, if you’re in your 80s or 90s and your mobility is affected because of a few different reasons, what you stand to gain from a joint replacement operation may not outweigh the costs and the physical undertaking that comes with the procedure.
- Weight – Your weight also plays a role in whether or not a surgeon recommends moving forward with a joint replacement procedure. The more you weigh, the more the new joint will be stressed, and this can hinder recovery. There’s also a higher possibility of complications in overweight and obese patients, so the operation could pose some additional health risks. Losing weight can take stress off your joint and make you a better candidate for surgery if it comes to that.
- Previous Treatments – Joint replacement surgery is rarely the first option. Most patients are asked to partake in some conservative care techniques for a number of weeks before surgery is considered. If your knee or hip responds well to physical therapy and weight loss, you may prevent the need for surgery. If you haven’t tried any other options, odds are your surgeon isn’t just going to greenlight you for surgery, so how your body responds to non-operative means is another factor in whether or not joint replacement is considered.
- Related Medical Conditions – Other health issues can complicate a procedure, and these will factor into the decision to operate more than your age. An otherwise healthy 65-year-old patient with bad knees will be a much more ideal candidate than a 65-year-old with bad knees, hypertension, diabetes and sleep apnea. Your surgeon will go over your complete medical history before determining whether or not surgery could be an option down the road.
To learn if you might be a candidate for knee or hip replacement surgery, or to talk to a specialist about discomfort in these areas, reach out to Dr. Botero’s office today.
