Knee Replacement

Experiencing Invasive Knee Replacement Surgery

Essentially, when we talk about knee replacement, we are referring to the resurfacing of the worn out surfaces of the knee and replacing the lost cartilage and diseased bone with artificial substances such as metal and plastic. Keep in mind that knees tend to wear out for a variety of reasons. This includes inflammation from arthritis, injury, or simple wear and tear.

Total knee replacement which is also known as knee arthroplasty refers to a surgery that is performed to treat a severe degenerative disease of the knee joint. More than 300,000 people are known to undergo this procedure each year.

Let's now discuss what minimally invasive total knee replacement involves. Basically, it refers to the use of a smaller incision than the traditional method used for knee replacement. In the traditional method, the incision averages 8 to 10 inches in length while for minimally invasive knee surgery the incision is only 4 to 6 inches long. This means that minimally invasive knee surgery ensures less damage to the tissue around the affected knee. This comes as a great relief for the patients who opted for this procedure. They won't have to be camped in the hospital during the post operative period at all. Their recovery period would be shorter and so would their hospital stay. , patients who undergo this procedure may expect a shorter hospital stay, a shorter recovery, and a better looking scar.

It is also important to be aware that surgeons who are extremely trained in this field use special instruments that help to shorten the incision of a standard knee replacement to about 4 inches. But keep note of the fact that the size of the incision is ultimately patient specific. It is dependent on the patient's basic anatomy and body fat. Sometimes, there are cases of severe arthritis with deformity or arthritis suffered by extremely obese patients which would necessitate longer incisions.

There are new techniques for opening the knee that are being debated and researched about. A technique called "quadriceps-sparing" helps as it protects the quadriceps tendon and muscle in the front part of the thigh. There are other techniques also that have emerged, namely "mid-vastus" and "sub-vastus" which make small incisions in the muscle but are also regarded to be in the category of less invasive. However, the concerns that most patients have about pain and other side effects associated with the surgical procedure continue to be worrying factors. Most patient worry about the difficulty in getting used to the rigorous physical therapy that is often required after the knee replacement surgery. As you may be aware, physical therapy is recommended to help the patient regain muscle strength and mobility.

But it is also necessary to point out that improved anesthesia techniques, as well as relief through some of the latest pain management medications have reduced the severity of pain and enhanced the chances of quicker recovery after knee replacement surgery. Any method of speeding up recovery after surgery is desirable, as many people are anxious to return to their day-to-day activities.

With these details to guide you, be confident about everything related to invasive knee replacement.