Knee Replacement Surgery: Procedure, Recovery, Cost and Is It Safe?

Knee replacement surgery refers to a treatment process that is often employed to heal Kneecap degeneration caused by several reasons such as arthritis or osteoporosis. A severe knee injury may also be treated by this process. This leads to the termination of pain during physical activities like walking, climbing, etc. Kneecap degeneration is a very ordinary complication in adults.

Adult often chooses knee replacement surgery as Kneecap degeneration is a very common problem in their age groups. However, it is known to treat other conditions too. Here is all you need to understand about what knee replacement surgery is, its procure, and the cost.

Knee replacement surgery is regarded as the best option to treat patients who have degenerated or damaged knees due to various conditions like osteoporosis, post-traumatic arthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

Knee replacement surgery is also popularly named Knee Arthroplasty. The damaged parts of the kneecap are surgically removed and replaced by artificial body parts or prosthetics during this process. These artificial prosthetics support the smooth and painless movement of the knee joints.

With the help of knee replacement surgery, the patient is able to lead a normal life with few precautions.

Summary: Knee replacement surgery is better known for treating several knee-related complications caused by some common or severe issues.

There are two different types of Knee Replacement Surgery

Yes, there are two very common reasons why you cannot undergo a total knee replacement procedure. Some people may have these conditions and even though their knee degeneration is pretty bad, they may not be able to get a knee replacement. These reasons are as follows:

• If you have weak quadriceps, that is, thigh muscles, then you cannot undergo knee replacement surgery. This is because your new knee joint may not get enough support from your quadriceps.
• If you have ulcers on the skin that falls right below your knee, you cannot have knee replacement surgery. Undergoing the surgery may expose your ulcers to the risk of infection

Summary- If someone possesses weak quadriceps or has an ulcer besides the knee then he/she must avoid undergoing knee replacement surgery.

If you have the following symptoms then consult a doctor immediately.

• Worsening pain in knee joints
• Swelling and stiffness
• Difficulty in mobility
• Pain during rest
• The incapability of performing daily activities
• Worsened arthritis
• Severe knee injury

Summary- We must plan a visit to the doctor if we experience any of the above-stated symptoms. We must not wait for the symptoms to get severe.

Usually, physical exercises, physiotherapies, and pain relief medications can help you avoid having a knee arthroplasty. However, after a long time, these remedies tend to work less and sometimes the pain is very severe. When all these remedies do not work anymore, it is time to consult a doctor for a total knee replacement procedure. With Pristyn Care, you can consult the best doctors for your knee replacement surgery.

Summary- Knee replacement surgery is a permanent treatment process to resolve knee-related issues. However, other temporary solutions are also available out there.

Some of the reasons why you should get a knee replacement surgery are as follows:

• Constant pain

  Are you facing a constant which ranges from dull to severe during the day? This can be an indication that your arthritis or osteoporosis has worsened and you may need immediate surgery. Moreover, sometimes even when you are not doing any physical work, the pain still persists. If you are facing these problems then knee replacement surgery can relieve you from these difficulties for a long period of time.

• Knees have become swollen and stiff

  Sometimes when the condition of arthritis worsens, your knee tends to become swollen and stiff. You may feel severe pain while bending or folding your knees. However, a total knee replacement can cure most of these conditions and provide you relief from the stiffness and swelling.

• Difficulty in carrying out a normal lifestyle

  Arthritis can interfere with your day-to-day activities in a lot of ways. If you are looking forward to leading a healthy and normal lifestyle but your knee pain is not letting you achieve that, it is better to have a partial or total knee replacement surgery immediately. The procedure lasts as long as 15 years and with some preliminary precautions, you can have a healthy life.

Summary- Knee replacement surgery is important to terminate constant pain, swelling, and stiffness. It also helps you to lead a normal lifestyle without any pain.

