Total Knee Replacement
Total Knee Replacement Surgery Columbia, SC
If arthritis or an injury has done a lot of damage to your knee, it may be hard for you to do easy things like walk or climb stairs. You might even start to hurt when you’re sitting or lying down.
If non-surgical methods like taking medicine and using walking aids aren’t working anymore, you might want to think about getting a total knee replacement. Joint replacement surgery is a safe and effective way to get rid of pain and get back to normal life.
When is a Knee Replacement Needed?
Your doctor may suggest knee replacement surgery for more than one reason. Total knee replacement surgery is often helpful for people who struggle with:
- Severe knee pain or stiffness makes it hard to walk, climb stairs, and get in and out of chairs, among other things. Pain may make it hard to walk more than a few blocks, and you may need to use a cane or chair
- Knee pain that is mild to severe while sleeping, day or night
- Knee stiffness and pain that doesn’t get better with rest or medicine
- Knee contracture is when the knee turns in or out too much
- Other treatments, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone shots, lubricating injections, physical therapy, or other surgeries, did not help the pain much
Total Knee Replacement Procedure
The surgery normally takes between 1 and 2 hours. Your orthopedic surgeon will remove the damaged cartilage and bone and put the new metal and plastic implants in place to get your knee back to its normal shape and function.
Total Knee Replacement Recovery
How well you follow your surgeon’s advice at home in the first few weeks after surgery will have a big impact on how well your recovery goes.
Here are some things you will need to keep in mind for your recovery from this surgery:
- For a few weeks after surgery, it’s normal to feel pain when moving and at night
- Your wound will have stitches, staples, or a suture that goes under the skin on the front of your knee. The stitches or staples will be taken out a few weeks after surgery, and you should not soak the wound in water until it has completely healed and dried
- After surgery, a lot of people lose their appetite for a few weeks. It’s important to eat a well-balanced diet, often with an iron supplement, to help your incision heal and get your muscles strong again
- Physical therapy will play a large role in your recovery
- Exercise is an important part of taking care of yourself at home, especially in the first few weeks after surgery. After surgery, you should be able to do most of the things you normally do in 3 to 6 weeks
- Most likely, you will be able to drive again when your knee bends enough for you to get in and sit easily in your car and when your muscle control gives you enough time to stop and speed up. Most people can get back behind the wheel 4 to 6 weeks after surgery
Knee Replacement Surgery in South Carolina
Call 803-256-4107 to set up a time to meet with one of our specialists to find out if a knee replacement is right for you and your knee pain or injury.