Why Lose Weight Before Joint Replacement?

If you choose to have joint replacement surgery, preparation begins weeks before the procedure to help recovery go as smoothly and quickly as possible. That may include losing weight.

“One of the things I notice in patients, particularly those who have arthritis in the knees and hips, is that excess weight increases pain with weight-bearing activities,” says Dr. Kevin Jones, orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the Joint Replacement Program at Beaufort Memorial.

Losing weight helps counteract some of that, improving your pain levels, range of motion and quality of life before you set foot in the hospital. If you’re seeking a knee replacement, losing one pound of weight can alleviate four pounds of pressure off your knees.

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How Much Weight Loss Is Enough?

The amount will vary from person to person, but a good place to start is with your body mass index (BMI), a calculation that uses your height and weight to determine body fat. A healthy BMI is 18.5-24.9. Over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is considered obese. A BMI over 40 is considered morbidly obese.

“Patients who are above 40 are at an increased risk of complications, particularly infection, so we really try to avoid doing joint replacements until their BMI is lower,” Dr. Jones says. “We give these patients some recommendations on lifestyle changes and make a referral to a physician who specializes in weight loss.”

One thing Dr. Jones encourages his patients to do is watch their diet — namely, limiting foods high in carbohydrates and incorporating more healthy fats, such as olive oil and avocado.

“A lot of people were told that if they eat fat, it turns into fat, which led to more high-carb diets and, in my opinion, higher rates of obesity,” Dr. Jones says. “I think it’s important for people to learn what good nutrition is. I encourage my patients to talk with their primary care providers to help give them ideas of where to get started.”

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Dr. Jones also recommends patients who need to lose weight before their joint replacement focus on low-impact exercises that don’t exacerbate joint pain.

“Walking, elliptical trainers or riding a traditional or stationary bike can be forms of exercise that patients with joint pain can tolerate,” Dr. Jones says. “When these are combined with dietary changes, patients can see a big impact in their weight loss efforts.”

Joint replacement can make a huge difference in pain levels, and even if someone is obese, the doctors, therapists and dietitians at Beaufort Memorial can help.

“Obesity leads to other medical conditions, not just those that affect joint replacement,” Dr. Jones says. “We have physicians on staff who can be tremendously helpful to patients looking to lose weight.”

Request an appointment with one of our orthopedic specialists, or sign up for a virtual joint replacement Q&A session if you’d like to learn more.