Life After Knee Replacement Surgery

Posted On: February 15, 2017

Knee is the largest and most stressed joint of the body. Once damaged, performing daily tasks like standing, walking, climbing becomes painful and even unbearable. People suffering from severe knee pain that troubles during sleep and while carrying out daily activities resulting into swelling and reduced mobility, are the ones who generally need to undergo Total Knee Replacement Surgery (TKR).

What is Knee Replacement Surgery?

The surgery is also referred as Arthoplasty. The metal or plastic joint is inserted at the end of the thigh bone that forms knee joint. Hence, new surfaces on the bones are created using metal components. Here the surfaces of the bones are only replaced, enabling the knee to restore its original functions.

The need for Knee Replacement Surgery:

1. Osteoarthritis – age related wear and tear, generally found in people who are in the age group of 50-80.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis – when immune system attacks knee membranes and damages the cartilage.
3. Traumatic arthritis – serious knee injuries like fracture, ligament damage, and meniscus tear that adversely affects the knee joint.

During the Knee Replacement Surgery

At first the damaged cartilage is removed and minor quantity of bone is removed from the thigh bone. The bone surfaces are replaced by metal components and cartilage by medically approved plastic. Further the medically approved plastic is inserted between the metal components, that helps facilitate knee mobility.

After Knee Replacement Surgery

The patient is given antibiotics after the surgery for the time being including anticoagulants, preventing blood clots. In order to retain knee mobility, the patients are recommended for continuous passive motion machine (CPM), supporting the patients leg movements. The recovery phase is usually between 2-3 months considering a decent time frame that enables knee to fully recover. But some cases may prove to be exceptional as the recovery is subjective, varying from people to people. On an average it takes 5- 6 months for full recovery.

Life after Knee Replacement Surgery

Here are some important day to day life considerations after the surgery.

Driving:

You can get back to your driving with ease and comfort. The Initial phase may witness discomfort in bending knee, however it is recommended to fully recover first and perform daily exercise routine. Ensure the car-park is nearest to the venue, inhibiting you to walk more.

At work:

If your work is more labor intensive, take time for at least 3 months to resume and for sedentary or desk jobs, one can resume soonest i.e., after 10 days. Ensure your co-workers are aware of your situation. And try limiting full working hours.

Traveling:

If possible, it is best avoided for the first 2-3 months. During unavoidable circumstances, ensure you stretch and walk around the plane. It should be done once in an hour. It helps prevent blood clots. It is recommended to consult your doctor before planning a journey.

Household Chores:

Daily tasks such and cooking and cleaning can be performed after recovery. Ensure you do not stand for long hours, stressing the knee. Overall, Knee Replacement surgery has high success rates and achieves more satisfactory results in modern times.

Shalby: The Pioneer & Leader in Joint Replacements

Shalby Hospitals and Dr. Vikram Shah are synonymous with Total Knee Replacement Surgery. Dr. Vikram Shah is credited with the invention of “ZERO Technique” a surgical innovation which reduces surgery time to about 8-10 minutes which used to take hours earlier. “ZERO Technique” offers a host of benefits to the patient, such as: Minimal incision ( Minimal cut) resulting into less blood loss, less medicine consumption , faster recovery, assisted walk after two hours of the surgery and reduced hospital stay which provides comforts to patients and relatives alike. Shalby under the leadership of Dr. Vikram Shah has successfully performed over 85,000 joint replacement surgeries so far and given a new life of youthful momentum to patients from across the globe. Delivering the best in healthcare in a multi-specialty environment with high satisfaction ratio is Shalby’s cherished motto. For more information, please contact: + 91 99240 73400, 98245 11322, 99044 03736