Consequences of Delaying Surgery

Surgery is a difficult decision. You should talk with your doctor to better understand the risks and complications before making the decision to undergo total hip replacement; but keep in mind that osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease, which means that the disease, and your pain, is likely to get worse over time. So why wait? Consider the fact that better outcomes have been reported in those patients who had a total joint operation earlier in their disease process.¹ Two years after their operation, patients who chose surgery earlier in the disease process had improved function and reduced pain compared to those who waited.¹

¹ Arthritis Foundation website, http://www.arthritis.org/faqs-taking-control-of-oa.php, accessed Oct. 2008.