As per reports, one third of the knee surgeries in US alone are carried out without any medical basis. The reasons are obvious as only limited amount of patients know or get the chance to explore the topic before they end up getting the surgery. The fact is we all live in a disposable world wherein one can expect to replace everything and anything with getting the newer version. The cell phones are the classic example to this. You tend to see things being discarded rather than repaired; hence it is simple to see why the idea of replacing a knee with a artificial one shouldn’t come up with the reasons or questions. The problem is that these surgeries need the amputation of the knee joint along with inserting over the prosthesis in a very traumatic surgery along with having a number of complications and risk.
Thus asking question is important, let’s check them as under, which can help you in many ways
What kind of of knee surgery can be the best for me?
When it comes to knee surgery, there are several options for fixing the arthritis issue depending upon your age and general physical condition along with other elements, some of the options include the following :
- Total knee replacement for arthritis
- Partial knee replacement
- Knee arthroscopy
- Knee osteotomy surgery
- Cartilage repair & restoration
What results I can get from the surgery and what is the usual result for anyone in my conditions?
The good news is that the knee surgery is often the safe and sound surgical option assured by good results. In fact 90 percent of the people are seen having successful procedures that result into less amount of pain along with better mobility. However, it is vital that you need to have exact expectations regarding the surgery can help in getting the desired results in order to get the recovery.
What are the possible complications/risks of the surgery and how likely are they?
Generally the complication rates for knee surgery are often low, but it can tend to give complications at times. These can simply include the blood clots, damage or infection over the knee that surrounds the tissues. Better ask about the complication rates or research on your own. Do remember that like a general rule, the more experience the surgeon has with any specific surgical procedure, the better would be the outcome.
Can I do something in order to boost up the odds of a successful surgery?
At times, there is something that you are supposed to do beforehand in order to increase the chances for a better result. These simply include carrying out the exercises in order to strengthen the muscles, which support and surround your knee, losing extra weight, or are seen quitting smoking.
Will I be in a greater amount of pain after the surgery? How can I get relief from it?
The level of the pain you find after the surgery will simply depend up on the kind of surgery you are going to have. You will be recommended to have the pain medications in order to control the pain along with the swelling both while in the hospital and after discharge; however, the condition would vary from one person to the other
Do I suppose to stop the medications before surgery?
Apart from the arthritis medications, make sure you ask your knee surgeon if you really need to stop the medications for any other health conditions you have. These include the over the counter medications, supplements or vitamins.
How long will the partial and full recovery take?
As discussed above, you need to understand the amount of time you would need to recover from the aftermath of the surgery. Better plan to carry out your regular exercises in order to make your knees strong along with seeking help from the physical therapist to do things as per the recommendation for the obvious reasons. Moreover, better ask for the help you’ll need after having the knee surgery. This will vary from one procedure to the other and hence preparing for the same is really important. This can be only addressed the best when you explore the recovery on your own or simply ask the questions about the same.
