Knee replacement surgery shouldn’t be taken lightly rather it is a major event in the life of every patient undergoing surgery. Dr. Rachit Sheth, an orthopedic surgeon in Ahmedabad with an expertise in knee replacement surgery, explains what you need to know about the procedure.
The need of knee replacement surgery
The need for a knee replacement surgery is the need to improve one’s quality of life. When you have a gnawing pain and discomfort that affects your quality of life on a regular basis you need surgery.
When cartilage inside the knee joint starts to break down, a person may begin to experience pain. If you have tried all other forms of non-operative treatment including lifestyle changes, medications, physical therapy and injections, and you have no relief from the pain, it might be the right time to think about knee replacement surgery.
An orthopedic surgeon will carry out a thorough examination and make a recommendation. It might also be beneficial to get a second opinion. When you are recommended a total knee replacement surgery, you will have a lot of questions. Here, we’ve tried to address the most common questions about total knee replacement surgery.
Common Questions About Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Some of the most common conditions that cause knee cartilage to deteriorate are arthritis, an injury, such as tearing the meniscus, inflammatory arthritis and obesity.
Before your orthopedic surgeon recommends a total knee replacement surgery, you will be encouraged to try various non-operative treatments as mentioned earlier. However if the symptoms become worse and start to affect your quality of life, surgery may be the best option.
Yes. There are a variety of surgical procedures that can be used including robotic-assisted surgery, computer-navigated surgery and custom cutting blocks. There is no scientific evidence that proves one procedure works better than the other or results in better outcomes for patients.
All surgeries have a risk of complications. Less than 1% of healthy patients undergoing any type of surgery can experience a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke. About 0.5% of knee replacement surgery patients develop an infection.
We have developed special technique to minimize pain to bare minimum. We inject special medicines during surgery and devised formula that takes care of pain.
We make patients walk on the same evening or next morning of surgery. Patients start stair climbing on 2nd post-operative day and most of our patients on discharge are walking without any walker or brace (external support).
Most patients — about 80 to 85% — feel their knee functions better than before they had surgery. Patients can get back to low-impact activities such as walking, biking or other light recreational activities. We discourage high-impact activities, such as basketball and running, as these can re-injure the knee.
To make a consultation appointment with Dr. Rachit Sheth, drop us a message or give us a call.
