Written by a patient for other patients and in consultation with an Orthopedic Surgeon and a Physical Therapist, A Patient's Guide to Knee and Hip Replacement takes readers through the complete joint-replacement process, from the decision whether to have Surgery and the Preop Preparations, through the operation itself, the hospital stay, and the recovery period. Irwin Silber has had both knees and one hip replaced. Like hundreds of thousands of other joint-replacement patients, Silber is now physically active and free from pain as a result of today's highly effective medical technology. His chronicle of his own experiences, supplemented by interviews with many others who have had joints replaced, describes the whole procedure from a patient's perspective, including: * How to determine whether it's time for a joint replacement, and why doctors are sometimes hesitant to perform surgery; possible consequences of delaying surgery * A full description of the actual surgery, including the risks involved * Information about postoperative physical therapy, including tips on how to prepare your home for the recovery process Clearly written and profusely illustrated, A Patient's Guide to Knee and Hip Replacement is an informative and helpful book for anyone contemplating or already undergoing joint replacement.