There is good news for persons suffering from knee joint pain! The Total Knee Replacement surgery is considered one of the most important orthopedic surgical advances of the 20th century. Every year in the United States, more than 300,000 knee replacements are performed...and this number is expected to increase 525% by the year 2030! In the U.S. the average joint replacement patient is around 65-70 years old.
How does one make the decision to have a knee replacement surgery? Your primary care physician and your orthopedic surgeon are key in helping you make this decision. By the time you are serious about considering surgery you:
*have endured significant pain, *have experienced stiffness, *have been prescribed
medications, *have been unable to get adequate rest, *have tried cortisone injections
and/or Hyaluronic injections such as Supartz or Synvisc.
Prior to your surgery, expect to get a significant amount of detailed education and information from your surgeon as well as x-rays defining your specific condition. There are 3 components in the knee replacement prothesis: femor (metal), tibial (plastic in a metal tray), and patellar (plastic). These components completely replace your damaged knee joint.
The hospital stay is usually about 5 days. You will find yourself doing your first walk about 4 to 6 hours after surgery. Not to worry...the pain meds work wonderfully well! Most hospitals begin therapy the day after surgery.
Upon discharge from the hospital you will either go home with a Home Care therapist coming to your home 3 or 4 times a week for therapy OR you will go to a facility like a nursing home for daily therapy treatment. After a couple of weeks, many knee patients are ready to go to a therapy facility 2 or 3 times a week for more extensive therapy.
This surgery is all about one's dedication to the therapy program. If you are fastidious about therapy, both with your therapist and also with the therapy program you are to do at home, you will have excellent results. Most surgeons and therapists will tell a patient that one must be determined to do the therapy and follow the prescribed therapy plan for success.
What results can one expect from this surgery? Relief from pain, being able to enjoy recreational walking, swimming, golf, biking, dancing, normal stair climbing.
Activities considered dangerous and to be avaoided after surgery are: jogging, running, contact sports, jumping sports, high impact aerobics, skiing, tennis and lifting anything over 50 pounds.
Plan for SUCCESS and begin returning to the many activities you ENJOY!
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