Saturday, October 5, 2013

The Basics of Knee Replacement Surgery


Knee replacement surgery is the most common joint replacement procedure. It is medically known as Knee Arthroplasty. The procedure is done if patients are still feeling the pain symptoms during normal activities. The practice is done for patients who have knee diseases like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and arthritis.

It can also be applied to patients who have knee injuries. There are two kinds of knee replacement. It can be partial or total replacement. The surgery depends on the severity of the patient's disease or injury. The replacement can also be either metal or plastic.

Normally, the replacement can last for ten to fifteen years. There are non operative treatments to avoid the procedure. Patients are given physiotherapy or physical therapy or they can also do special exercises like walking aids. Taking medicines are also medically advised by their respective physicians. However, if these non operatives can no longer cure the patients, surgery is done.

The traditional procedure of the surgery is when the doctor cuts the knee about ten to thirty centimeters long, until they will reach the knee joint. The worn or damaged parts are removed from the thigh to the shin bone of the patient. Physicians will then, shape the damaged surfaced with the metal or plastic replacement. Once they are done with the fitting process, they will put the knee replacement. The cut will be stitched and closed out.

Nowadays, they have discovered a new method of doing the surgery. The recent medical advances are discovered to lessen the tissue trauma or the surgery marks for the patients. They call it Minimally Invasive Surgery. It is done by just making a small incision and by going between the fibers and the muscles without cutting the tendons.

After the surgery, the patients are encouraged to walk with aids in sticks or walkers. They will also have physical therapists to assist them. It will take time for patients to fully recover. Perseverance and patience are advised for these patients.

Well, in some parts of the world where the surgeries are highly specialized and where everything is governed by robots, knee replacement surgery is not considered a major operation. They categorize it under repairs, whereas other types of surgeries require maximum hands-on operation. It is also important to know the extent of wellness the operation will do to you at the same time the things that you can or can't do.

It is recommended to have an overall examination in a timely manner to avoid misinterpretation and assumptions. It is highly recommended by doctors to immediately seek medical assistance if knee pain is present or felt. It can be just a simple pain but it may give a major medical problem to one's health that can lead to this so called knee replacement surgery.

It is a must that we have to be very vigilant in times of body pains. We do not know what is going on inside our body. What we refer to as a simple muscle or knee pain might already a fatal damage inside. If anything happens or you feel something different, have a check up with your doctor at once to avoid severe complications.

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