TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY

Understanding Knee Replacement

Knee Replacement is a surgical procedure whereby the damaged cartilage is replaced by a metallic and plastic parts, called prostheses.

Your doctor may recommend Knee Replacement Surgery to you if you have:

• Severe pain in the knee that restricts your daily activities.
• Severe wear and tear of the knee due to conditions such as Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Post Traumatic Arthritis.
• Pain that did not respond well to non-surgical options, such as weight management, medications and injections.

Benefits of Knee Replacement Surgery

In most cases, Knee Replacement Surgery will relieve your knee pain and help your knee joint move better. You would be able to resume most of your daily activities such as walking and driving.

Limitations of knee replacement surgery

As the prosthesis is not a perfect replacement for your natural knee, you will have to avoid participating in high-impact activities such as jumping or running that will place excessive stress on the knee.

Before Surgery

• You should inform your doctor of any medications you are currently taking, for example aspirin, or any known drug allergies you may have.

During Surgery

• Before the procedure, the anaesthesia team will administer either general or spinal or regional anaesthesia.
• The surgery will last about 2-3 hours
• The metal components are secured to the ends of femur or tibia by bone cement. A plastic liner is attached in between to allow the femoral component to glide smoothly over the tibia and support the body weight.

After Surgery

• You may experience post-operative pain following the knee replacement. Your doctor will give you medications to manage the pain.
• You may also experience some stiffness in your operated leg. To aid recovery, you will need to undergo rehabilitation with our physiotherapist who will set specific goals for you to achieve.

Risks Associated with TKR Surgery

While serious post-operation complications are not common with knee replacement surgeries,potential complications that may occur (but not limited to) are:

• Bleeding/bruising 
• Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Fracture
• Infection
• Loosening of implants 
• Nerve and Blood Vessel Injury
• Numbness
• Stiffness/instability
• Stroke/Heart Attack/
• These risks will be explained to you in detail during your consultation with your doctor. Your doctor will also assess your health condition before the operation.

Length of Hospital Stay

Patients who have undergone knee replacement surgery without complications usually stay in the hospital for 1 to 3 days. Your length of stay is dependent on how well you recover. Participating in physiotherapy sessions can help to speed up your recovery.