I do not recommend any doctor, but make sure:

• He does lots of operations and is experienced in his work.

• Find out what type of prosthesis he will use and why.

• Will he use dental cement to join the prosthesis to your bones or some other material?

• Ask around/talk to people like myself or email people in “my group”.

• Be as fit as you can before the operation.

• Talk to the anaesthetist and ask whether he/she will use general anaesthetic or spinal needle.

• Talk to people and ask questions

• Talk to people and ask questions

• Talk to people and ask questions
  

Most people that have knee and hip operations have private health insurance so the following really applies to these potential patients.

Whether you have surgery for one/two knees or hip/s, I believe you should spend seven nights in hospital and then fourteen nights in a Rehab Hospital.

Your health fund will pay all of this including ambulance transport from operating hospital to rehab hospital.

Why rehab for 14 days?

• Your health fund will pay for it.

• You will get injections each day to prevent blood clots.

• You will get graded physiotherapy each day from qualified people.

• You will get drugs correctly administered by trained nurses for the pain, which can be quite considerable.

• You will get correct nutritional meals each day.

• Nurses put your white stockings on/off each day.

• Your wound will be correctly monitored.

When rehab is finished

You should be able to walk upstairs and quickly dispense with crutches and walking sticks. You can usually continue for up to a further two weeks with rehab twice a week as an out-patient.

• Never ever kneel whatever anybody, including your doctor, says.

• Do learn to be a “giraffe” and pick up things on the ground by spreading your legs apart – also, same for cleaning pool.

• Do practise getting up from a sitting position – you will find you can do it better than you think.

• Do, as soon as possible, – practise climbing stairs – it is easy and it is good for you.

• Do rub sorbeline on your legs every day – it is the best moisturizer for your skin.

  
  

I commenced tennis after about 20 weeks.

Tennis

• Stick to social doubles

• Play once a week up to 40 games (5 sets of 8 games).

Golf

• Any time after about 4 months

• Walk and pull your buggy.

Bowls

Any time you feel fit enough.

Croquet

As with bowls and golf.

Obviously no explosive sport such as football, soccer or squash.