*Green line = recovery curve following first time hip replacement [click for more detail]At 12 months following surgery, our patients have a virtual check up (x-ray film and online set of questions). Face to face clinics are for those who need it most.
George was one such patient. He needed to be seen.
He'd seen the emergency service with an
acutely painful hip replacement.
His
blood markers of infection were raised
And a needle
aspirate from the replaced joint came back +ve.
All of which confirmed infection. Fast Forward 3 years ⏩George has undergone first stage revision of that infected hip.
That's a further 2 weeks in hospital.
Another long recovery.
A full 8 weeks of antibiotics.
And thankfully, he
remains infection free.I've replaced his other hip.
And when I spoke to him recently...
He was generally happy 😐 And that is how we surgeons write about complications.
How we write about revision surgery.
In medical notes + letters..
One or two lines. Perhaps a couple of paragraphs. Often with a positive spin...
A spin that fails to capture the
really tough times that people, their families, their loved ones, have had no choice but to endure.
George got through that second surgery okay.
He is relatively pain free.
BUT at what cost? As an individual, he's been exposed to additional risk.
Risk that may or may not come back to bite.
And having got through 3x major hip operations...
He is only 55 years old 😐..with potentially another 30 YEARS left to live.(on average)
From the Hospital’s Point of ViewGeorge has undergone primary + revision surgery, within a few years.
At, at least,
2.5x the cost of no complication.
George is said to be ‘unlucky’ 😐BUT I really dislike that description...
His pre-operation odds could have been dramatically improved.
Patients who suffer complications are often branded ‘
unlucky’.
Like the roll of a dice. However, the evidence is clear that improving bodyweight dramatically tilts the odds in your favour, and away from...
- Earlier joint replacement
- Worse pain and function afterwards, and
- A higher chance of a negatively life changing event.
..the substantial downside risks of obesity.
The Good NewsThe good news for
individuals:
👉 A plan to address excess bodyweight can flip those odds. Flip them into reverse.
Leading to a cascade of benefits. The good news for society:
👉 Policy that addresses excess bodyweight can flip those odds. Flip them into reverse.
Leading to a cascade of benefits. AT SCALE.(See
Newsletter #035)
As the weight comes off biomechanical and biochemical inflammation turns around:
- Joint replacement can be put off.
- Overall pain and function after joint replacement improves, and
- The risk of a negatively life changing surgical event dramatically decreases.
Optimising bodyweight is a huge, good news story 😀
