Most Common Questions Asked For Post Knee Replacement Surgery

Most Common Questions Asked For Post Knee Replacement Surgery

Just as important as it is to undergo a knee replacement surgery, equally important is it to have a recovery and treatment plan in place.  Having such a plan can help the patient recover faster, which means helping him to leave the hospital sooner, regain range of motion quicker, and resume independent living at the earliest.

How are the first 24 hours after surgery?

The patient is given anesthesia before surgery. Once the surgery is done, and the effect of anesthesia fades away, the patient will gain consciousness and feeling in his legs. He is then treated with a combination of pain-relief methods depending upon his particular condition. If the pain subsides and is under control within 24 hours of the surgery, the patient will be asked to stand and take a few steps with the aid of a walker or physical therapist. Patients who are able to do this can recover quicker. Another method is using a continuous passive motion machine, or CPM, which slowly straightens and bends the operated leg repeatedly, while the patient is lying on his back. This machine can be used for up to 8 hours a day, along with physical therapy. Using such machines can help patients gain range of motion much quicker, resulting in faster discharge from the hospital.

How long does it take to recover after surgery?

Generally, a knee replacement patient is allowed to leave the hospital within 2 to 3 days, but he requires taking care of himself through therapies and exercises along with pills so that he can resume his daily activities sooner. Generally, it takes around 6 weeks after surgery to resume normal activities, but when a plan is in place and followed well, a patient can recover in 3-4 months. However, there are certain kinds of patients who take longer to recover, maybe even up to an year. These conditions include people who are older or have other medical conditions. Similarly, patients who did knee-strengthening exercises in preparation for surgery can recover faster. So this deviation from the typical recovery timeline cannot be predicted.

How much weight can be put on the new knee?

Patients are always given advice and guidelines by the surgeon to follow at both hospital and home. These guidelines include weight-bearing guidelines too. however, the amount of pressure that the new knee can initially support depends upon various factors like the type of surgery performed, the type of prostheses used, the type of fixation used, and the condition of the patient’s natural bone. For the best types of prostheses for total knee replacement in Bangalore, you must approach Aditi Corporation who provides superior quality prostheses for both knee and hip replacements.

The general and obvious method is by initially starting with putting as minimum weight as possible on the knee, and slowly with time, increasing the weight put. Initially, patients are advised to walk with the help of a walker, the usage of which is slowly reduced with time.