Knee Replacement Surgery What should you expect after knee replacement surgery?
Updated on February 1, 2017      Admin
after knee replacement surgery

Greater than 90% of patients who undergo revision procedures can expect to have well to excellent results. Although expected outcomes include pain relief with increased stability and function, complete pain relief and restoration of function is not always possible. Up to 20% of patients may still experience some pain following revision knee surgery. This can persist for several years after the procedure.

What are the alternatives to revision surgery?

Alternatives to revision knee surgery are rarely used, since they can sometimes be more complex and lead to worse results than revision surgery. One alternative to knee revision is arthrodesis or knee fusion. Pain may be relieved, but at the expense of keeping the knee in a straight, non-bending position.

Alternative procedures such as amputations may be used in cases of severe joint infections that cannot be eradicated. After weighing the alternatives, considering the higher rate of complications as compared to primary knee replacement, most patients and physicians prefer revision surgery to other surgical options.

Conclusion

Although total knee replacement is a highly successful operation in the majority of patients, some procedures will fail. Certain signs and symptoms such as an increase in pain or a decrease in knee function may be indicative of joint failure. There are several reasons for the failure of knee implants such as wear, loosening, infection, fracture, or instability.

Advanced techniques and materials for revision knee surgery usually allow for substantial pain relief and improved function however, this may not always be possible. Revision TKR is a complex procedure that requires an experienced surgeon and proper pre-operative planning to achieve satisfactory outcomes.

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Afterwards, patient will undergo a similar recovery and rehabilitation process as someone who receives a primary knee replacement. This includes medication, physical therapy, and the administration of blood thinners to prevent clots. Patient will initially require an assistive walking device such as a cane, crutches, or walker and you will likely be in physical therapy for three months or longer. As with the original knee replacement, it is important to stand and walk as quickly as possible. Pressure, compression, or resistance is needed for the bone to grow and properly bond with the implant.

The length of recovery after revision knee surgery varies in comparison to a patient’s first knee replacement. Some individuals take longer to recover from revision surgery while others recover more rapidly and experience less discomfort than during the initial TKR.

Various studies indicate that about 80 percent of patients that undergo a revision surgery experience excellent results. However, about 20 percent of patients report some ongoing pain following the revision. In extreme cases when another knee replacement isn’t advisable an alternative procedure such as arthrodesis (knee fusion) might be used to relieve pain.

If patient think requirement of revision surgery is necessary, speak to consultant doctor and review patient’s condition to understand whether patient are good candidate for the surgery

Cost of Knee Replacement Surgery

Cost of Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty depends upon various factors, considering age type of implant and packages offered by hospital to hospital. For Single Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty cost Rs 2.0-3.0 Lac approx (with imported Johnson and Johnson or Zimmer Implant) and for Bilateral Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty cost Rs 5.0 Lac approx (with imported Johnson and Johnson or Zimmer Implant). Actual Cost of the procedure may vary depending on medical condition of the patient.