The Orthopaedic and Pain practice is a comprehensive clinic offering in one location many of today’s more successful treatments for orthopaedic and pain disorders. Patients may be referred or may seek their own appointment by contacting the office in person, by phone, or by the website, where they can find a map, the telephone numbers, and information to help arrange an appointment including necessary forms for completion and review. Our office is designed to provide a clean, casual, and comfortable environment for all of our patients who often encounter long waits. Our goal is to have the office be merely an extension of a warm and caring atmosphere that we would like to provide. The physical office is one dimension of many factors that are intended to be helpful to our patients. Knee surgery can be a game-changer for those dealing with chronic knee issues.
Overview of Musculoskeletal Conditions Treated
Undergoing knee replacement surgery is a significant decision that will have significant implications on the patient’s quality of life. Patients have the option of choosing between partial knee replacement and a total knee replacement. There are some medical procedures that combine both. The type of knee arthroplasty depends on the site of the lesion or lesions in the joint and the structure of the knee joint. During the procedure, and under the strict supervision of a specialized medical team with a record of delivering favorable surgical results, the patient will realize his or her need for the operation, as well as learn what the specific surgical technique entails. In the end, the patient will know the benefits they can expect to receive from having a preferred doctor perform their procedure. Knee replacement is often recommended for severe arthritis or injury that hasn’t responded to other treatments.
Knee arthroplasty, or what is commonly known as knee replacement surgery, effectively reduces and eliminates the pain associated with a degenerated, damaged, or diseased knee joint. There are a number of reasons why an individual may choose to undergo knee replacement surgery. Chief among them is that conservative management measures—such as weight loss, physical therapy, and medications—failed. Another common reason is that a surgeon diagnosed the patient with degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis), which causes the knee to stiffen and lose range of motion. Sometimes, severe pain and inflammation, or deformity in the joint cannot be treated with conventional solutions. Other candidates for knee replacement surgery may have lesions, fractures, or deformities caused by inflammatory, rheumatic, or infectious joint ailments—such as rheumatic arthrosis, medial or lateral femoral condyle, autoimmune disorders, metabolic syndrome, and avascular necrosis, or injury—sustained in a car accident or sports activity.
Understanding Knee Surgery
Knee replacement surgery can significantly improve mobility and quality of life. Seeking treatment at our clinic in Singapore and consult our orthopaedic surgeon can help you get the right care and relief. Total artificial knee joint replacement surgery is one of the most common operations in the United States. In recent times, new advanced methods provide speedy recovery and longer-lasting artificial knee joints. If you have felt pain in your knee, stiffened up or swollen up, or have noticed a decrease in range of motion in the knee, you may have arthritis of the knee. But knee replacement is not entirely restricted to patients suffering from arthritis. In patients who have had an injury or a post-surgical failure, the doctor may suggest a knee replacement. Joint replacement is a surgery in which parts of an arthritic or damaged joint are removed and replaced with a metal, plastic, or ceramic device called a prosthesis. The prosthesis is designed to replicate the movement of a healthy, normal joint. The goal is to enable movement with decreased pain. Knee joint replacement involves replacing an injured or diseased knee joint with an artificial joint, and during this process, the patient’s original joints will not be removed.
Knee replacement surgery can also be classified into performing the complete resurfacing of the knee, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, mobile bearing joint, fixed bearing joint, or knee replacement surgery that is done with the help of a robotic machine. These are the newer techniques that have been developed post the traditional knee resurfacing technique. The physician and the patient together must decide what kind of knee replacement surgery would be the best option for the patient, taking into consideration the patient’s fitness, age, etc.
Total knee replacement (TKR) is the most performed type of knee replacement surgery. In this process, also termed as arthroplasty, the physician will replace the articular surfaces of the femur and tibia, including the articular surfaces of the patella. The reason total knee replacement is called “total” is that all these surfaces are replaced in one go. But over the years, these techniques have been worked upon and newer techniques have been devised. These techniques let the patient choose the type of surgery that fits him or her.
The Importance of Knee Replacement Surgery
Pain from knees can also gradually develop and become worse with time. On the other hand, pain can suddenly make itself known and become unbearable. After trying conservative methods of treatment, surgery is always an option. Knee replacement surgery is quick, precise and very successful. It is the most common joint replacement being performed worldwide today. Knee replacement can and does deliver the necessary pain relief. The accompanying rehab is simple and as quick as the surgery. Knee function would be back to normal for many years. Advances in medicine and technology have simplified the process further.
The knee is one of the most mobile and often-used joints in the human body. It is also one of the bones that carries the most weight. Because of its significance and large range of motion, the knees often become one of the first joints to succumb to disability and injury. Pain from arthritis starts out slowly and gradually and escalates into disabling osteoarthritis. Trauma or injury from a fall, sports injury or accident may also lead to debilitating symptoms which could compromise quality of life. The pain becomes unbearable with every step, every move and sometimes even at rest. Swelling, edema, heat and redness form to complete the painful picture. Pain is not something that can be tolerated for any length of time. The pain from knees can be debilitating and miserable.
