Knee injury is a common problem amongst all age groups. A severe damage to it due to an injury or disorders like arthritis can take a heavy toll on a person daily life. Bones need good blood flow to be healthy. Any limit to the normal blood flow leads to stiffness, pain and swelling in the knee joints. In the due course if this is not treated, the pain increases which leads to movement problems. At an advanced stage such excruciating pain can render a person unable to do everyday activities like walking, sitting and standing.
A knee replacement surgery/ knee arthroplasty is often the best solution to relieve the pain thereby increasing ease of activity. In most cases this is recommended to the patients who do not respond that well to oral medications and other treatments.
This surgery is a major one and requires certain pre-operative tests to be conducted. At the start of the surgery the patient is given anesthesia to temporarily suppress the pain caused during the operation. The procedure involves replacement of the damaged joint with metal/plastic prosthesis.
The success of the surgery relies heavily on what the patient does after being discharged from the medical center. Heavy weights and high intensity movements are an absolute no-no. The doctor prescribes some exercises that need to be done for faster recovery. Daily activities like walking should be done with the help of crutches or walkers. If needed the furniture and other essentials should be rearranged to be accessible by the patient without much moving around.
More than 90% people have successful recovery while some have problems like blood clots, infections around the wound, dislocation of the prosthesis. However, these complications can be treated with proper drugs. The wound should be taken proper care by keeping it clean and dry. Any redness or drain in the wound should be notified to the doctor immediately.
Post knee replacement surgery, a patient needs few weeks time to get back to the daily activities like walking, standing and sitting. However, high intensity activities that put more stress to the knees should always be avoided.
