If your heart and lungs are in good shape I would go for it before Obamacare kicks in. But if you have any problems with your lungs or heart don’t do it. My mother had a knee replacement surgery and never recovered because of pneumonia. She hid her lung problems from the family and even the surgeon. She was in so much pain I guess she was determined to get herself fixed, and that surgery cost her life. Be honest to yourself about your health, and make sure all your doctors are communicating about your treatment needs. Anyway, that is my two cents worth and I wish you the best.
Sounds like your mother's surgeon,or her primary care doctor,may have dropped the ball.Before my surgeon would touch me he demanded a green light from both my primary care doctor *and* my cardiologist.Hiding a lung problem from a skilled primary care doctor isn't easy because there are several very useful tests to determine a person's basic respiratory status including,of course,a chest X-ray.