Is obesity a reason to avoid joint replacement surgery?

“Come back when you’ve lost 40 pounds.” That’s something obese patients have heard often when being evaluated for a hip or knee replacement for severe arthritis. And sometimes the recommendation is to lose even more — 50, 75, or even 100 pounds… as if that’s an easy or realistic prospect. As you might expect, patients hearing this often feel disappointed and disheartened. After all, most have already tried hard to lose weight with limited success. Their arthritis pain impairs their ability to exercise, and decreasing activity has contributed to their weight gain. So being told to lose significant weight before they can be considered for joint surgery sounds a lot like being told it’s just not going to happen. Why should obesity preclude joint surgery? While the surgeon’s recommendations may be disappointing, the rationale seems sound: people carrying a lot of excess weight have long been considered at higher risk for complications, and less likely to experience the profound pain relief expected from this major operation. Indeed, several studies describe higher rates of infections and dislocations and lower rates of good results after hip or knee replacement among the obese, especially the severely obese. Importantly, many of these studies are more than a decade old, and newer studies are beginning to paint a different picture. A recent study on the risks and benefits of joint replacement among the obese sheds new — and positive — light on an issue that a...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Arthritis Bones and joints Health Surgery Source Type: blogs