Here is a general outline of the steps involved in a knee replacement surgery:

• Pre-surgery preparation: Before the surgery, the patient will undergo a medical evaluation to ensure they are healthy enough for the procedure. The patient will also be given instructions on how to prepare for the surgery, such as avoiding food and drink after midnight the night before the surgery and arranging for transportation home after the procedure.
• Anesthesia: The patient will be given either general anesthesia, which will put them to sleep, or regional anesthesia, which will numb the lower half of the body.
• Incision: The surgeon will make an incision on the front of the knee to access the joint.
• Damaged bone and cartilage removal: After your surgeon locates the damage to the bones, he removes the degenerated bone tissues and cuts away the bones that need to be replaced.
• Implant placement: The surgeon will then place the artificial knee joint, which is made up of metal and plastic components. The components are carefully sized and shaped to fit the patient's knee and are attached to the bone using special cement or bone screws.
• Closing the incision: Once the artificial knee joint is in place, the surgeon will close the incision with sutures or staples.
• Recovery: After the surgery, the patient will be taken to a recovery room where they will be monitored until the effects of the anesthesia have worn off. The patient will then be taken to their hospital room to begin the recovery process.

Summary- Knee replacement surgery is executed through pre-planned steps. It starts with an incision then doctors rectify the damage and stitch the incision to complete the process.

There are three stages of knee replacement surgery. They are as follows:

Most of the knee replacement components are constructed of alloys. The thigh bone component, also known as the femoral component, is generally made of metal alloys like cobalt chromium or metal-ceramic alloys like oxidized zirconium. On the other hand, the shin bone component, also known as the tibial insert component, is made up of either cobalt chromium (metal alloy), titanium (metal alloy), or plastic (polyethylene). Other than that, the patellar component is also made of plastic.

Summary- Different types of alloys are employed to construct knee replacement implants. Titanium, chromium or polythene are some of the commonly used materials.

Initial pain right after the surgery is very common. However, make sure the pain is not very severe. It should range from dull pain to light aches. Your doctor will prescribe you appropriate pain medicines for quick relief from the ache. Once you start physiotherapy, the pain starts subsiding. The duration of postoperative pain may last up to six months or a year even. However, once you have completely recovered, the knee replacement surgery will give you an improved function over a period of 15 years or so.

Summary- Knee replacement is a little painful but doctors prescribe medications to ensure less pain. After a thorough conversation with the doctor, Pristyn care may guarantee a painless process.

• Bleeding - Internal bleeding after the surgery may occur if the procedure is not done carefully.
• Infection - If the patient has ulcers or any other infection-prone area in or around the knee, then the infection can become severe.
• Blood clots in legs - Internal bleeding can also cause blood clots in the legs
• Loosening of the prosthesis - If the fitting and testing of the prosthesis are not properly done, it may result in loosening or wearing out.
• Fracture - If post-surgery care is not taken properly, it may result in multiple fractures of the bones
• Continued pain or stiffness - After the completion of the surgery, patients may have a dull ache and stiffness around their knee. This can be cured with regular physiotherapy sessions.

Summary- Knee replacement often leads to some common complications like blood clots, swelling, fracture, recurring pain, etc. However, they can be tackled with proper care.

Studies have shown that over 95 percent of knee replacement surgeries are successful with a minimum number of side effects. You can rest assured as the possibility of complications is very rare in total or partial knee replacement surgeries. The procedure of knee arthroplasty is known to be one of the safest procedures. However, after your surgery is done, proper care should be taken by following the post-op guidelines.

Summary- The least dangerous surgery is a knee replacement since it has fewer adverse consequences than other procedures. If we take proper precautions, it will cause almost no adverse effects.

Continuous care must be taken even after you have fully recovered from your total knee replacement surgery. Usually, it takes about six months or a year to completely heal from the surgery. After 24 hours of the surgery, you can start small movement activities so that your knee replacement can adjust to its natural environment. Continuous physiotherapy sessions, medications, and exercises should be done for a full recovery with minimum to no complications.

