Thursday, July 25, 2013

What You Should Know About Knee Replacement Surgery - Factors to Consider


It is very normal for the older as well as the middle aged people to suffer from knee pain. While you will find plenty of treatments for this type of pain, there are some people who get severe pain in their knees and they are unable to carry on with their normal life because of this. All the treatments do not work and the only option available to them is the knee replacement surgery.

Perhaps one of the main reasons why many people consider knee replacement surgery is because they have a degenerative joint disease that causes permanent pain to their knees. Due to wear and tear, it is very normal for the older population to suffer from knee pain due to the aging of the joint.

The main reason why many people opt for knee replacement surgery is to get relieve from the knee pain caused by degenerative arthritis. The main causes of knee pain are ligament tears, cartilage defects, osteoarthritis, meniscus tears, etc. The knee replacement surgery can be total knee replacement or partial knee replacement. This depends on how serious the condition is and what the doctor recommends. Basically, the surgery will involve the removal of the damaged or diseased joint surfaces and in their places, plastic or metal components are used.

So how will you know whether you should opt for this surgery?

If your symptoms include the following then maybe it is high time that you thought about this solution to your knee problem:

1. Difficulty in walking or moving your leg.
2. Permanent pain in the knee.
3. When the joint swells.

Usually, the knee implants can last for two decades but then again some implants can last for more than this period of time. Generally, the knee replacement surgery will last for about an hour and half. However, you may have to spend a little more time in the operation theater. After the surgery, you will discover that there is an incision of about eight inches on your knee. Metals clips (staples) will be used to close the incision and they will be used for about fourteen days. At the time of removing the clips, it usually does not cause any pain.

You will have to consider a lot of things before you choose to have the knee replacement surgery done. Once you see a doctor, he will be able to give you detailed information about the surgery and he will also inform you what you will be required to do.

No comments:

Post a Comment