For people living with severe knee pain, stiffness, and loss of mobility from arthritis or a knee injury, knee replacement surgery is the final treatment option after years of trying medications, physical therapy, injections, and other non-surgical treatments.
Knee replacement is a major surgery that requires a substantial financial investment and time investment (recovery can last up to three months). You should do your research to know what knee surgery involves before choosing to go that route.
We encourage you to see if you’re a candidate for iO-Core™ before committing to joint replacement surgery. The iO-Core™ procedure is a minimally invasive surgery that treats surface cartilage loss and underlying bone damage caused by arthritis. The procedure can reduce pain, improve joint mobility, and prevent the progression of joint damage.
If you’d like to see if you qualify for iO-Core™, please give our clinic a call today to speak to a care coordinator.
If you’d like to learn more about what to expect from a knee replacement surgery, and the risks involved, keep reading below.
Preparing for Surgery
A knee replacement is a major procedure, meaning you’ll need a full workup beforehand to make sure you’re fit to undergo surgery. You’ll also need to spend time preparing for the lengthy recovery period. You’ll have limited mobility for several weeks to months after knee surgery.
1. Medical evaluation and testing. Your doctor will perform a physical examination and order blood, urine, and heart tests to make sure you’re physically healthy enough for surgery. These exams will take place a few weeks before your procedure.
2. Social network. Form a support system to assist you with chores and other household tasks, laundry, cleaning, shopping, cooking and errands while you have limited mobility. You should also have a trusted loved one who’s able to help you bathe, dress, and groom for several days after surgery.
3. Home preparation. You’ll have a harder time moving around for a few weeks after surgery. Make sure your home is safe and easy to navigate by moving everything you need (including sleeping arrangements) to the first floor, clearing pathways of rugs, cords, and clutter, and installing a shower seat, shower rail, and toilet seat raiser in the bathroom. You may also find it helpful to move commonly used items (like plates, glasses, toiletries, extra blankets) from high cabinets to a counter or low table for an easy reach. Additionally, cook and freeze a few meals that will be easy to heat up and eat for the first few weeks of recovery.
4. Medications and supplements. Prior to surgery, inform your doctor of all medications and dietary supplements you’re taking. Your doctor may ask you to stop taking certain medications and supplements before your procedure.
What to Expect During Surgery
Here’s what you can expect on the day of your procedure. Traditional knee replacement surgery is performed in the hospital. Newer, minimally invasive procedures are performed in a hospital or an ambulatory surgery center (ASC).
- Anesthesia. You’ll be administered general, spinal or epidural anesthesia before the procedure. General anesthesia puts you to sleep. Spinal or epidural anesthesia numbs the lower extremities, but you’ll remain awake throughout the surgery. Your doctor might also prescribe a sedative to help you relax.
- Procedure. Your surgeon will begin by making an incision over the knee joint. A traditional knee replacement requires a 6-10 inch incision. If you’re having a minimally invasive procedure, the incision will be much smaller. Once your surgeon accesses the joint, he or she will remove damaged and degenerated bone and cartilage from the joint surfaces. The joint will be resurfaced with metal and plastic knee implants. Once the implants are in place, your surgeon will rotate the knee to ensure the hardware moves smoothly.
- Closure. When your surgeon is satisfied with the knee implants placement, he or she will close the incision with staples or stitches.
A knee replacement procedure typically takes between 1-2 hours. After the incision is closed, you’ll be moved from the operating room to a recovery room.
Some replacement surgeries are performed as outpatient procedures, meaning you’ll return home a few hours after surgery. Some surgeries require a hospitalization of 1-4 days. During the recovery period, you’ll attend physical therapy to regain function and flexibility in your new knee. A complete recovery can take up to three months.
Risks of Knee Replacement Surgery
No surgery is without risks. The most common complications associated with knee replacement include:
- Infection. A surgical site infection can occur in the incision wound or around the implanted hardware. Signs of an infection include worsening pain around the incision site, redness, swelling, warmth, and tenderness at the incision site, fever and chills, and wound drainage. A severe infection may necessitate the removal of the artificial implants. Even if the surgical site doesn’t become infected following surgery, be aware that any infection in your body can spread to the artificial joint.
- Blood clots. Blood clots can develop in the leg (called deep vein thrombosis (DVT)) or the lungs (called pulmonary embolism (PE)). Blood clots are a serious — and sometimes life-threatening — complication of knee replacement surgery. Signs of DVT are worsening calf pain, leg redness or discoloration, and sudden lower extremity swelling. Signs of PE are chest pain, shortness or breath, and a cough. If you experience any signs or symptoms of a blood clot, call your doctor or seek emergency medical care right away.
- Nerve damage. Surgery can damage the blood vessels or nerves surrounding the knee joint. If nerve damage occurs, you may experience weakness and numbness in the knee, lower leg and foot.
- Malfunctioning hardware. Knee implants can become loose, worn down or damaged from normal use or an accident like a fall. If implant damage or loosening occurs, a second surgery may be required to replace the metal and plastic prosthetics.
- Bone or scar tissue formation. In some cases, excess bone or scar tissue can form around the artificial knee, leading to restricted movement and range of motion.
- Continued pain. While rare, sometimes knee replacement surgery isn’t successful, and patients continue to have pain following the procedure.
The iO-Core™ Procedure Is an Alternative to Knee Replacement Surgery
Knee replacement surgery can be invasive, costly, and time-consuming (when you factor in several months of rehab and recovery). Many people who were told they needed a total joint replacement surgery have found long-term pain relief and greater mobility from iO-Core™ instead.
Contact our team today to learn more and see if you qualify.