Questions To Ask Before Knee Surgery
Here’s a list of questions that may be helpful to ask your doctor before your knee surgery. We suggest you print this list and take it with you on your appointment.
Preparing For Knee Surgery
If you and your surgeon decide that knee replacement is right for you, a date will be scheduled for your surgery. Several things may be necessary to prepare for surgery. For example, your surgeon might ask you to have a physical examination by an internist or your regular doctor.
What Is Minimally Invasive Knee Surgery?
Traditional knee replacement surgery involves a long incision (8 to 12 inches) and a lengthy rehabilitation. Over the past decade, however, minimally invasive techniques have been developed to successfully implant the very same clinically proven joints. Today, there are minimally invasive procedures for both partial and total knee replacements.
Understanding how your knee works
The knee is the largest joint in the body. A healthy knee moves easily, allowing you to walk, turn, and do many other activities without pain. A complex network of bones, cartilage, ligaments, muscles, and tendons work together to make a knee flexible.
Knee Pain Relief: Surgical Treatment Options
Most people will not need knee surgery but, in many cases, surgery may be effective in minimizing or eliminating your knee pain when other treatment methods have failed. Many advances have been made, allowing for surgical procedures that are much less invasive. Such minimally invasive procedures are revolutionizing the way patients experience and recover from surgery, often resulting in less postoperative pain, a faster recovery period, and a shorter hospital stay.
How Do I Know If I Need Knee Replacement Surgery?
That’s a question you and your orthopedic surgeon will have to answer together. But when knee pain is so bad it actually interferes with the things you want or need to do, the time may be right.
When Is Knee Surgery Not Appropriate?
Even though knee surgery may be an effective way to minimize or eliminate knee pain, your doctor may decide that knee replacement surgery is not appropriate for you. Some reasons could include:
What Is Total Knee Replacement?
A total knee replacement is usually considered when the surfaces on both sides of the bones, as well as the underside of the patella, are significantly damaged.
What Is The Right Knee Surgery For Me?
Knee replacements have been highly successful for more than 30 years. According to the US National Institutes of Health, 9 out of 10 patients who undergo the procedure report improved pain relief, knee function, and overall health-related quality of life.1
What Is Patello-Femoral Knee Replacement?
Your knee joint is comprised of three bones. Your thighbone (femur) sits on top of your shinbone (tibia). When you bend or straighten your knee, the rounded end of your thighbone rolls and glides across the relatively flat upper surface of your shinbone. The third bone is often called the kneecap (patella), which is attached to the muscles, allowing you to straighten your knee. Your kneecap provides leverage and reduces strain on these muscles.
What Are The Risks Of Knee Surgery?
Every surgical procedure has some risks and benefits. Your individual results will depend on your personal circumstances, and recovery takes time. While there can be no guarantee of success, benefits can include pain relief and return of normal use of the knee.
Treating Knee Pain With Surgery
Most people will not need knee surgery, but, in many cases, surgery may be effective in minimizing or eliminating your knee pain when other treatment methods have failed. Many advances have been made, allowing for surgical procedures that are much less invasive. With smaller incisions requiring less cutting of the skin, tissue, and key muscles, such minimally invasive procedures are revolutionizing the way patients experience and recover from surgery, often resulting in less postoperative pain, a faster recovery period, and a shorter hospital stay.