Deciding About Surgery

You may be wondering if joint replacement surgery is right for you.  Are there other options available? The first step in making the decision is to educate yourself. We’ve compiled several valuable links to web-based education that you may find helpful in making a decision.

This information is intended to help you with the next step - preparing for a discussion with your care providers about treatment options for osteoarthritis. This conversation with your primary care physician and with your orthopedic surgeon is important. It will help you be well prepared and able to participate in the decision about which option is right for you.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS):

• Ortho Info - This educational section of the AAOS website provides a wealth of information about joint replacement. All articles are peer reviewed by orthopedic experts.

We also recommend using educational tools provided by Healthwise:

• Should I have knee replacement surgery?
• Should I have hip replacement surgery?
• Should I have shoulder replacement surgery?

The Joint Replacement Center website has more information about joint surgery for your review, including online education provided by Emmi:

• Knee replacement link 
• Hip replacement link
• Shoulder replacement link 

As always, the staff at the Joint Replacement Center is available to provide referral information. You can contact us at 207-662-0822, Monday-Friday.