Patients' concerns prior to undergoing total hip and total knee arthroplasty

Objective: To document and examine the concerns patients have prior to unde rgoing primary total hip or total knee arthroplasty in a tertiary care cent er or an orthopedic private practice group. Patients and Methods: In this prospective survey, 136 patients from a terti ary care center and 130 from an orthopedic private practice group completed a questionnaire covering 54 items regarding their concerns prior to underg oing primary total hip or total knee arthroplasty. Patients responded on a visual analog scale, and concern was ranked bg mean responses (1, not conce rned at all; 2, somewhat concerned; 3, very concerned; or 4, extremely conc erned). Results: Responses to only 6 items averaged scores higher than 1.9: pain im mediately after the surgery (2.07), length of recovery (2.07), ability to w alk as much as you wish (2.03), ability to return to recreational activitie s (1.97), ability to go up and down stairs (1.94), and I isle of getting ac quired immunodeficiency syndrome from a transfusion (1.92). Older patients (greater than or equal to 65 years) were less concerned than younger patien ts (<65 years) in 34 of the 54 questions asked, Women were more concerned t han men in 19 of the 54 questions asked, Conclusion: These data provide information that will be helpful in preopera tive patient discussions and in development of educational materials for pa tients undergoing total hip or total knee arthroplasty.