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Knee replacement

Knee replacement surgery: How to prepare before and after surgery?

Knee replacement surgery

It is also known as knee arthroplasty, which can help you get relief from the pain and restore function in these extremely disease knee joints. In this process, the doctor removes the damaged bone and cartilage from your shin bone, tight bone, and knee cap. They later replaced it with An artificial joint, also known as a prosthesis. A prosthesis generally comprises high-grade plastic, metal alloys, and polymers.

The Orthopaedic Hospital in Punjab Will help you get rid of it with Medical treatment.

In order to determine whether any replacement surgery is suitable for you or not, we recommend you to visit our Ortho centre to assess your knee’s range of motion, strength, and stability. We also use x-rays to evaluate the extent of the damage.

There are a variety of knee replacement prostheses and surgical techniques. The doctor chooses the suitable option based on your weight, age, activity level, shape and size of the knee, and overall health.

Why is it done?

One of the most common reasons for knee replacement surgery is to relieve the severe pain that osteoarthritis causes. Most people who require knee replacement surgery experience problems while climbing stairs, walking, and getting in and out of cheers. There are also cases where the patient might feel knee pain at rest.

What are the risk factors of knee replacement surgery?

Just like any surgery, knee replacement surgery also carries some risk. Including:

  • Infection
  • Blood clots in the leg vein or lungs
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Nerve damage

What are the indications or signs of this infection?

You should not wait to notify your doctor immediately if you notice:

  • Shaking chills
  • fever greater than 100 F (37.8C)
  • drainage from the surgical site
  • increasing tenderness, redness, swelling, and pain in the knee 

Remember that an infected knee replacement usually needs surgery so that the doctor would be able to remove the artificial parts and antibiotics to kill the Bacteria. After the doctor clears the infection, they perform another surgery to install a new knee.

 Artificial knees can wear out

It is another factor of knee replacement surgery. Failure of artificial joints can happen in some instances. If you wear the artificial knee regularly, even the strongest plastic part and metal can wear it out. There is also a risk of joint failure if you stress the joint with high-impact activities or excessive weight.

 How to prepare for surgery?

Most of the time, your doctor would advise you to stop taking certain medications or even dietary supplements before the procedure. Apart from that, they will also likely instruct you not to eat anything after midnight the day before your surgery. 

Prepare for your recovery

After The doctor completes your surgery, they advise you to use a walker or a Crutcher for support. Arrange for them before your surgery for immediate use. You should also make sure that you have a ride home from the hospital after your surgery.

Manage all the help for your everyday tasks such as bathing, cooking, and doing laundry. In case you live alone, Then your surgeon staff member or any hospital discharge planner can help you get a temporary caretaker.