No surprise to me: Joint replacement surgery outcome and post-op pain is related to prior mental state. Yeah. If you are depressed, it is going to hurt more. Two new studies, presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), “suggest understanding an individual’s mental health status is an important factor for achieving the best outcome after surgery.” What is not said is that anti-depressant medicine may flatten vitality, increase weight gain and even slow immunity for some people. The studies used anti-depressant drugs as a sign that patients were depressed prior to surgery without considering the possible effects of the drugs. A sensitive surgeon may well sense what stress and surgical procedure his patient can tolerate. For people faced with surgery, it pays to take appropriate herbal tonics that support heart health and circulation such as hawthorn berry and herbs that speed healing – well before surgery. Heart herbs to avoid during the week or two prior to surgery include garlic a blood thinner that may increase bleeding during surgery. St. John’s wort may affect surgery drugs and should be avoided.