Joint replacements ‘can help marriages’
ORTHOPAEDIC surgeons are well aware that joint replacement surgeries can reduce patients’ pain and emotional distress but a recent study explored how hip and knee replacements can improve marriages, too.
“It started with a thank you note,” Michael Tanzer, lead author and orthopaedic surgeon at McGill University Health Center in Montreal, Quebec, said. “My patient’s wife wrote to tell me how delighted she was to have her husband’s quality of life back because of the dramatic effect it had on her own life and their marriage. This one gesture of gratitude made me think about the impact of joint replacement surgery in a way I had taken for granted,” Dr Tanzer said.
The study noted spouses of such patients often become caregivers. Research has demonstrated how spouses report reduced marital satisfaction, higher rates of depression and a lower quality of life.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and occurs when protective cartilage that cushions the ends of bones wears down, according to the Mayo Clinic. In severe joint damage, hips and knees are most often replaced.
Dr Tanzer said the team conducted a pilot study to evaluate spouses’ perception of patients’ pain and disability before and after total hip or knee replacement. The study’s sample of 33 couples, on average 68 years old, revealed spouses rated the patients’ pain levels “significantly” higher, both before and after surgery, as opposed to what patients reported.
Patients said the most significant effect from surgery was improved mobility. Other benefits included resuming leisure and sporting activities, an improvement in pain and in social and family lives.
Meanwhile, spouses had different priorities. Most said the largest advantage post-surgery was the ability to carry on with social and leisure activities with their partner. Other benefits included no longer witnessing the patient suffering and a diminished caregiver burden.