Your Joint Replacement Team

You, the patient, are the most important member of your joint replacement care team. You can help make your joint replacement experience smooth and successful by:

• Speaking up whenever you have questions about your care
• Attending a pre-surgery education classes and reviewing materials provided by your care team
• Following your surgeon’s instructions for preparing for joint replacement surgery
• Making sure you’re in good physical condition before your surgery

Rely on us to guide you through each phase of your joint replacement surgery. Your Essentia Health orthopedic surgery team includes a coordinator who’s committed to helping your experience go as smoothly as possible—and making sure you feel comfortable, confident, and supported. They will:

• Work with other team members to coordinate your surgery and hospital care
• Call you before surgery to talk about your questions or concerns
• Help you plan for your return home after surgery
• Check in with you after you leave the hospital

Benefit from the skills and expertise of a specialized team dedicated to caring for you before, during, and after your hip or knee replacement. Learn about the providers you may meet throughout your surgery and recovery at Essentia:

• Orthopedic surgeon – Helps you decide which treatment is best for you and performs your surgery
• Physician assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner (NP) – Provides care before and after your surgery under the guidance of your orthopedic surgeon
• Anesthesiologist – Plans and monitors medicines that control pain during surgery
• Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA) – Works closely with your anesthesiologist to prepare you for anesthesia and monitor you during surgery
• Hospitalist – Manages your care while you’re in the hospital – in some cases your orthopedic surgeon will serve in this role
• Pharmacist – Helps you understand how to take your medicines so they’re safe and effective
• Registered nurses (RNs) – Provide pre-surgery education, answer your questions, and care for you while you’re in the hospital
• Clinical assistant – Helps you schedule your surgical appointments; may also remove dressings, stitches or staples during a follow-up visit appointment
• Social worker/case manager – Helps with your discharge planning and connects you with community resources, such as home health care services and rehabilitation facilities
• Physical therapist and physical therapy assistant – Guide you through gentle exercises to increase your strength and mobility, and may teach you how to use a walker, as needed
• Occupational therapist – Helps you build strength or use assistive devices to more easily complete daily activities, such as bathing and dressing
• Certified athletic trainer – Helps your surgeon by checking how well you can move your joint, testing your muscle strength and making sure your joint is stable, fitting braces or devices, and helping you understand your treatment plan

Ask a family member or close friend to join your care team as your joint replacement coach. Coaches provide support, comfort and encouragement as they:

• Attend before and after surgery appointments with you
• Help you prepare for surgery
• Take you to the hospital and stay there during your surgery
• Stay with you after you return home from the hospital and make sure you have help with errands, meal preparation, household tasks, physical therapy exercises, and more