Summary- Everyone recovers differently from knee replacement surgery, on average.

Studies have shown that over 95 percent of knee replacement surgeries are successful with a minimum number of side effects. You can rest assured as the possibility of complications is very rare in total or partial knee replacement surgeries.

Summary- Knee replacement is better known for its high success rate. It also causes almost no side effects with a speedy recovery.

The cost of total knee replacement surgery in India generally ranges from 1,62,000 INR to 5,11,000 INR. However, this is only a rough estimate. The total cost of knee replacement surgery depends on a number of factors like the hospital, the pre-op process, the severity of the surgery, and much more.

Summary- The cost of knee replacement usually lies between 1.5- 5 lacs. It may put pressure on your budget.

A properly balanced diet after any type of surgery is very important for quick recovery. Once you have successfully undergone knee replacement surgery, make sure you eat healthy food.

• Protein sources like soybeans, dairy, cottage cheese, eggs, poultry, fish, meat, and nuts are all excellent food items to eat for quick recovery.
• Diets that are rich in calcium can also help your bone recovery.
• Other than that you can also eat as many vegetables and fruits as per your diet.
• At least 8 litres of water a day for the proper functioning of your digestive system.

Summary- We must be vigilant about the foods that aid a good recovery. Proteins, calcium along with proper hydration are necessary.

The prime target of your diet should be boosting the process of your bone healing. Therefore, any food item that reduces the recovery rate of your bones should be avoided.

• Caffeine,
• Alcohol
• Excessive amounts of sugar and salt

Summary- We must exclude some food items that are known to reduce the efficiency of natural bone healing. Junk foods and processed must not be eaten during the recovery phase.

Continuous care must be taken even after you have fully recovered from your knee replacement surgery. Usually, it takes about six months or a year to completely heal from the surgery. After 24 hours of the surgery, you can start small movement activities so that your knee replacement can adjust to its natural environment. Continuous physiotherapy sessions, medications, and exercises should be done for a full recovery with minimum to no complications.

Summary- The recovery period of knee replacement usually varies for different patients. We must be careful after the surgery for a speedy recovery.

A knee replacement surgery can last up to 15-20 years depending on the material of the prosthesis, the exertion on your knee, and the post-op care. Once your knee replacement surgery is completely healed, the results can last long enough to relieve you from pain.

Summary- The result of knee replacement can be permanent but it needs utmost care. We must follow doctors’ guidelines carefully

Here are some of the post-treatment guidelines for Knee Replacement.

• Sitting - Do not sit for more than 40-45 minutes in the same position. You can switch positions by walking or strolling at intervals of 40 minutes.
• Getting dressed - Avoid bending your knee while you wear your pants. Also, sitting while wearing your pants is recommended.
• Stairs - Avoid using stairs as much as you can.
• Walking - Right after the surgery, use a walker for walking. Once you are fully recovered, only then start walking on your own.
• Lying Down - Lay down flat on your back while sleeping. Keep your knees straight so that there is no strain on your prosthesis.

Summary- Post-treatment guidelines are necessary for the healing process. We must be aware of the above-stated simple steps to ease the treatment procedure.

One of the major side effects of knee replacement surgery is continued pain or stiffness. After the completion of the knee replacement surgery, patients may have a dull ache and stiffness around their knee. This can be cured with regular physiotherapy sessions. Even pain relief medicines may have some side effects. You may also face difficulty in bending or folding your knee joints.

Summary- Knee replacement surgery may cause some side effects like swelling, stiffness, pain, etc. around the affected area.

Once you have successfully undergone knee replacement surgery, you will be relieved from the arthritis pain and discomfort for a long time. With some general exercise and care, you can lead a healthy lifestyle after the surgery. Since the rate of complications is very less, the success rate of this surgery is the best among its kind.

Summary- Knee replacement usually comprises a very high success rate with fewer side effects. Post-surgical care is also very easy.