Knee Replacement: An Overview of the Most Frequently Asked Questions
What’s involved in knee replacement?
When you have your knee replaced, it will mean that you are having damaged and arthritic parts of your knee taken out and artificial or prosthetic joints put in their place.
An artificial joint performs exactly like a healthy, real joint. With an artificial joint, you can enjoy all of the physical activities you used to enjoy, and maybe some you couldn’t enjoy before. The only difference will be the absence of knee pain.
Must my knees be in severely bad shape before I can have them replaced?
This is something you will determine with your doctor. After an evaluation by an orthopedist, a consultation and some thought about how a knee replacement will impact your life, you will be ready to make the decision for yourself.
If your knees hurt all the time, you may have a tendency to avoid using them. This can cause health problems like a weakening of the muscles around the knees. This only makes your knee pain worse.
If you have tried other options like physical therapy and medication, without relief, it may be time for you to consider joint replacement.
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MIS – Minimally Invasive Knee Joint Replacement
Specialized techniques are used when performing MIS. That is what makes it minimally invasive. With MIS, a very small incision is made, so there is far less trauma to soft tissues.
MIS knee surgery is a big improvement in total knee replacement for many reasons. For one thing, with MIS, you will have a much shorter hospital stay. Additionally, you will recover more quickly and experience less scarring. Nonetheless, it is important to note that not everyone can use MIS.
A thorough consultation with your orthopedist will let you know whether or not MIS is the answer for you.
Are there risks associated with MIS?
Of course, MIS is a major operation, and there are always risks involved with any surgery.
Any time you have a major surgical procedure performed, there may be complications. However, most of the time, these can be avoided or dealt with successfully.
As for driving and working, how long must I wait to return to my regular daily activities?
Consulting with your doctor, orthopedist, and surgeon will help you to arrive at an answer to this question. It depends on your physical condition, the demands of your daily life, and the advice of your health care professionals.
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