Dorothy had both knees replaced almost two years ago. She struggled with this decision, discussing her options but she had already tried other treatments such as exercise and pain medication. The physical therapy and exercise did not work and the pain medication dulled her thinking and she did not want to live that way.
She was in her mid fifties, relatively healthy, active, and she knew herself well enough to realize that recovery would be painful whatever she decided and physical therapy would take time. She also knew myself well enough to realize that having gone through one painful recovery she would not want to live through that again for the other knee so she decided to do both at the same time. Dorothy is better but she has a problem with one knees and has returned to therapy twice. Some of her activities are limited and her story is still taking place.
The decision to have knee surgery depends on your age, health, activity level, and of course, how much pain and disability you have. Your doctor may also recommend knee replacement if you have lost a large amount of cartilage and if you do not have health problems that would make it dangerous for you to have surgery. Most of us have knee replacement when we can no longer control our arthritis pain with medicine and other treatments and when the pain interferes completely with our lives.
To make the decision about surgery make sure you get the facts, compare your options, know where you are in your life and where you want to go. Most people delay knee replacement surgery they believe the rehabilitation from the surgery is painful, takes a lot of time, their insurance probably covers only part of their therapy and office visits, and there is no guarantee of full recovery in the first place.
The problem is that delaying knee replacement surgery brings on its own sets of risks which usually involve more joint deterioration and increased pain and lack of mobility. Other risks include muscles and ligaments becoming weak and making the surgical procedure more complicated because more damage has taken place. In other words, if surgery is performed early it may be more successful and the patient is likely to recover faster.
Having said this there are still many risks of knee replacement surgery even when you have no other choice.
Blood Clots
Blood clots in the large veins of the leg and pelvis are common after join replacement surgery. Your doctor may want you to take blood thinning medications or wear a compression stocking to keep the blood in the legs circulating. The concern is that the clot does not travel to the lungs and cause a fatal pulmonary embolism.
Stiffness
Scar tissue is formed following surgery both on the kin and inside the joint. When a scars contract, a tightening of the soft tissues around the joint may occur which may make it difficult to bend the knee. That is way good physical therapy begins immediately keeping your knee in motion to prevent stiffness. If stiffness remains, your doctor can do a manipulation under anesthesia which will break the stiffness but require more physical therapy for you.
Implants fail
Overtime your knee implant will be worn out or it may loosen. Most implants last 15 to 20 years but every implant eventually wears out. A replacement surgery is usually the next step.
Infections
Infections sometimes occur following the surgery. They may happen a few weeks later or even in the next year. The goal is to remove the infection without removing the implant. Some patients develop urinary tract infections from their hospital stay.
The good news is that risks of serious complications are rare. Fewer than 2 percent of people undergoing knee replacement surgery experience serious complications. Keep in mind, however, that infection can occur even years after surgery so contact your doctor if you have a lasting fever, drainage from the surgical site and any redness, tenderness, or swelling and pain in the knee. If antibiotics fail to clear your infection you may need another surgery to remove the infected joint and to install a new one.
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