The short answer
Preparing well for a knee or hip replacement means getting medically fit (blood sugar, blood pressure and blood count controlled, any infection treated), strengthening the muscles around the joint, sorting your medicines with the team, and setting up your home and helper before the date. Things done in the weeks before surgery make recovery smoother, and your surgeon's own instructions come first.
Book a joint replacement assessment, from ₦5,500,000Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Step by step
- 1
Six or more weeks before
Attend the assessment. Treat teeth, skin or urine infections. Work on sugar, pressure and blood count.
- 2
Four weeks before
Start the pre-surgery exercises. Stop smoking. Practise with crutches or a frame.
- 3
Two weeks before
Adjust medicines exactly as told. Stop herbal remedies if advised. Set up the house and confirm who will stay with you.
- 4
The day before
Follow the fasting instructions. Shower, do not shave the leg, and pack loose clothes, flat closed shoes and your medicines.
- 5
The day of surgery
Arrive at the time given with your escort. The care coordinator will have the day arranged.
The pre-operative assessment
Before a date is fixed you will have a check by the surgical team and usually an anaesthetist. Expect blood tests (blood count, kidney function, blood sugar), a heart tracing, and sometimes a chest X-ray. Be honest about every illness and every medicine. This is when problems are found and fixed, so that the operation is not cancelled on the day.
Infection: why your teeth and skin matter
An infected artificial joint is one of the most serious complications, and bacteria can travel from elsewhere in the body. Before surgery, get bad teeth or gum infections treated, and tell the team about any sores, leg ulcers, fungal infection between the toes, boils or a urine infection. Do not shave the leg yourself before surgery: small cuts let bacteria in.
Sugar, pressure and blood count
Poorly controlled diabetes slows wound healing and raises infection risk, so your team may want your sugar better controlled before they operate. High blood pressure needs to be under control for the anaesthetic. A low blood count (anaemia) is common and is usually treated before surgery, often with iron. If any of these are off, a short delay to fix them is in your interest.
Medicines and herbal remedies
Bring every medicine to your assessment, including herbal mixtures, agbo, supplements and pain balms. Some blood thinners, some diabetes medicines and some anti-inflammatory painkillers need to be paused or adjusted before surgery, and only your doctor should decide how. Many herbal remedies affect bleeding or interact with anaesthetic, so stop them when advised. Do not stop a prescribed blood thinner on your own.
Get stronger before the operation
Strong thigh and hip muscles make the first weeks easier. If you can, see a physiotherapist before surgery to learn the exercises you will do afterwards and to practise walking with crutches or a frame. Stopping smoking, even a few weeks before, helps wounds heal. If you are overweight, any weight you lose takes load off the new joint.
Set up the house and the helpers
You will move slowly for the first weeks. Arrange these before you go in:
- Someone to take you home and stay with you for at least the first week or two
- A firm chair with arms, high enough that your hips stay above your knees
- A raised toilet seat or a frame if your toilet is low; a commode if the toilet is far from the bed
- Rugs, wires and clutter cleared from walkways, and a night light for the way to the toilet
- A ground-floor bedroom for the first weeks if the stairs are steep
- Physiotherapy booked to start soon after you get home
What it costs on Mezo
Billed as one line, not a stack of surprise charges.
Common questions
Do I need to see a dentist before a knee replacement?
If you have tooth pain, a loose or broken tooth, or swollen gums, yes. Infection from the mouth can reach the new joint. Get it treated before the operation date.
Should I stop my blood pressure tablets before surgery?
Not without being told. Most blood pressure tablets are continued, but a few are paused. The anaesthetist will tell you exactly which to take on the morning of surgery.
Can I keep taking agbo or herbal medicine before my operation?
Tell the team what you take. Many herbal remedies affect bleeding or the anaesthetic, and you will usually be asked to stop them for a period before surgery.
I live abroad. How do I prepare my mother from here?
Book and pay online, join the consultation by phone or video, and make sure someone will be with her at home for the first weeks. The care coordinator arranges the day itself.
The procedures
Related health guides
More patient guides
Sources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Knee replacement. NHS. Patient information.
- Hip replacement. NHS. Patient information.
- Joint replacement (primary): hip, knee and shoulder. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical guideline.
Links last checked 22 October 2026.
Medical disclaimer: This guide is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor. Where your centre's instructions differ from this guide, follow theirs.