Is total knee replacement safe in older adults?

Age alone does not decide whether surgery is suitable. The team may consider heart and lung health, diabetes, kidney function, nutrition, balance, memory, previous falls and the medicines you take. These details help the team plan anaesthesia, prevent avoidable problems and set practical recovery goals.

An older adult may need more help with transfers, washing, dressing, meals and exercises after discharge. A walking aid can be part of the early plan. Family, home-care or rehabilitation support should be discussed before admission, especially if stairs or living alone could make the first days difficult.

Provide an accurate health history and bring every medicine, supplement and allergy to the preoperative visit. Ask whether any medicine needs adjustment and whether dental, skin or other infections need attention first. Prepare the home by clearing trip hazards, placing essentials within reach and arranging help with transport.

Learn the exercises and walking instructions before the operation if offered. Confirm who will check the incision, review pain control and continue physiotherapy. Keeping follow-up appointments allows the team to adjust the plan to your progress.

Call the care team for a wound that becomes increasingly red, hot, swollen or leaky, pain that is worsening rather than settling, fever, or a sudden change in movement. Seek emergency help for severe breathlessness, chest pain, fainting, or a painful swollen calf. Do not wait for a routine appointment when these symptoms appear.

Ask which health conditions need optimisation, what support is expected at home, how falls will be prevented, when walking aids can be reduced, and who to call outside clinic hours. Also ask how your medicines and existing exercise routine will fit into recovery.