6. Prehab

The 4 P’s of Recovery:
Preparation, Patience, Performance and Persistence

 
 

Over the next six months and two surgeries, I spent many hours in my nest, sitting with my legs elevated, trying to process what had and was still happening to me. I needed a framework to understand my experience. Aside from having three children and two relatively minor knee surgeries, I had had little contact with the medical establishment and certainly nothing this invasive. Never one to just let things be–I wondered what I could do to facilitate my recovery. As I struggled to organize my thoughts, it came to me that there are 4 P’s associated with recovery:

 
 

Preparation

Preparation is the foundation for TKR recovery, See Feathering your Nest.

1. Assess your financial situation. There is enough stress associated with having a TKR that you don’t need the additional stress of worrying about how you will pay for it. In 2022 the total cost of TKR surgery ranged between $15–$75,000. The average cost of knee replacement surgery (without complications) is $31,124, according to a study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Seehttps://www.healthpartners.com/blog/cost-of-a-knee-replacement-surgery/

Out-of-pocket expenses for patients with insurance can range from several hundred dollars to several thousand. You must understand your health care coverage options. Know your deductibles, co-pay, co-insurance, and maximum out-of-pocket values—before you schedule your surgery.

 

Categories of charges you will see on the multiple bills you’ll receive for your TKR: 

• Hospital charges and inpatient procedures. These are the most significant portion of your TKR expense.

Hospital charges include:
• Number of days in the hospital
• Type of implant
• The surgical approach (including computer-assisted and other technologies),
• Anesthesia
• Injections
• Length of time in the operating room
• Complications (if any occur)
• Pre-existing conditions,
• The surgeon’s bills and
• The bill for other operating room staff.

• Outpatient charges, including pre and post-operative costs such as office visits, imaging and lab work, as well as physical therapy.

Total Knee Replacement Financial issues

Deciding how to pay for your TKR is a key aspect of preparation

• Special equipment prescribed by the doctor (or which you may want to purchase on your own) to facilitate recovery. These include a walker, crutches, an ice therapy machine, ice wraps, a shower bench, safety rails, and an elevated toilet seat. You may be able to borrow some of these items from your local senior citizen center.

Several other items are worth checking, such as whether or not time at a rehab center would be covered (should that be required) or whether you might be eligible for disability insurance through your employer.

 
 
 
 
Total Knee Replacement Preparation
 

Two benefits for the price of one: preparing your body for surgery
and learning key exercises you’ll need for recovery

2. Put together an exercise program tprogram to strengthen the muscles in your leg before your surgery.

If possible, see a physical therapist to prepare your leg for surgery. This may include reducing the number of adhesions that currently limit your mobility. In all cases, work with your therapist to practice the exercises you will be doing in rehab to the extent possible.

It makes sense to learn these exercises sooner rather than later when you’ll be dealing with other aspects of the recovery process. See link: Prehab Exercises.

3. Be your own best friend and take steps to ensure you will be safe in your physical space. This includes the “nest” where you will spend most of your time, the bathroom, hallways, and kitchen. If possible, purchase or borrow some of the items suggested in Feathering your Nest.