Knee Replacement Surgery- Who Needs It?

  • Generally, but not always, joint replacement is done after the age of 50 yrs. 
  •  Having said that, no age should be exempted or delayed from surgery for want of a way out of the misery of pain from arthritis.
  • Anybody who has end stage arthritis due to a variety of diseases-osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, joint damage due to injury etc should have joint replacement surgery.
  • WHEN QUALITY OF LIFE IS AFFECTED TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PATIENT IS DEPENDENT ON CRUTCHES, WHEELCHAIR OR IS UNABLE TO MOBILIZE AND ALMOST HOUSE-BOUND DUE TO PAIN, STIFFNESS AND DEFORMITY, THEN PERHAPS, JOINT REPLACEMENT IS MANDATED.

What Is Available?

  • Unless you need to squat due to religion or a job requirement, you require the usual knee- the one used for 80 % of people. 
  • The extra cost for marked knee bending provided by new knees( which is more expensive also) is possibly not required for you.
  • Always ask your doctor to go for a reputed company. The money spent on quality is worth while in the long run.

General Questions

1. How long does it take after the surgery to be able to walk?

  • Generally 2 days 

2. How long before I get back to normal outdoor life?

  • By 6 weeks you will be able to do most things like shopping, travelling etc.

3. Period of stay in hospital?

  • 4-5 days.

4. Do I need to do exercise?

  • Physio is an integral part of joint surgery, to strengthen the muscles, so that normal balancing can take place. Physio for upto a month might be required.

5. Can my father have surgery at the age of  seventy? 

  • No age is too old for surgery. As long as patient is fit for anaesthesia, which will be done by our anaesthetist, no age is bar from surgery.

Where should I get it done?

  • Some centres with no training are claiming 100% guarantee. Remember there is no 100 % in medical specialties. Out of the thousands that are done, a few are likely to get infected, loosen and become painful after surgery. 
  • It is recommended that you go to someone who has received advanced training abroad and practiced in Europe or the States, so that all or any eventualities are covered by that surgeon.

Replace fear with confidence as joint replacement is now a well entrenched surgery, with very few complications and high success rate.Wish you all the best!

Dr Purushotta Reddy