Preparing for Joint Replacement Surgery: A Patient’s Guide

A joint replacement is a big step, and it's normal to feel some nerves in the weeks before. Here's the good news: the single biggest thing you can do to influence your recovery happens before you ever reach the operating room. Thoughtful preparation lowers your risk, smooths your first days home, and — just as importantly — replaces uncertainty with confidence.

Enhanced recovery starts before surgery

My practice follows an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) approach — a modern, well-studied way to help you recover sooner and get back to normal life faster. It rests on four simple ideas, and the first one is all about you:

• Plan and prepare before surgery, so you feel ready and in control.
• Reduce the stress of the operation — including staying hydrated with a carbohydrate drink a few hours beforehand.
• A thoughtful pain-relief plan that keeps you comfortable while minimizing narcotics.
• Early walking — getting up and moving as soon as possible after surgery.

The rest of this guide is really about that first principle — preparing well — because it's the part most within your hands.

Your preparation countdown

Here's the rhythm of getting ready. Your team will give you the exact details and dates; this is the shape of it.

Line up a care partner

Most patients head home the same day or after a single night, so the most valuable thing to arrange in advance is a care partner — a friend or family member who can help for at least the first three to five days. They'll assist with meals, medications, and moving around safely while you find your feet. Having that support lined up before surgery takes a huge weight off the first week.

Medical clearance and optimization

About four to six weeks before surgery, you'll see your primary care doctor for a clearance visit to make sure you're healthy and ready. If you have heart, lung, or blood conditions, you may also see the relevant specialist. A few things to handle early:

• Dental care — finish any needed dental work well beforehand; avoid routine dental work in the three weeks before surgery.
• Smoking — if you smoke, stopping at least six weeks out meaningfully lowers your risk and speeds healing.
• Optimization — managing things like blood sugar and nutrition ahead of time genuinely improves outcomes.

Set up your home before surgery

A little preparation at home goes a long way. The goal is a safe, simple space where everything you need is within easy reach — so your energy goes toward healing, not navigating obstacles.

Build a recovery station

One thing I recommend that patients love: set up a dedicated recovery station before surgery — a single comfortable spot where you'll spend much of your first week or two, with everything you need close at hand.

Prehab: get a little stronger first

Going into surgery stronger helps you come out of it stronger. In the weeks before, simple exercises — gentle upper-body work to make a walker easier, plus ankle pumps, leg raises, and quad sets — build the strength and circulation that support an easier recovery. Your handbook includes a full routine; even a little, done consistently, pays off.

What to bring on surgery day

Leave jewelry, valuables, and large sums of money at home, and remove rings and piercings beforehand. Your care partner comes with you, and you'll do a final antiseptic wash and have your hydration drink at the times you're given.

Plan for the first one to two weeks

Picture how the first couple of weeks will actually go, and prepare for it now. You'll be walking from day one, icing and elevating often, and starting physical therapy the day after surgery — so having your home, your support, and your therapy location sorted in advance is everything.

It also helps to know what's coming. Reading through what to expect in the knee or hip recovery timelines — and reviewing your full recovery guide and downloadable handbooks — turns the unknown into a plan. And a plan is the best way to walk in calm and confident.