Constant discomfort and pain in the knee that keeps you from performing even the basic activities of the day. Does this situation seem relatable to you? If the answer to this is yes, there are great chances of you or your close ones suffering from severe stage of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the arthritis of joints and is a disease that is suffered from lakhs of people today.
Osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common one and has been responsible for hampering the lives of many. This disease is mostly experienced by old people as with increasing age the fluids between the knee joint dries up and causes friction, thus damaging the bones.
In severe cases of osteoarthritis, most of the patients are recommended to undergo Total Knee Replacement Surgery as a treatment option. However, knee replacement surgery being a major surgery, the decision of undergoing the same should be taken consciously by taking a number of factors into consideration. The experience and expertise of your surgeon and the facilities provided in the chosen hospital are the factors that should top the list of your considerations.
Professor CS Yadav, Chairman and senior consultant of Joint replacement surgery at Ganga Ram hospital, New Delhi shares with us the 5 most important factors that one must take into consideration before undergoing a Total Knee Replacement Surgery.
Ideal Specialist and Surgeon: Knee replacement surgery is a major type of surgery and can have reverse effects if it doesn’t go well. Thus it is very much necessary for one to undergo surgery with a surgeon who has an appreciable medical history and has gained A grade training and education from reputed institutes.
The Medical Center of surgery: Today, medical science has introduced many tools and equipment that enable successful surgeries. Robotic surgeries are also one of the advancements introduced in this field. Thus one must make sure that the chosen medical center for knee replacement surgery is not lagging in any of the facility and also has the best infrastructure.
Being aware of the state of your knee: Knee replacement surgery is all about implanting a prosthesis in place of the damaged part of the knee or the entire knee. Your specialist will recommend you with the best type of implant, however it is very much necessary for you to know the current status of your knee and what would best for it. This will ensure an ideal decision for your surgery.
Recovery: Most of the hospitals provide excellent treatment options but do not provide efficient recovery support, which is a must in a major surgery like this as knee replacement takes a toll on the body and demands a proper recovery plan. Thus a patient should be as cautious about the recovery support offered by the hospital as he or she is about the surgery.
Rehabilitation: Physiotherapy are physical exercises that play a crucial role after any major surgery of the knee as it enables faster recovery and improves the mobility of the knee. Thus care should be taken that the hospital in which chooses to undergo surgery also offers physiotherapy post the surgery by expert physiotherapists.