jointsguru
Knee replacement surgery is very common surgery nowadays. Every month more than a thousand people go through knee replacement surgery. It has changed the lives of thousands of people in the last 40 years. Knee replacement is most rewarded surgery in the world. But there are some myths around knee replacement surgery. I will try to clear all myths around knee replacement surgery.
Many people come to my OPD with very severe pain and difficulty in walking. Knee replacement has changed their life. They can not go out, they can n’t go to marriages or temples or park. Knee pain has ruined their life . Still when I advised them that they can become normal after knee replacement they had some questions in mind. I will answer all those questions here.
How many days I will be one bed ?
Doc, how many days do I have to be in bed after surgery ? This is almost the same as the first question. Mrs. Neeta was delaying her knee surgery for 2 months. When I asked her why, She said, I do not want to miss my grandchild’s marriage . I want to dance in her Mahila sangeet. I told her that after knee replacement She does not need any bed rest and she can do all her activities in 2 weeks time. She was able to dance after 2 months and I still have those beautiful pictures in my clinic. Such cases really give us pleasure and satisfaction. There is no bed rest needed after knee replacement and the patient can do all his or her activities after 2 to 3 days. Do not delay surgery just for fear of bed rest. You do not need long bed rest.
what is life of knee replacement ?
What is the life of knee replacement surgery ? Mrs Heera ben was from a very poor family and works in a temple. She had so much pain in her knee joints that she was not able to serve her temple. She had tears in her eyes when she came to my clinic. Doctor sab please make my knee pain free. I want to do service in a temple. But I do not have a lot of money. So I can not get knee replacement again.
I have heard people saying that knee replacement has very limited life and it is less than 2 to 3 years. I assured her that it is not like that. A well done knee replacement is good enough for 15 years.Even some time more than that. She followed my advice and it is 7 years. She is still happy. Yes knee replacement is not for a short time. It works well for 10 to 20 years.
what is cost of knee replacement surgery in India ?
Knee replacement is very costly. It is a myth of knee replacement. Many people think that knee replacement is very costly surgery. When My Radheshyam , a small time farmer came to me he was limping. He was not able to walk for many years. He knew he needed knee replacement but he thought it was too costly for us. I explained to him that knee replacement is not costly now. It is very affordable. We did his surgery in a very good package and he is very happy now. His surgery cost was less than 1.50 lakhs. And we did not compromise on implants. He trusted us. We wanted to prove he was right.
Can I sit on floor after knee replacement ?
Sir, can I sit on the floor after knee replacement ? This is one of the most common issues . Indians like to sit on the floor. It is needed for many works , worships and dining. Knee replacement implants have changed quite a lot in the last few years. Now high flexed implants are available and the knee can bend a lot more now than it was possible a few years back. You can sit on the floor also. Still we Dr advised people to not to sit on the floor. Knee bending can shorten the life of knee replacement. So you can sit on the floor in an emergency but it is better to avoid it. But you can walk and stand as much as you want and there is no restriction in it.
How many stitches in knee replacement surgery ?
People also believe knee replacement means there will be a big cut and my whole knee will be cut down and a new knee joint will be applied. There will be lots of blood and pain. It is again a myth of knee replacement. I remember Mr Rakesh jain. He saw a video of knee replacement on youtube and he was so scared when he came to my chamber. I assured him that knee replacement is done with very small incisions nowadays.
We do not cut the whole knee. Only a few mm of upper and lower bones are cut. Yes, Few MM of bone cut is needed. Usually it is 8 mm Tibia and 9 mm Femur to be precise. And this cut bone is then covered with metal cover on both sides with 6 MM washer is placed in between. That’s all. Pain is controlled with medicines. We also have an epidural catheter which provides very good pain relief. You will be painless in 10 to 20 days. So do not be scared of big cuts and big pain.
Should I get one side or both side knee replacement ?
One side or both side is also big debate. I would suggest you that you leave this decision in hands of your doctor and your anaesthetist. Knee replacement is a major surgery and your doctor will check your heart, kidney , liver and lung before surgery. If you are fit enough then you can get both side knee replacement done at same stage. But if your doctor feels that you are not good enough for both side surgery than go one by one. Believe me getting one by one provide fast recovery. So if you are fit than both side otherwise one side.
What is ideal age of knee replacement surgery ?
Doctor sab which is the ideal age for knee replacement ? Well there is nothing like ideal age for knee surgery. I have operated people from 40 years to 80 years of age for knee replacement surgery. Age is just a number….. is not it. Do not delay surgery if you are in pain and taking high doses of painkillers. Pain killers can harm your kidney and so It is better to change knee than kidney.
Am I over weight for knee replacement ?
Let’s clear this myth of knee replacement. Mrs Honey bali was worried about knee replacement as she has more than 90 kg weight. She was told that if you are heavy then knee replacement is not possible or successful. I assured her that though it is challenging to do knee replacement in people who have weight more than 80 kg still it is very successful. And you can reduce weight after surgery as a morning walk and all exercises possible after surgery.
What are the complications of knee replacement ?
There is nothing which is full proof. Knee replacement can go wrong. Just like any surgery patient can have less than optimum results , pain or difficulty in walking after surgery. It is more common if patient delay surgery for many years. Than his bones and muscles become weak. And even after good surgery results are not great. So do not delay surgery.
So these are few myths about knee replacement which I tried to clear. You can ask in comment section if you have any question about knee replacement surgery.
