Total Knee Replacement- Minimally Invasive
If you have severe knee arthritis and difficulty getting out of bed, get in touch with the best orthopedists for advanced total knee replacement (TKR).
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What is total knee replacement?
Total knee replacement (TKR), or total knee arthroplasty, is a minimally invasive orthopedic treatment for damaged, worn, or diseased knee joints by replacing them with an artificial prosthesis. The treatment includes surgery and postoperative physiotherapy.
The main goal of the knee replacement is to ease the patient’s pain and restore their joint mobility. Contrary to patellar replacement and partial knee replacement, total knee replacement involves the removal and replacement of the entire joint and as such, is performed only in severe cases.
When is total knee replacement required?
Total knee replacement is often advised for patients with severely damaged or degenerated knee joints. Knee joint degeneration can occur due to the following issues:
- Knee Osteoarthritis (Knee OA) is the inflammation and breakdown of the protective cartilage at the ends of the bones. It is very common in weight-bearing joints like knees, hips, spine, shoulder, etc. and leads to pain, stiffness, tenderness, loss of flexibility, and swelling of the affected joint. Over time, patients may even lose complete mobility and need joint replacement.
- Knee Rheumatoid arthritis (Knee RA), also known as inflammatory arthritis, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease in which the immune system starts attacking the joint tissues and causes inflammation in joints all over the body. It commonly affects multiple joints simultaneously and leads to chronic pain, instability of the joints, and joint deformities, most commonly in knee, hand, wrist, and hip joints.
- Post-traumatic arthritis is inflammation of the joints due to improperly treated injuries. Over time, the joints will start degenerating. It most commonly affects the ankle, knee, hip, and elbow joints; and is characterized by pain, swelling, stiffness, and instability of the affected joint.
You should start considering total knee replacement surgery if you have:
- Severe chronic knee pain that is limiting your mobility
- Moderate to severe knee pain that happens throughout the day
- Chronic inflammation of the knee joint that can’t be treated even with rest and medications
- Knee joint deformities, i.e., bowing in or out of the knee joint
- Inability to get pain relief even after medications and exercises
Types of total knee replacement
- Unilateral total knee replacement
- Bilateral total knee replacement
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How to prepare for total knee replacement surgery?
Total knee replacement is a major treatment, so you need to prepare well before the surgery. Since the treatment extends over several months and needs extensive care, its preparation is done on two levels: medical and home preparation.
Medical preparation before knee replacement treatment includes:
- Clearly relay your medical history to your knee replacement surgeon. Inform them about any pre-existing medical conditions you are suffering from and the medicines you are currently taking for them. If you are taking aspirin, steroids, opioids, and other similar medicines, your surgeon may ask you to limit or stop their usage before and after a week of the surgery.
- Stop tobacco use (especially smoking) before and after the surgery, as nicotine slows down the healing process and increases the chances of the patient developing post-surgical complications such as thrombus formation.
- Undergo a complete health checkup to ensure you are healthy enough to undergo the surgery.
- Alcohol can counteract with anesthesia and cause anesthesia-related complications during the surgery. Stop drinking alcohol for at least 2-3 days before the surgery.
- In case you develop any sudden illness such as a fever, cold, flu, etc., inform your orthopedic surgeon immediately so that they can modify or delay the procedure as needed.
- Arrange for someone to drive you home after the surgery, and if possible, get a home attendant for a few days as you won’t be able to perform your daily tasks for a couple of days immediately after the surgery.
After the surgery, moving around the house can be difficult in the initial period. Hence, you need to make your house and surroundings more accessible and comfortable during your recovery period:
- Remove throw rugs, toys, electrical cords, and other tripping hazards from your general vicinity.
- Rearrange your furniture to make it easier for you to use your walkers or crutches after the surgery.
- You may have trouble bending down after the surgery, so move the items you may need after the surgery from lower cabinets to more accessible areas.
- If possible, add safety rails to your bathroom to make it safer and easier to clean up after the surgery.
- If you are living in a multi-storey house, then shift to the bottom storey so that it is easier for you to travel.
What happens during total knee replacement?
If you’ve made up your mind regarding the surgery, you will need to undergo thorough diagnosis to help assess the severity of the condition, determine the type of implant to be used, etc. Diagnosis involves physical examination of the affected joints, imaging tests like CT scan, MRI scan, X-rays, etc., followed by a general health check up.
Total knee replacement procedure takes about 1 to 3 hours and can be performed under either general or spinal anesthesia. During the surgery, the surgeon creates an incision over the affected knee, removes the generated joints, and places the chosen prosthetic in its place. Then the wound is closed, using sutures or clips, and dressed.
The surgery can be performed traditionally or arthroscopically. In minimally invasive surgery, there is very little bleeding, and the procedure usually does not need any blood transfusions. However, open/traditional surgery requires more care.
What are the different types of knee implants?
There are three main components in a knee implant:
- Femoral component is directly attached to the femur and has a groove that allows the patellar component to slide while you are bending the knee joint.
- Tibial component is a flat two-piece part of the implant that is attached to the tibia. It may have a plastic part that acts as a cushion between the tibial and femoral components.
- Patellar component is a plastic dome-shaped component that is resurfaced to match the shape of the patella.
The plastic components of the implant are made of polyethylene, while the metal component is usually made of cobalt-chromium, titanium, zirconium, and nickel. Knee implants can be categorized into four categories based on what they are made of:
- Metal on plastic
- Ceramic on plastic
- Ceramic on ceramic
- Metal on metal
Your orthopedic surgeon will discuss your treatment and prosthetic options with you and help you decide the best prosthesis for you.
Why SurgiKure ?
Delivering Seamless Surgical Experience in India
01.
Consultation For 30+ Diseases Across India
SurgiKure provides consultation for 30+ diseases and treatments such as Piles, Hernia, Kidney Stones, Cataract, Gynecomastia etc. across 10+ major cities in India.
02.
Medical Expertise With Technology
Our surgeons spend a lot of time with you to diagnose your condition. You are assisted in all pre-surgery medical diagnostics. We offer advanced laser and laparoscopic surgical treatment. Our procedures are USFDA approved.
03.
Assisted Surgery Experience
A dedicated Care Coordinator assists you throughout the surgery journey from insurance paperwork, to free commute from home to hospital & back and admission-discharge process at the hospital.
04.
Post Surgery Care
We offer free follow-up consultations and instructions including dietary tips as well as exercises to every patient to ensure they have a smooth recovery to their daily routines.
