Know The Purpose Of Knee Surgery And How To Prepare For It

Knee joint replacement

In a knee joint replacement surgery, the ailing or injured knee is replaced with a prosthesis which is an artificial joint.

The prosthesis can be made of metal, polymers or plastic material and it functions as a knee. The prosthesis is chosen based on the age, weight, activity level and the overall health of the patient.

The Purpose of knee joint replacement

The common reason for a knee joint replacement is arthritis. This could be either because of rheumatoid or osteoarthritis arthritis. A full Knee replacement surgery is recommended only after other less invasive treatments fail. The doctor would first try to cure the problem by asking the patient to lose weight, have medications, use physical therapy and assistive devices like knee brace and cane.

Knee replacement will also be done only after the doctor checks a few things like:

• The intensity of the knee pain and how it interferes with the patient’s daily activities like climbing the stairs or walking
• The age and the overall health

Knee surgery is mostly done for patients who are above 55 years of age. Those who are younger and get a knee replacement surgery tend to need a revision in most cases. Doctors evaluate each candidate individually and only then do a replacement.

Preparing for knee joint replacement surgery

Before the surgery, the doctor checks the health of the patient as well his risk to anesthesia. The evaluation includes checking the full medical history of the patient and doing his physical examination. The patients’ blood test, X-ray, and other imaging tests are also carried out.

The doctor takes the patient’s complete medical history which includes any prior surgeries and also checks the health of the patient. The patient also needs to inform the doctor about any over the counter medication that he takes or if he takes any nutritional supplement. He will also need to inform the doctor about any allergic reaction that he may have had to anesthesia in the past. This will let the doctor take the appropriate decision.

The patient may have to walk with the help of crutches or a walker for many weeks. It is thus important that he prepares his home like installing handles around the toilet and in showers and buying a footrest that can let keep the leg in an alleviated level. The doctor will be giving out clear instructions on how to take care post-surgery which needs to be followed for a speedy recovery.

The knee joint replacement procedure

Before the surgery, the patient will be given IV so that he is provided with nutrients and fluids during the surgery. The patient is given anesthesia just before the surgery.

A long surgical cut is made above the knee during the surgery. The operation normally lasts for two hours. The skin and the muscle get pulled back and the doctor will cut the bone and the damaged cartilage.

The new knee joint is then affixed to the femur, or thighbone, and the main bone in the lower leg that is the tibia. This is done using pins and screws that are specialized for this purpose. The incision wound is then closed with stitches and a bandage is applied to it.

The patient will then be sent to the recovery room where the doctor will monitor him for any vital signs.

If you are suffering from knee pain and your doctor has advised a knee joint surgery, then you could select from the affordable surgery packages available and book them online.