When is Knee Replacement Surgery Necessary?
Knee pain begin to affect a patient’s routine, causing a disruption in a patient’s life. Pain either during rest or when sleeping bring about considerable periods of insomnia. The necessity to use firm implements when walking increases. Other procedures of pain relief and mobility enhancement fail to deliver their much-needed effects.
When determining if a patient is ready for knee replacement surgery, it is important that the patient in question has exhausted all other non-surgical treatment options for knee pain. For non-severe cases of osteoarthritis, other pharmacological treatments, such as corticosteroid injections, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), over-the-counter remedies, and prescription medications, can often alleviate the pain a patient may experience. It is important to keep in mind, however, that any or all of these options be followed by a period of rest, exercise, and a properly administered weight loss plan in order for the treatments to be fully effective.
Preparing for Knee Replacement Surgery
Right now, you probably ask yourself numerous questions that cannot wait to be answered. You don’t want any surprises at the time of your surgery, do you? You don’t want to miss any woodworking previous to surgery, do you? Educating yourself well is very important, as it will help you plan accordingly: physical and spiritual readiness will not only give you the best of outcomes, but will ensure a faster and easier recovery.
In a few weeks, you will undergo knee replacement surgery. To say that such an operation is life-changing is an understatement. Today’s knee replacement surgery is light-years better than it was not too long ago. Innovative techniques, such as the minimally invasive surgical procedure, computer-guided surgery, advanced materials and designs in knee implants, new anesthesia and pain management developments, and new, rapid rehabilitation protocols, have taken the leap into the modern era, and the results have been spectacular, with ever-increasing patient satisfaction rates and fast recuperation periods.
Consultation and Assessment Process
The age and medical health of the patient are important factors to consider. There is no need for a patient at a very young age to be referred to a joint replacement specialist and certainly, with regard to both hips and knees, it is important that at least one orthopedic surgeon who only deals with arthroplasty work keeps an interest in arthroscopy to advise on young people’s joints that may present as routine degenerative cases and maybe suitable for joint replacement thus avoiding a non-modifiable salvage situation. On the other hand, although the vast majority of patients who are ‘younger’ do not require joint replacement, there are some young people with severe osteoarthritis in whom earlier joint replacement should be considered. The patient may have severe disease locally but is in good health and expected to live many more years following this golden period.
It is vital to establish that both the patient and the family understand the risks and successes of a knee replacement. Both parties must be prepared to accept and manage the challenges. It is important that prior expectations, obligations, and requirements are understood. The consultant will try to determine the patient’s premorbid state to see if the patient was dependent before the surgical decision was made. Any cognitive decline, reliance levels, incontinence problems, social, psychological, and environmental conditions are important considerations in the provision of postoperative care. The next step is to consider exactly what the patient’s symptoms are. It is vital to establish if a prolapsed meniscus or loose body is the cause of the patient’s symptoms as opposed to ‘straightforward’ osteoarthritis which may need joint replacement surgery.
Recovery and Rehabilitation After Knee Replacement Surgery
There are three different types of physical therapy exercises that will be prescribed to the patient, including strengthening and stretching exercises. The physical therapist will also teach the patient how to walk with the new joint safely to prevent a fall. It is important that the patient continue with the exercise plan after completing the therapy sessions. Other activities to consider would be regular visits to the orthopedic surgeon to ensure the health of the knee or perhaps participating in water aerobics or swimming sessions. Assistive devices, such as a cane, walker, or crutch will help the patient walk during recovery. Physical activity is encouraged to improve the patient’s strength and aerobic capacity.
After surgery, the patient can experience pain and swelling in the joint; this is common in the first 2 weeks after knee surgery. In most patients, however, any pre-operative arthritis pain is gone. The patient will spend a couple days in the hospital, sometimes with a drain in the knee. The drainage will be minimal after two days. After the patient goes home, they will be taking it easy for a week or so, and then physical therapy exercises will be added to ensure the full range of motion. Swimming is highly recommended by some orthopedic surgeons.
Once the surgery is performed, your orthopedic surgeon will give you a specific set of exercises and routines to do during your recovery. It is very important to do these exercises as instructed. The doctor or the physical therapist will also tell you some important do’s and don’ts about how to position your new joint. These precautions are there to protect your new knee from injury and future complications. They should be followed carefully, and for as long as your caregiver recommends.
It is important to begin moving the new joint after knee replacement surgery. Rehabilitation is the process that speeds up your recovery and helps you gain full or close-to-full range of motion at the joint. After a period of strength exercises and learning how to use your knee, you may need little or no help with your usual movements. It can take several months to a year to fully recover.