Knee replacement surgery is very popular for those suffering from severe knee pain. Here are a few things to think about before going under the knife.
Choosing the right surgeon is key to a good outcome. I suggest you go to an orthopedic floor of a local hospital and ask the nurses there who they would recommend.
Don't wait until your joints are extremely bad to get them replaced. The surgery is harder the longer you wait and so is the recovery. Pick a great doctor and work as a team to decide if you need a new knee and when the time is right for you to have it done if so. A good doctor will exhaust all conservative treatment options before taking you to the operating room.
If both knees are bad, do you have them replaced separately or at the same time? That varies from person to person. Some people want to only go through anesthesia and recovery one time, given a choice. Some prefer to have a non-operative leg to walk on while the other knee heals. Your overall health will be a consideration in the final decision, also.
After surgery, will you go home or to rehab? If rehab is your choice, will it be acute or sub-acute? Acute rehabilitation has about 3 hours of therapy a day and can take patients that are medically complicated. Sub-acute rehab offers less therapy each day but is also less expensive than acute rehab. It is getting more difficult to qualify for acute rehab with changes in insurance.
If I needed a knee replacement, I would talk to my doctor about a custom fit prosthetic. I have seen very good outcomes with those. The patient's leg is imaged and the images are sent to the prosthetic manufacturer which makes a prosthetic that fits the patient's bone structure near perfectly.
Patient's having surgery are at an increased risk of having a blood clot. For several weeks after surgery you will likely be on some type of prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Coumadin is very commonly used for this. Other options are lovenox (shots in the abdomen), xarelto, or aspirin.
It is not uncommon for patients to have blisters where tape was during or after surgery. The blisters look bad, but will pop and heal quickly. Bruising, heat, and swelling will vary greatly from person to person.
A CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine may be ordered for use while you are in bed. The machine bends and straightens the leg over and over. Not all doctors agree that it is helpful.
Be prepared to be in a lot of pain right after surgery. Ice packs will feel good on the incisions. Pain medications are constipating, so be careful with them. Many surgical patients are also on iron and calcium which are also constipating. Many patients drink less water so they won't have to go to the bathroom as often, but that also contributes to constipation. Start early with a program to keep your bowels moving so you don't end up miserable.
As you are healing from surgery make sure you are getting enough protein, vitamin C, and zinc. Those are essential nutrients for healing.
Choosing the right surgeon is key to a good outcome. I suggest you go to an orthopedic floor of a local hospital and ask the nurses there who they would recommend.
Don't wait until your joints are extremely bad to get them replaced. The surgery is harder the longer you wait and so is the recovery. Pick a great doctor and work as a team to decide if you need a new knee and when the time is right for you to have it done if so. A good doctor will exhaust all conservative treatment options before taking you to the operating room.
If both knees are bad, do you have them replaced separately or at the same time? That varies from person to person. Some people want to only go through anesthesia and recovery one time, given a choice. Some prefer to have a non-operative leg to walk on while the other knee heals. Your overall health will be a consideration in the final decision, also.
After surgery, will you go home or to rehab? If rehab is your choice, will it be acute or sub-acute? Acute rehabilitation has about 3 hours of therapy a day and can take patients that are medically complicated. Sub-acute rehab offers less therapy each day but is also less expensive than acute rehab. It is getting more difficult to qualify for acute rehab with changes in insurance.
If I needed a knee replacement, I would talk to my doctor about a custom fit prosthetic. I have seen very good outcomes with those. The patient's leg is imaged and the images are sent to the prosthetic manufacturer which makes a prosthetic that fits the patient's bone structure near perfectly.
Patient's having surgery are at an increased risk of having a blood clot. For several weeks after surgery you will likely be on some type of prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Coumadin is very commonly used for this. Other options are lovenox (shots in the abdomen), xarelto, or aspirin.
It is not uncommon for patients to have blisters where tape was during or after surgery. The blisters look bad, but will pop and heal quickly. Bruising, heat, and swelling will vary greatly from person to person.
A CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine may be ordered for use while you are in bed. The machine bends and straightens the leg over and over. Not all doctors agree that it is helpful.
Be prepared to be in a lot of pain right after surgery. Ice packs will feel good on the incisions. Pain medications are constipating, so be careful with them. Many surgical patients are also on iron and calcium which are also constipating. Many patients drink less water so they won't have to go to the bathroom as often, but that also contributes to constipation. Start early with a program to keep your bowels moving so you don't end up miserable.
As you are healing from surgery make sure you are getting enough protein, vitamin C, and zinc. Those are essential nutrients for healing.
