How to Avoid Joint Replacement Surgery Complications

Joint replacement surgery is a very common procedure. As safe and common as they are, every surgery has the chance of risks. You can reduce your risk of joint replacement surgery complications by following your surgeon’s recommendations before and after the surgery, by looking for signs of an infection or other complications, according to Ann Marie Moynihan, RN, Director of Nursing at NYU Langone Health.

There are a number of potential risks that could happen after hip or knee replacement surgery, according to William Macaulay, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon at NYU Langone Health. However, “the good news is that [the majority of patients] go through their procedure without a major medical or surgical complication," he says.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts