General Surgery S.L.

Total Hip Replacement OPERATION: ……. Hip Arthroplasty ( total hip Replacement) PROCEDURE: The hip joint is a “ball and socket joint”. It is a very important joint as it allows a great deal of movement but is also weight-bearing. As a result of this, it is often prone to “wearing away”. This is a simplified reason as to why arthritis occurs. Arthritis can be a very painful disorder which may slow down your mobility/ walking or even stop you from sleeping. A hip replacement is an operation which replaces the severely damaged hip bone with an artificial ball and socket that does the function of the natural joint. It may reduce the pain and help in walking and sleeping. If you hold any x-rays, please bring them with you when you come into hospital. You will be visited by your surgeon before the operation. If you have any questions, now might be a good time to ask them. The surgeon will mark on your leg with a felt pen. This is to make sure the correct leg is operated on. An anaesthetic will be given in theatres. This may be a general anaesthetic (where you will be asleep) and/ or a regional block (e.g. where you are awake but the area to be operated is completely numbed) for example an injection into the spine. You must discuss this and the risks with the anaesthetist. If you have any allergies, please also tell them. You will lie on the opposite side to the one being operated on. Your skin will be cleaned with antiseptic fluid and clean towels (drapes) will be wrapped around the hip. The surgeon will make a cut (incision) using a surgical knife (scalpel). The exact location of the incision depends on your surgeon’s technique. The length of the incision also depends upon the surgeon and your leg. A cut is made through the fat and muscles which lie in the way of the hip bones

Knee arthroscopy OPERATION: ……knee Arthroscopy PROCEDURE: An arthroscopy means “looking into a joint” with a camera. It allows the surgeon to examine the knee joint and perform some operations without having to open the knee completely. You will be visited by your surgeon before your operation. The surgeon will mark (with a felt pen) the leg. This is to make sure the correct leg is operated on. If you have any questions, this is a good time to ask them. Anaesthetic will be administered in theatre and a tight inflatable band (tourniquet) may be placed across the top of your thigh to limit the amount of bleeding. Your skin will be cleaned with anti-septic solution and clean towels (drapes) placed around your knee. The surgeon will make up to four small incisions (cuts) either side of the knee cap. These are generally no more than 1 centimetre in length. Through the first incision, the surgeon can pass a telescope with a camera. This shows pictures on a nearby television screen. The second or third incision may allow tools or drains to be passed into the joint. The tools include probes, shavers, scissors and punches. The surgeon might not be able to say exactly what needs to be done until they are looking inside the knee. Therefore the consent form is non-specific. It allows the surgeon to treat most abnormalities found during the operation. Some surgeons close the skin with stitches (non-dissolvable) in which case they will need to be removed around ten days after the operation. Your nurse practitioner at your GP practice can do this for you (make an appointment). When finished, the wounds are dressed and local anaesthetic may be injected into the wounds. When you wake up, you will have a padded bandage around your knee. Later the same day, when you feel well enough, and you have been shown how to use crutches, you may go home. You should not drive yourself home.