Knee Replacement
Restoring Mobility and Reducing Pain
The knee joint is formed by the ends of the thigh bone and the shin bone. These bones slide easily over each other because they are normally covered with soft cartilage. If an injury damages the cartilage or it wears out due to arthritis, the joint can become painful or stiff. This is where a knee replacement comes into play. This operation is the replacement of the surface of the bones with metal implants of the same size and shape as the area to be repaired. It increases mobility and reduces pain.
What is a knee replacement?
Knee replacement surgery is the replacement of a knee joint that has been damaged or worn out due to arthritis or knee injury. In this sense, it involves removing parts of your natural knee joint and replacing them with artificial parts. Knee replacement is the most common type of joint replacement surgery. It will replace part or all of the knee joint, depending on the condition. Total knee replacement is more common. Prostheses can be made of metal and/or plastic and the life span of a knee replacement can be up to 20 years. If you are wondering how long is recovery from knee replacement, this period is between 6-12 weeks and the details are in the continuation of our article.
Knee replacement types and application areas
Knee replacement has various types and application areas. These are listed as follows:
Total Knee Replacement (TDP)
It is preferred in case of severe damage or degeneration of the entire joint surface. In this sense, the procedure is performed within the scope of complete knee replacement.
Partial Knee Replacement
This operation is performed when arthritis is present in only part of the knee. Damaged tissue and bone are removed from the knee joint. The sections are replaced with an artificial implant called a prosthesis. The rest of the knee is preserved.
Revision Knee Replacement
It requires the removal of a previously placed implant or spacer that has failed or needs to be replaced.
Bilateral Knee Replacement
It is a surgical intervention in which two knee prostheses are placed in the patient at the same time, that is, one prosthesis in each knee.
Knee replacement unicompartmental: It is used when only one condyle is affected.
What are the benefits of knee replacement surgery?
Full knee replacement surgery can positively affect the overall health of patients and improve their physical health. The many benefits of this operation are listed below.
- Reduction of pain
- Renewal of physical activity
- Improvement in joint mobility
- Increased muscle strength
- Improved ability to perform daily activities
- Being active in swimming, driving, cycling and other low-impact sports
- Increasing social participation
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Who should prefer knee replacement surgery?
Patient groups who prefer replacement surgery are as follows:
- Patients suffering from knee arthritis
- The knee is badly damaged and all other treatments have failed
- Those who have various types of arthritis and therefore experience a high degree of pain
- Those with cartilage wear due to bowed legs or certain knee deformities
- People with limited mobility
- Loss of function
- People with age-related degenerative diseases
Preparation before knee replacement surgery
Your surgeon will tell you what will happen before, during and after the procedure and about your possible pain. For example, if you smoke, you will be asked to stop smoking. This is because it increases your risk of chest and wound infections, which may delay your recovery. In general, the following are the things you should pay attention to during the preparation process.
Maintain moderate physical activity, and do not overexert yourself physically.
Choose appropriate clothing, comfortable shoes (do not wear heels) and personal hygiene items required for the procedure.
Prepare the place where you will spend your post-operative period (home) looking for more comfort, where climbing stairs is not necessary, and avoiding objects that may cause falls or accidents.
Ask for support from your family or friends. It is important to have someone to accompany you during the first days and help you carry out your daily activities without much effort.
Maintain a light diet the day before the procedure.
Remember to follow the rest of the instructions given at the pre-anesthetic consultation.
Depending on the situation, you may be asked to come to the clinic fasting for at least 8 hours on the day of the operation.
At the hospital, the nurse may check your heart rate and blood pressure and perform a urine test. You will usually need to stay in hospital for five days after the operation.
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Recovery after knee replacement surgery
Knee replacement healing time depends on the patient’s cooperation. After the orthopedic surgeon has operated, the patient should follow the surgeon’s instructions. Prescribed medication should be taken, post-operative assessment appointments should be kept and physiotherapy sessions should not be missed. Physiotherapy exercises in particular are an indispensable part of your recovery, so it is important to continue doing them for at least two months.
In addition, you need to follow the instructions for permitted physical activity, maintain surgical site care and follow a balanced diet. Accordingly, you should avoid excessive fats and processed foods. So, the patient can have a successful knee replacement surgery recovery process by following the doctor’s recommendations.
| Candidates: | People with severe pain and limitation of movement due to severe damage to the knee joint, osteoarthritis, post-traumatic deformities |
| Procedure: | Removal of the damaged joint and insertion of a prosthesis |
| Duration: | 45 minutes to 1 hour |
| Stay: | 5-7 days |
| Anesthesia: | Epidural (spinal anesthesia) |
| Recovery: | 6-12 weeks |
| Exercise: | The possibility of an 8-12 cm scar in the procedure area |
| Pain: | Minimum (with medicines) |
Why should you choose Turkey for knee replacement surgery?
Turkey is a country with many advantages in knee replacement operations. In this sense, it has wide accommodation options, state-of-the-art technology devices, practical transport facilities and experienced healthcare professionals. In this way, patients are involved in a comfortable treatment process. Moreover, cultural richness in Turkey is also a positive experience for patients.
Cost of knee replacement surgery in Turkey
The pricing policy of knee replacement surgery depends on many factors. These vary according to surgeon experience, general health status, preferred hospital and prosthesis type. In Turkey, there is a much more reasonable pricing compared to other countries. In addition to the factors that make up the overall cost, factors such as accommodation, examination and physiotherapy can also be effective. Therefore, it is best to contact the health institution.
FAQ
How Long Does a Knee Replacement Last?
Knee prostheses can remain intact for up to 20 years. Sometimes this period can even be 25 years.
How Long is Knee Replacement Surgery?
If you are wondering how long knee replacement surgery takes, this is an operation that takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour.
How Painful is a Total Knee Replacement?
Although this varies from person to person, only 20 percent of the patients who underwent the operation mentioned variable pain.
What Not to Do After Knee Replacement?
The top 5 mistakes after knee replacement are overstraining yourself mentally, neglecting physiotherapy, not following the doctor's instructions, not eating a healthy diet and heavy exercise.
What is a Partial Knee Replacement?
It is an operation in which only a part of the knee joint is replaced. It is not completely replaced, only the damaged part is replaced with a prosthesis.
What is a Total Knee Replacement?
It is a type of operation in which the entire knee joint is replaced.
How Knee Replacement is Done?
This operation is performed by removing the damaged tissues in the knee joint and replacing them with a prosthesis. Modern surgical techniques and state-of-the-art equipment are used.
What is the Recovery Time for a Knee Replacement?
Knee replacement recovery time is between 6-12 weeks.
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