Knee replacement surgery is safe and effective. Especially for more severe knee trauma that is not properly treated, chronic joint diseases of the knee and wear and tear of the knee joint from years of constant use that leads to knee pain and knee dysfunction, surgery is the inevitable choice.
After surgery, your activities will become easy and you can enjoy the following benefits.
1.Greatly reduce or eliminate joint pain, although it takes many days for the surgical wound pain to be relieved.
2. Increased leg strength. Without the pain in the knee joint, you will be able to move around regularly, which will increase muscle strength.
3.Improve the quality of life. After surgery, you can comfortably perform daily tasks and low-intensity activities.
4. Gain the ability to move freely. Most knee replacements last for decades.
Before surgery, you will need to prepare yourself mentally, prepare your life before surgery, prepare for treatment, and learn about the procedure and the rehabilitation process.
You should make some small changes at home before surgery that will make recovery easier. Remember to address medical and dental conditions and stop smoking prior to surgery to reduce the risk of surgery and improve the likelihood of recovery.
Preparation at home
To make life easier and safer after surgery, you should reduce indoor hazards while limiting the number of trips up and down the stairs. Keep things in easy reach, have some canned or frozen foods on hand, and remove things that are easy to trip over.
Arrange for help
Someone will need to take care of you for a few weeks after surgery. Planning ahead of surgery can prevent anxiety during recovery.
See your doctor
You will need an electrocardiogram to determine which anesthetic can be used. You will also have a chest x-ray as well as laboratory tests, and your doctor will tell you about any problems that are found. High blood pressure and diabetes will need to be treated before surgery.
Medication status
It is very important to tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including occasional use. For example, the medications taken for hormones, rheumatoid, etc. Some have an effect on anesthetics, others such as aspirin and ibuprofen can increase bleeding. To avoid problems, you need to stop taking some medications before surgery.
Complete dental and other treatments
Address problems with your teeth and gums before surgery. Otherwise, bacteria can enter the bloodstream from the mouth and infect the new joint. This will slow down the recovery and the joint prosthesis must be removed in case of severe joint infection. In addition to this, you will need to keep sinus infections, foot fungus, urinary tract infections, and pneumonia under control.
Storage of autologous blood
Sometimes, blood transfusions are needed to compensate for the loss of blood during surgery. Donated blood is screened to reduce the possibility of transmitting HIV, hepatitis and other diseases. However, you may want to be able to store your own blood before surgery and have it returned to you at the time of surgery to reduce the risk. Your doctor will discuss with you about preoperative blood preparation.
You will want to arrive at the hospital a few days before your surgery. Sometimes, pre-operative tests need to be completed within a few days before surgery. Follow your doctor’s instructions to complete your preoperative preparation. Once you arrive at the hospital, there are several forms to fill out and the anesthesiologist will tell you about them. It is normal to be a little nervous, but you should know that this is a common procedure that usually has good results.
Pre-op preparation
You will be told when to stop eating and water before surgery. If there are medications that need to be taken daily, ask if they can be continued on the morning of the surgery. In the hospital, your temperature, pulse, breathing and blood pressure will be checked. An infusion line will need to be established to allow for fluids and medications to be administered during the procedure.
Risks and complications
As with any surgery, there are possible risks and complications associated with knee replacement. They include.
1. various reactions to anesthetic drugs
2. blood clots
3. Damage to adjacent bone, blood vessels, and nerves
4. dislocation of the patella
5, infection
6.Distant loosening of the prosthesis
Surgical procedure
After the surgical staff is ready, you will be sent into the operating room. Anesthesia is first administered, which enables you to sleep through the procedure, or numbness from the waist down. Then, an incision is made in front of the knee joint and the diseased bone is removed and replaced with a new artificial joint. The incision is then sutured closed.
There are some post-operative rehabilitation activities. Rehabilitation exercises are extremely important for knee replacements. Your surgeon will guide you in making the right rehabilitation after the surgery.