The Very Rare Complications of Knee Surgery
On rare occasions a patient may have complications after knee surgery; however, this happens less than 2% of the time. Sometimes the knee joint may become infected. Even more rarely, heart attack or stroke may occur.
Chronic illness increases the likelihood of complications and may cause rehabilitation to take longer. Additionally, a chronic illness may prevent the patient from recovering completely.
Clotting of the blood veins in the leg is the most common complication of knee surgery; however, this can be avoided by following your orthopedic surgeons instructions exactly. He or she will probably tell you to elevate your legs and do some exercises. Additionally, you may be prescribed medications to thin your blood. You may also be instructed to use compression hose.
Sometimes the components of the replacement may loosen or the bearing surfaces may become worn. This is quite rare because the materials and techniques used for knee replacement surgery are quite sophisticated and of the highest quality.
Although a patient can usually expect to have a ROM (range of motion) of 115 after surgery, there are some exceptions. For example, if you had very limited ROM (range of motion) before the surgery, it will be quite likely to be somewhat limited after the surgery. Additionally, on very rare occasions, damage to the blood vessels or nerves of the knee may occur. This can limit motion somewhat.
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Your orthopedic surgeon will be happy to discuss all of your concerns with you before you have your surgery.
What You Should Know About Home Recovery
Ninety percent of the time, you can expect your knee replacement to last for 10 years or so. To be sure you get the most use possible from your knee replacement, follow the instructions your orthopedic surgeon will give you. Elevate your leg, do your prescribed exercises, take blood thinning medications as instructed, and use support stockings if your doctor tells you to. By doing this, you will greatly extend the life of your knee replacement implant.
How To Take Care Of Your Wound
Your wound will be stapled or stitched shut. Alternately, it will be stitched below the skins surface. In the case of exterior closure, the staples or stitches will be removed at a set date following your surgery. In the case of subcutaneous stitches, you will not need to worry about removal at all.
Do not soak in the bath, swim, or otherwise get your wound thoroughly wet until it has healed completely. Keep it protected. You may wish to cover it with a bandage to protect it from becoming irritated by contact with your clothing or support stockings.
Stay Active
Your orthopedic surgeon will probably give you a list of exercises to do in the weeks right after your surgery. Be sure to do them, even though you may experience a bit of pain while doing them. You may also experience some pain while lying down at night. Minor pain is normal and should not alarm you. It should subside, and you should be able to go back to your regular ADL (activities of daily living) within three to six weeks.
Dr. Tarlow is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 20 years specializing in knee surgery. He opened his own clinic, Advanced Knee Care, with a focus on specialty patient care. Click here to learn more about Dr. Tarlow, knees and partial and total knee.
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