Joint School –
preparing for surgery
Key information you will need from pre to post surgery!
From strengthening your muscles to cutting out smoking, our Joint School pages contain key information you need to prepare for your surgery.
What is Joint School?
Practice Plus Group Joint School is designed to help you prepare for your joint replacement surgery with confidence. Through a series of informative videos, you’ll hear from our expert team of surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. Each video will guide you step-by-step through the important aspects of preparation, including: 1. Exercise 2. Nutrition 3. Medication Review 4. Smoking Cessation 5. Alcohol Moderation 6. Psychological Preparation & Mental Health 7. Practical Preparation 8. What to Expect from Spinal Anaesthetic. Our goal is to ensure you feel ready for surgery, improve your health, and speed up your recovery. We hope you’ll enjoy watching these videos at your own pace, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your surgical team. We’re here to support you every step of the way.
“For some patients, preparing for surgery offers a good opportunity to focus on their all-round health. Making lifestyle changes can help speed up their recovery from surgery and offer an overall improvement in wellbeing.”
Shen Tisdale, Medical Director at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Plymouth
Preparing for surgery – pre-habilitation guidelines
The guides and videos featured in our Joint School are all free resources designed to prepare patients for their joint replacement surgery. There are seven articles below, all focusing on different areas of surgery preparation. So, if you want expert advice on getting ready for the big day and improving your recovery, let’s get started!
What is pre-habilitation (or pre-hab)?
Pre-hab is a relatively new term that describes the preparation for surgery. This can include anything from dealing with anxiety over hospital stays or the surgery itself, to losing weight or stopping smoking.
The benefits of pre-habilitation
Whether they’re getting you through the next few weeks or they represent life-changing decisions, here are the benefits of pre-habilitation for surgery:
- improvements to general health and fitness
- reduced risk of complications during and after surgery
- higher chance of making a quicker recovery
- decreased likelihood of delayed or cancelled surgery
- improved mental and physical wellbeing.
Pre-habilitation in preparation for orthopaedic surgery
Find more guides and resources to get you ready for your joint replacement surgery below.
Hip replacement guides
- Preparing for hip replacement surgery guide
- Questions to ask before hip surgery
- Patient information – Total hip replacement
Knee replacement guides
- Questions to ask before knee replacement surgery
- How to improve knee health
- Patient information – Total knee replacement
More guides
FAQs about Joint School and preparing for surgery
Not quite found the information you’re looking for? Perhaps our Joint School FAQs can help.
What is a joint clinic?
A joint school (or joint clinic) is a service aimed specifically at patients about to have a joint replacement operation. It is a resource that typically focuses on patient education and preparation.
What is Joint School?
Joint School is a service offered to people who are waiting to have their hip or knee replacement. The aim of the Joint school is to help you prepare for your surgery and to reduce some of the worries you may have around your surgery and recovery. It’s also an opportunity to discuss any personal rehabilitation concerns you may have with a health professional.
What does joint care do?
Caring for your joints before surgery can optimise recovery following surgery but ensuring you are as fit and mobile as possible. This can mean your physiotherapy team can get you back to doing what you love ever quicker. Ensuring your joints are in good health prior to surgery can also lead to less post-operative complications.
What do I need to buy before surgery?
Nothing! The physiotherapy team will assess you for equipment you may need after your surgery on the day but if you are worried you can call your local PPG physiotherapy to raise any concerns. This can also be discussed at joint school.
