Benefits and Risks
 If
knee pain has robbed you of some of life's simple pleasures - taking a walk,
playing with your grandchildren, working in the garden - don't give up hope.
With knee replacement surgery, you can again lead an active and satisfying life.
Advances in medical technology and techniques have made knee replacement surgery one of the most routine and successful surgeries. Most patients regain participation in activities they've been forced to give up. During surgery, your affected knee surfaces will be replaced with an artificial metal and plastic joint (called a prosthesis). Your new prosthesis should help significantly reduce joint pain and swelling, as well as improve your range of motion. You should be able to resume near-normal movement after only a 6-8 week recovery period. Some patients experience return to normal activities even faster.
After all, life isn't something to be endured - it's something to be enjoyed.
Benefits
Knee replacement surgery offers a number of benefits:
- Improve your overall quality of life. With less pain and
greater mobility, you'll be able to perform daily tasks and low-impact activities
more easily and lead a more comfortable, more independent life. (You'll still
need to avoid high-impact activities that might overload the new knee.)
- Dramatically reduce knee pain. According to the American
Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), more than 90% of total knee replacement
patients experience a dramatic reduction of knee pain. 1
- Improve your range of motion. While your artificial knee
won't be as good as your real knee was in its prime, its range of motion should
noticeably increase. Most importantly, it will no longer keep you from living
a normal, active life.
- Enjoy years of performance. The most common long-term problem is the gradual loosening of the prosthesis,
primarily due to the effects of your weight and activity level. In most cases,
the artificial knee can be replaced.
Are you a good candidate for knee replacement surgery? Click
here for more information.
Risks
The risk of complications is relatively low in total knee replacements, and
your surgeon and medical team will take a variety of preventative measures
to reduce the risk even further.
Several post-surgery complications don't actually affect the new knee joint. In fact, one complication is a blood clot forming in a vein in your lower leg. To reduce the risk of forming clots, your surgeon may prescribe support hose, a Sequential Compression Machine (SCM) or blood thinning medications. Other non-knee related complications can include pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in your lung) and urinary tract infections.
General complications, such as adverse reactions to anesthesia, excessive bleeding, or damage to nearby blood vessels, bones or nerves, are also possible - but unlikely. To help prevent infection, your surgeon will start you on antibiotics even before the operation.
Post-operative complications may include:
- Infection
- Knee pain
- Weakened or stiff knee joint
- Loosening of the prosthesis
In the weeks after your surgery, be sure to follow the surgeon's instructions
carefully. Avoid behaviors that may damage your new joint as you heal. Remember
that the joint is metal or plastic, and that some problems may occur - particularly
if the joint is subjected to too much stress too soon. Severe complications,
such as infection or loosening of the prosthesis, may require additional surgery.
In the long run, there is a risk that you'll need another surgery, or that
the wear particles that accumulate at the joint surface will cause bone softening
(osteolysis).
Next: Knee Anatomy
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