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Joint replacement surgery outcomes may be affected by obesity and diabetes

by Medindia Content Team on Jun 3 2005 3:08 PM

Patients who have diabetes or hypertension, or are obese are more likely to have post surgery complications after having a joint replacement surgery.

Joint replacement surgery is done to replace the arthritic or damaged joint with an artificial joint called prosthesis. A joint replacement surgery may be required when moving the muscles of the joint becomes too painful due to injury or arthritis.

Researchers from Duke University Medical Center had said in their report that of the three factors that can affect the outcomes of joint replacement surgeries, obesity is the factor that can affect the outcomes the most. Researchers feel the medical care givers for joint replacement surgeries will need to evaluate the patients for these at risk factors in order to reduce the after surgery complications.

Researchers feel that ways to control blood sugar levels and blood pressure levels during surgery need to be evaluated for patients having diabetes or hypertension. Also administration of blood thinning medications in postoperative conditions that may help in preventing deep vein thrombosis must be evaluated for these patients. With rising numbers of obese people and those suffering from diabetes, medics need to be more aware of the risks of after surgery complications as they will be having more and more such people coming for joint replacement surgeries.

This research report is published in the current issue of the journal Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research.


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