More and More people are having knee replacement surgery these days. Here are a few points to think about before having the procedure.
The right surgeon can make all of the difference in the outcome of your surgery. This is not a good time to just pick a name from a phonebook. Instead, ask friends and family for references or go to the orthopedic floor of a local hospital and ask the nurses there would they would recommend.
Don't wait until your joints are extremely bad to get them replaced. The surgery is harder the longer you wait and so is the recovery. Pick a great doctor and work as a team to decide if you need a new knee and when the time is right for you to have it done if so. A good doctor will exhaust all conservative treatment options before taking you to the operating room.
If both knees are degenerating, should you replace them both at the same time? That will depend on you, your doctor, and your general health. Some people prefer to get it all over at once while others want one non-operative leg to walk on while one heals.
After surgery, will you go home or to rehab? If rehab is your choice, will it be acute or sub-acute? Acute rehabilitation has about 3 hours of therapy a day and can take patients that are medically complicated. Sub-acute rehab offers less therapy each day but is also less expensive than acute rehab. It is getting more difficult to qualify for acute rehab with changes in insurance.
I am a fan of custom fit prosthetics. I have seen good results with these. If I needed a replacement, I would talk to my doctor about a custom fit knee replacement. Many people don't know this is an option. Your leg is imaged, then the pictures are sent to a manufacturer where a prosthetic is crafted to fit your bone structure perfectly. The patients I have had with these have sailed through their recoveries.
Patient's having surgery are at an increased risk of having a blood clot. For several weeks after surgery you will likely be on some type of prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Coumadin is very commonly used for this. Other options are lovenox (shots in the abdomen), xarelto, or aspirin.
There will be varying amounts of redness, heat, and swelling. Some people will have blisters develop from the tape used during surgery. They may look really bad, but will pop and heal quickly.
Some doctors will have their patients use a Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) machine in bed. This machine will bend and straighten the leg over and over. Some doctors don't recommend them anymore saying they are not helpful.
Be prepared to be in a lot of pain right after surgery. Ice packs will feel good on the incisions. Pain medications are constipating, so be careful with them. Many surgical patients are also on iron and calcium which are also constipating. Many patients drink less water so they won't have to go to the bathroom as often, but that also contributes to constipation. Start early with a program to keep your bowels moving so you don't end up miserable.
As you are healing from surgery make sure you are getting enough protein, vitamin C, and zinc. Those are essential nutrients for healing.
The right surgeon can make all of the difference in the outcome of your surgery. This is not a good time to just pick a name from a phonebook. Instead, ask friends and family for references or go to the orthopedic floor of a local hospital and ask the nurses there would they would recommend.
Don't wait until your joints are extremely bad to get them replaced. The surgery is harder the longer you wait and so is the recovery. Pick a great doctor and work as a team to decide if you need a new knee and when the time is right for you to have it done if so. A good doctor will exhaust all conservative treatment options before taking you to the operating room.
If both knees are degenerating, should you replace them both at the same time? That will depend on you, your doctor, and your general health. Some people prefer to get it all over at once while others want one non-operative leg to walk on while one heals.
After surgery, will you go home or to rehab? If rehab is your choice, will it be acute or sub-acute? Acute rehabilitation has about 3 hours of therapy a day and can take patients that are medically complicated. Sub-acute rehab offers less therapy each day but is also less expensive than acute rehab. It is getting more difficult to qualify for acute rehab with changes in insurance.
I am a fan of custom fit prosthetics. I have seen good results with these. If I needed a replacement, I would talk to my doctor about a custom fit knee replacement. Many people don't know this is an option. Your leg is imaged, then the pictures are sent to a manufacturer where a prosthetic is crafted to fit your bone structure perfectly. The patients I have had with these have sailed through their recoveries.
Patient's having surgery are at an increased risk of having a blood clot. For several weeks after surgery you will likely be on some type of prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Coumadin is very commonly used for this. Other options are lovenox (shots in the abdomen), xarelto, or aspirin.
There will be varying amounts of redness, heat, and swelling. Some people will have blisters develop from the tape used during surgery. They may look really bad, but will pop and heal quickly.
Some doctors will have their patients use a Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) machine in bed. This machine will bend and straighten the leg over and over. Some doctors don't recommend them anymore saying they are not helpful.
Be prepared to be in a lot of pain right after surgery. Ice packs will feel good on the incisions. Pain medications are constipating, so be careful with them. Many surgical patients are also on iron and calcium which are also constipating. Many patients drink less water so they won't have to go to the bathroom as often, but that also contributes to constipation. Start early with a program to keep your bowels moving so you don't end up miserable.
As you are healing from surgery make sure you are getting enough protein, vitamin C, and zinc. Those are essential nutrients for healing.
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