Find the episode that answers your question. Browse by where you are in the journey — from understanding arthritis to life after surgery.
What is arthritis?
Arthritis of the hip or knee means the smooth cartilage cushioning the joint has worn down, leaving bone to rub on bone — which is why it hurts, stiffens, and swells. It’s the most common reason people end up discussing joint replacement, but it’s also a condition with a long runway: understanding what’s happening inside the joint helps you make better decisions about everything from exercise to injections to surgery.
- #54 — Can You Prevent Arthritis & Joint Replacement? (Jocelyn Wittstein, MD) — what causes arthritis and whether anything can slow it down
- #44 — Can Ultrasound Treat Arthritis Without Injections? (George Lewis, PhD) — emerging non-surgical approaches for arthritic joints
- #19 — Why Can’t We Just Replace Cartilage? — why damaged cartilage is so hard to fix
What is joint replacement?
Joint replacement — arthroplasty — means removing the damaged surfaces of the hip or knee and replacing them with implants designed to glide smoothly and relieve pain. Today’s options go well beyond the standard total replacement: partial replacements that preserve healthy tissue, robotic-assisted techniques, and even bone-preserving alternatives like hip resurfacing all have a place for the right patient.
- #4 — What Is Robotic-Assisted Joint Replacement? — the basics: what the operation is and how robotic assistance works
- #5 — Who Needs a Partial Knee Replacement? — when only part of the knee needs replacing
- #15 — Simultaneous Vs. Staged Joint Replacement: Which Approach Is Safer? — replacing two joints at once vs. one at a time
- #34 — Is it Time for the Return of Hip Resurfacing? (Prof. Justin Cobb) — the bone-preserving alternative to total hip replacement
- #14 — Is Robotic-Assisted Joint Replacement Better? (Paul Jacob, DO) — a deeper look at the robotic approach
- #53 — Are Robotics the Future of Joint Replacement? (Prof. Fares Haddad) — where the technology is headed
- #38 — What is Full Spectrum Hip & Knee Surgery? (Atul Kamath, MD) — the full range of modern hip and knee procedures
When is it time?
This is the hardest question in joint replacement, and the honest answer is that no single X-ray finding or age decides it. It’s time when arthritis is consistently limiting your life — your sleep, your walking, the activities that matter to you — despite giving non-surgical options a fair try. These conversations walk through how Dr. Sloan thinks about that decision with patients.
- #55 — How Do You Know When It’s Really Time for Joint Replacement? (Randall Schultz, MD)
- #33 — When is it Time for Joint Replacement? (Ran Schwarzkopf, MD)
- #7 — When Is the Right Time for Joint Replacement?
- #9 — How Do You Tell If Patients are Ready for Joint Replacement? (Ahmed Siddiqi, DO)
- #52 — Am I Too Young for Joint Replacement?
Choosing the right surgeon
Joint replacement is one of the most successful operations in medicine, but results still vary — and the surgeon’s training, experience, and volume matter. Here’s what to look for, what separates the best from the rest, and how top programs think about getting better.
- #6 — What Makes a Great Surgeon? (Keith Connolly, MD)
- #18 — How is America’s Top Orthopedic Hospital Innovating? (Michael Ast, MD) — what to look for in a hospital and program
What questions should I ask?
The best outcomes start with the best conversations. Whether you’re preparing for a first consultation or a second opinion, these episodes cover the questions patients most often wish they’d asked — about the operation, the implant, the recovery, and what life looks like afterward.
- #24 — What Questions Should Joint Replacement Patients Ask? (Blair Ashley, MD)
- #1 — What are the Top Questions Patients Ask Before Knee Replacement Surgery?
- #2 — What are the Top Questions Patients Ask Before Hip Replacement Surgery?
- #57 — How Do You Know If Your Joint Replacement Surgeon Is Any Good? — why you should ask your surgeon to share their patient-reported outcomes data
What happens during surgery?
Knowing what to expect takes much of the fear out of surgery day. From preparation and medical clearance to anesthesia, the team in the operating room, and going home the same day — here’s the full picture of what happens before, during, and immediately after your joint replacement.
- #3 — How Do You Prepare for Joint Replacement Surgery? (Joshua Rozell, MD)
- #51 — Is Medical Clearance Before Joint Replacement Necessary? (Tyler Thurman, DO)
- #27 — How Did Anesthesia Change Joint Replacement Recovery?
- #42 — What Does a Surgical Tech Actually Do? (Alyssa Ellis) — meet the team in the OR with you
- #29 — Is Same-Day Joint Replacement Safe? (Eric Cohen, MD)
What happens during recovery?
Recovery is where the operation turns into a result — and it’s the part patients consistently say they wish they’d understood better. The first days are about pain control and getting mobile; the first month is about steady progress with physical therapy; and full recovery, where the joint starts to feel like yours, typically takes several months.
- #23 — What are the First 48 Hours Like After Hip Replacement?
- #39 — What Happens in the First Month After Knee Replacement?
- #48 — What is Knee Replacement Recovery Really Like? (Diana Braun) — a patient’s honest perspective
- #30 — Is Opioid-Free Joint Replacement Recovery Possible? (Andrew Wickline, MD)
- #13 — Why Does Your Leg Feel Longer After Hip Replacement?
What are the risks?
Every operation carries risk, and you deserve a straight account of it. Complications in joint replacement are uncommon, but they happen — infection, implant problems, persistent pain — and knowing what they are, how they’re treated, and how they’re prevented is part of making an informed decision.
- #10 — What are the Most Common Knee Replacement Complications?
- #28 — What Happens When a Joint Replacement Fails? (H. John Cooper, MD)
- #45 — How Can We Treat Joint Replacement Infection Better? (Jesse Otero, MD, PhD)
- #11 — Is Metal Sensitivity a Real Problem in Joint Replacement?
- #17 — How Can We Treat Painful Knee Replacements Better? (Yudi Kerbel, MD)
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