04:11
Faizan
Over a period of time, due to advancing age or injury, the knees lose their flexibility. As a result, it becomes painful for people to bend their knees due to accompanying inflammation and pain. The mobility becomes further restricted and the pain increases when the cartilage between the two knees wears out with age.
The bad condition of the knee joint and the surrounding cartilage make it difficult for people to move, thus hindering their performance in conducting daily activities. If nothing is done to rectify the condition, the situation only worsens, becoming more painful and difficult.
In such cases, surgery is often recommended as the first line of treatment, most commonly after there is no relief from pain from medications and physiotherapy. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of the patients benefit from the procedure.
During knee replacement, the knee joints that get damaged because of injury or osteoarthritis are replaced with mechanical implants. The doctors may decide to conduct a total knee replacement or partial knee replacement, depending on the condition of the knee.
Patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee are often surrounded by a number of questions, especially related to whether they should undergo knee replacement or not or if there is any other alternative line of treatment. Some of these common questions that a patient advised to undergo knee replacement typically have are discussed below.
Question 1: Is total knee replacement the only solution to get relief from osteoarthritis pain?
No, total knee replacement is not the only option to get relief from pain. However, 90 percent of all knee-related surgeries include total knee replacement. The other options that you may opt for include partial knee replacement, minimally invasive knee replacement, physical therapy and pain control using drugs and ointments.
In case of partial knee replacement, the surgeon just cuts out the part of the knee damaged and replaced it with mechanical implants. The rest of the knee is left in its natural form. It requires smaller incisions and recovery is quick.
However, this minimally invasive form of surgery is performed only by a handful of specialized doctors. In addition, there is a risk that the osteoarthritis may return in the part of the knee, left by the doctors in its natural form. This may require further surgical intervention in the future.
On the other hand, minimally invasive form of total knee replacement is a newer form of technique that allows surgeons to replace knees without making a larger incision. It results in less damage to the tissues, minimal scarring and quicker recovery time. However, the long-term benefits of this technique are still being researched.
Osteoarthritis patients are often prescribed medications, physical therapy and exercises at the primary level. Knee replacement is recommended only when there is no relief from these techniques or when the movement is totally restricted because of severe pain and inflammation.
Question 2: What are the complications associated with the procedure?
Knee replacement surgery is considered as a safe procedure. Only a fraction of patients experience complications after knee replacement. One of the most common surgical complication is the occurrence of an infection post surgery. However, so far it has affected only 2 percent of the patients.
Other complications may include blood clots, damage to the blood vessels and surrounding tissue, recurring pain and rejection of the implant or a defect in it.
Question 3: How much time does it take to recover?
Despite hospitals and surgeons claiming that an osteoarthritis patient is able to walk normally within a week of operation, it may take several weeks for the patients to recover from the surgery.
Soon after total knee replacement, patients are advised to undergo a combination of physical and occupational therapy at the hospital itself. The therapy may continue for days after the patient is discharged from the hospital. Typically, a total knee replacement patient is required to stay in the hospital for three to five days after the surgery.
The patients start to walk or stand, with the help of a walker or without support, when they leave the hospital. The rehabilitation and recovery continues for at least two months after the surgery. Along with occupational and physical therapy, some set of exercises is often recommended to be performed at home for quick recovery.
By the end of eight weeks, the patients are expected to stand and walk properly without any support and resume doing household work. However, recovery could be slow in some patients. Patients are often asked to avoid squatting and complete bending of the knee.
The bad condition of the knee joint and the surrounding cartilage make it difficult for people to move, thus hindering their performance in conducting daily activities. If nothing is done to rectify the condition, the situation only worsens, becoming more painful and difficult.
In such cases, surgery is often recommended as the first line of treatment, most commonly after there is no relief from pain from medications and physiotherapy. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of the patients benefit from the procedure.
During knee replacement, the knee joints that get damaged because of injury or osteoarthritis are replaced with mechanical implants. The doctors may decide to conduct a total knee replacement or partial knee replacement, depending on the condition of the knee.
Patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee are often surrounded by a number of questions, especially related to whether they should undergo knee replacement or not or if there is any other alternative line of treatment. Some of these common questions that a patient advised to undergo knee replacement typically have are discussed below.
Question 1: Is total knee replacement the only solution to get relief from osteoarthritis pain?
No, total knee replacement is not the only option to get relief from pain. However, 90 percent of all knee-related surgeries include total knee replacement. The other options that you may opt for include partial knee replacement, minimally invasive knee replacement, physical therapy and pain control using drugs and ointments.
In case of partial knee replacement, the surgeon just cuts out the part of the knee damaged and replaced it with mechanical implants. The rest of the knee is left in its natural form. It requires smaller incisions and recovery is quick.
However, this minimally invasive form of surgery is performed only by a handful of specialized doctors. In addition, there is a risk that the osteoarthritis may return in the part of the knee, left by the doctors in its natural form. This may require further surgical intervention in the future.
On the other hand, minimally invasive form of total knee replacement is a newer form of technique that allows surgeons to replace knees without making a larger incision. It results in less damage to the tissues, minimal scarring and quicker recovery time. However, the long-term benefits of this technique are still being researched.
Osteoarthritis patients are often prescribed medications, physical therapy and exercises at the primary level. Knee replacement is recommended only when there is no relief from these techniques or when the movement is totally restricted because of severe pain and inflammation.
Question 2: What are the complications associated with the procedure?
Knee replacement surgery is considered as a safe procedure. Only a fraction of patients experience complications after knee replacement. One of the most common surgical complication is the occurrence of an infection post surgery. However, so far it has affected only 2 percent of the patients.
Other complications may include blood clots, damage to the blood vessels and surrounding tissue, recurring pain and rejection of the implant or a defect in it.
Question 3: How much time does it take to recover?
Despite hospitals and surgeons claiming that an osteoarthritis patient is able to walk normally within a week of operation, it may take several weeks for the patients to recover from the surgery.
Soon after total knee replacement, patients are advised to undergo a combination of physical and occupational therapy at the hospital itself. The therapy may continue for days after the patient is discharged from the hospital. Typically, a total knee replacement patient is required to stay in the hospital for three to five days after the surgery.
The patients start to walk or stand, with the help of a walker or without support, when they leave the hospital. The rehabilitation and recovery continues for at least two months after the surgery. Along with occupational and physical therapy, some set of exercises is often recommended to be performed at home for quick recovery.
By the end of eight weeks, the patients are expected to stand and walk properly without any support and resume doing household work. However, recovery could be slow in some patients. Patients are often asked to avoid squatting and complete bending of the knee.
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