Patients sometimes treat the gap between booking surgery and having it as dead time. It is the opposite. The state you arrive in on the day of the operation is one of the strongest predictors of how quickly you move through the recovery milestones afterwards — and unlike your anatomy or your X-rays, it is something you can change.
Preparation has two halves. The clinical half is organised for you: the pre-operative assessment, medication review and fasting instructions described below. The practical half is yours: getting surgery-fit, sorting your home, and arranging the support that makes the first week comfortable. This page covers both.
"Prehab" is simply rehabilitation done in advance, and it works. The muscles around an arthritic hip waste as pain limits activity; rebuilding what can be rebuilt before surgery means you start recovery from a higher base. Within the limits the arthritis allows, regular walking, cycling or swimming, plus simple strength work for the thighs, hips and core, all pay back directly in the first weeks after the operation.
Three other changes earn their place in the weeks before surgery. Stopping smoking measurably improves wound and bone healing — and bone healing is precisely what a resurfacing depends on. Weight, brought into the best achievable range, reduces the load on the healing hip and makes anaesthesia safer. And alcohol kept moderate in the run-up helps sleep, healing and medication safety. None of these need to be perfect; all of them help in proportion to the effort.
If you are still deciding whether resurfacing is right for you at all, that question comes first — it is covered on the candidacy page.
Once the decision to proceed is made and a date is booked, a pre-operative assessment is arranged at the hospital. It is a fitness-for-surgery review, not a second consultation: its purpose is to confirm that anaesthesia will be safe and that nothing has changed since your appointment with Mr Hussain.
The session takes around an hour and covers a clinical examination, blood tests, an ECG, height, weight and blood pressure, and screening swabs. Your medications are reviewed in full — bring the complete list, including anything bought over the counter or taken as a supplement. Imaging from your consultation is reviewed at this stage if further surgical planning is needed.
Some things matter more than patients expect, and the assessment is the time to raise them: blood-thinning medication (including aspirin and clopidogrel), diabetes and its medications, previous reactions to anaesthesia, loose teeth, crowns or planned dental work, and any skin problems near the hip such as rashes or broken skin. None of these usually prevents surgery — they simply need a plan. The same applies if you become unwell in the days before the operation: call the team rather than waiting for the day.
Takeaway The pre-op assessment confirms you are fit for anaesthesia and surgery. Bring your full medication list, and flag anything you are unsure about — a plan beats a surprise.
You will come home walking with crutches, fully weight bearing and more capable than most patients expect — but a prepared home makes the first fortnight considerably smoother. An hour of arranging before surgery saves a dozen small frustrations afterwards.
Written fasting instructions are sent ahead of surgery, and they matter: as a general rule nothing to eat from midnight, with sips of water permitted right up until shortly before surgery under the sip-to-send policy. The anaesthetist plans around these timings, so follow them exactly as written rather than as remembered.
Pack a small overnight bag in case a one-night stay is the more comfortable option: medications in their original packaging, loose comfortable clothing, flat supportive shoes, nightwear, toiletries, phone and charger, and something to read. Leave valuables at home. On the day, Mr Hussain visits before the operation to confirm the side being treated, mark the hip and answer any final questions, and the anaesthetist reviews you separately to finalise the anaesthetic plan — most patients have a spinal anaesthetic with sedation, with general anaesthesia equally available.
Preparation works best when it starts at the consultation — with a date in the diary and a plan built around your life.
Book a ConsultationThe pre-operative assessment is a fitness-for-surgery review, not a second consultation. It takes around an hour and covers a clinical examination, blood tests, an ECG, height, weight and blood pressure, screening swabs, and a full review of your medications. Imaging is reviewed at this stage if further surgical planning is needed.
Written fasting instructions are sent before surgery and should be followed exactly. As a general rule, nothing to eat from midnight before the operation; sips of water are permitted right up until shortly before surgery under the sip-to-send policy. The anaesthetist plans around these timings.
A small overnight bag in case a one-night stay is the more comfortable option: your medications in their original packaging, loose comfortable clothing, flat supportive shoes, nightwear, toiletries, phone and charger, and something to read. Leave valuables at home.
Yes, within the limits the arthritis allows. Patients who arrive fitter recover faster: regular walking, cycling or swimming and simple strength work for the legs and core all pay back directly in the first weeks after surgery. The right programme can be discussed at consultation or pre-op assessment.
Everything on this page becomes concrete once you have a consultation and a plan. Mr Hussain and his team will guide your preparation from there, step by step.
Book a Consultation