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What To Expect From Knee Replacement Surgery?

Knee replacement surgery — also known as knee arthroplasty — can help relieve pain and restore function in severely diseased knee joints.

During knee replacement, a surgeon cuts away damaged bone and cartilage from your thighbone, shinbone and kneecap and replaces it with an artificial joint made of metal alloys, high-grade plastics and polymers.

A wide variety of designs are available that take into account age, weight, activity level and overall health. Most knee replacement joints attempt to replicate your knee's natural ability to roll and glide as it bends.

According to the Mayo Clinic, this is what you can expect from knee replacement surgery:

During the procedure, your knee is in a bent position so that all surfaces of the joint are fully exposed. After making an incision about 8 to 10 inches in length, your surgeon moves aside your kneecap and cuts away the damaged joint surfaces. Minimally invasive procedures use much smaller incisions, usually less than 4 inches long.

After the joint surfaces are prepared, the surgeon inserts and attaches the pieces of the artificial joint. Before closing the incision, he or she bends and rotates your knee, testing and balancing
it to ensure that it functions properly. Expect knee replacement surgery to last about two hours.

After surgery, you're wheeled to a recovery room for one to two hours. You're then moved to your hospital room, where you typically stay for a couple of days before going home. You may feel some pain, but nerve blocks and medications prescribed by your doctor will help control it.

During the hospital stay, you're encouraged to move your foot and ankle, which increases blood flow to your leg muscles and helps prevent swelling and blood clots. You may need to receive blood thinners and wear support hose or compression boots to further protect against swelling and clotting.

The day after surgery, a physical therapist shows you how to exercise your new knee. During the first few weeks after surgery, you're more likely to experience a good recovery if you follow all of your surgeon's instructions concerning wound care, diet and exercise. Your physical activity program needs to include:

A graduated walking program — first indoors, then outdoors — to gradually increase your mobility

Slowly resuming other normal household activities, including walking up and down stairs

Knee-strengthening exercises you learned from the hospital physical therapist, performed several times a day




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