All surgeries have risks, so the potential benefits must be carefully weighed. Some complications are directly related to the surgical procedure and I call these surgical complications. Some are related to the stress we place on the body by the trauma of surgery, I call these medical complications.

Medical complications include but are not limited to: heart attack, stroke, kidney bladder dysfunction, and bowel dysfunction. I am unable to quantitate these for you. If you have significant underlying medical conditions, you should consult with your medical doctor or medical specialist (e.g. cardiologist) about your risk and how to best limit it. We recommend a complete physical by your personal physician and medical clearance in writing prior to surgery.

Medical clearance does not mean that your medical doctor or I can predict or prevent a major medical complication. It means that your doctor feels your medical condition has been optimized prior to surgery. I am a surgical specialist and not a medical specialist; therefore I need your personal physician to make this call. I want to avoid any surprises during or after the operation. For example it has been shown that people who have had a heart attack should ideally wait for 6 months to have elective surgery to minimize risk. Also people over 80 years age have a 25% risk of major medical complication with joint replacement surgery.