Knee Replacement Surgery

The decision of getting surgically operated is always huge, be it in any part of the body. Now, if the patient has made a final decision with their orthopedic surgeon to get his/her knee surgically operated, then major preparations have to be started around preparing the body and mind, taking necessary body tests, while following precautions. A person who is to undergo knee replacement surgery has to take care of the following things:

1. Proper Sleep
2. Proper Rest
3. Proper Care
4. Physical Therapy

The best part is that Surgeons Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre, Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad take special care by supporting the patients with a full team of experts, nurses and medical advisors. Yashoda Hospital believes in walking with the patient till they heal completely.

As we all are well aware of the fact that knee replacement surgery is major and planned surgery that requires admission in the hospital, post-operative hospital recovery and care at home. Now, it has to be noted that the recovery phase after knee replacement surgery begins immediately after the operation and is guided by nurses and orthopedic doctors. This boosts the patients and makes them stress-free after an operation, bringing the functioning of the knee back to normal. Yashoda Hospital has an experienced team of physiotherapists who help the patients in getting back to the irregular and active physical activities.

As the decision is finalized about having the surgery, make a note of the fact that proper rest and care is required after the surgery. This helps in:

• Protecting the new knee/knees
• Helps in adapting to new knee/knees

Before the Surgery

Once the decision to undergo a knee surgery has been undertaken, a schedule can be made with the hospital for the surgery. Yashoda Hospital’s helpline numbers and website are always there to guide you from the comfort of your home. Thereafter, the patient would be briefly told about what is going to happen during the time of the surgery and how well prepared they are to come to the hospital. The scenarios after the surgery will also be discussed. The orthopedic surgeons at Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre will suggest the patient do some rehabilitation exercises, which will include stretching, strength training and other light exercises. Following the pre-surgery instructions and exercise is really important as it will help the patient to get as healthy as possible before the surgery. It is believed that the better the knees are before surgery, the more quickly the body will recover and adapt to the new knees (artificial implants).

Precautions Before Knee Replacement Surgery

Surgery is not a child’s play; pre-surgery and post-surgery, there are a lot of precautions that should be taken by the patients to make the surgery and treatment effective. Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre will help you in that by discussing the precautions required prior to the knee replacement surgery; our orthopedic surgeon will help you prepare for your surgery. And as stated before, to attain maximum benefits and make it more effective, it is needed to be ensured that the patient is in good health and physical state before the surgery. Below are some preventive measures:

Exercising

The orthopedic doctor will suggest some exercises which he or she should do regularly before the surgery. The patient should do knee joint strengthening exercises which will help reduce muscles or eness and get him or her in good condition for the surgery. The patient may also be recommended to do circulation exercises which will help in preventing blood clots and controlling swelling after the surgery.

Quit Smoking and Drinking Alcohol

If the patient is a smoker, then quitting smoking before the surgery becomes the first and foremost important thing to do, as smoking interferes with the body functioning, medications,slow the healing process and increases the risk of blood clots and infections after the surgery. The doctors will suggest you to stop drinking, at least a week before the surgery happens.

Eating a Healthy Diet

Eating a healthy diet so that the body of the patient gets adequate nutrition is extremely important. Exercise regularly and eat a nutrient-rich diet so that you remain fit and healthy. Add fibrous foods such as broccoli, avocados, beans, almonds and peas, etc. in your diet to avoid constipation. Increasing the intake of foods rich in vitamin C, iron and calcium as well as drinking loads of water and fluids along with staying hydrated is most important.

Preparation for Replacement Recovery

Knee replacement surgery brings in a bit of change in the daily lifestyle too. Setting up the spaces around like your home and preparing as per your needs is very important; you may need help with regular tasks a few days post-surgery. And the place where you reside or work should be friendly in terms of your post-surgery situation. Adding to this, when places around the person who just had surgery are as per his or her convenience, recovery also speeds up and the patient gets better in less time. But the question arises what needs to be done? Well, below mentioned are a few of the tips:

• Loose carpeting should be avoided as it can increase chances of slipping
• Removing the loose or hanging electronic or telephonic chords
• Fixing the uneven floors, if any
• Non-skid backs should be used if there are any slippery floors at home
• Keeptheregularuseofmaterialslikelaptops,phones,chargers and other required materials at an easy to reach location from you

These are some basic suggestions by the orthopedic surgeons at Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre, Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad; some specific changes should be made in the bedroom itself.

Bedroom Specific Instructions

• If possible, set up your bedroom on the ground floor (to avoid stairs as much as possible)
• Stock up on clean towels, bedsheets and pillow covers as well as some sets of comfortable, loose pajamas
• Place a night-light to have access to light near your bed
• If the patient is living alone, then he or she must try to ask family or friends to come and live with him/her for a couple of days after the surgery. The person can walk around and carry out regular tasks on his/her own after the surgery but it is better to have help. This is also important as there might be problems in cooking meals and a rich diet is the most important element to increase the rate of recovery and wound healing. If this is also not possible then stocking up on groceries and essentials and considering getting only healthy, frozen, easy to cook foods should be given the priority.

Types Surgery

There are always various ways of performing a particular kind of surgery. Likewise, there are different ways through which knee replacement surgery can be performed:

• Unicompartmental aka (partial) Knee Replacement
• Total Knee Replacement
• Kneecap Replacement (PatellofemoralArthroplasty)
• Complex or Revision KneeReplacement

Know More!

The eminent doctors at Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre believe that everything related to surgery should be discussed with patients on a priority basis. This calls for a deep discussion around the procedure, its risks, possible complications, benefits and the recovery timeline. With this, it must also be made sure that a briefing about the type of surgery you are going to have, the type of implant to be used for the surgery, recovery timeline, what to expect before, and after surgery is also discussed. The staff at Yashoda tries to build a healthy relationship with their patients so that they do not hesitate in sharing their concerns and doubts around the treatment or surgery. The surgeons from the orthopedic department are always ready for a deep conversation to understand the doubts or questions of their patients.

In case of any advice, Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre has the best orthopedic surgeons and medical advisors who can help in making a better decision. Dr. Vipin Tyagi, Dr. Ajay Panwar and Dr. Hemant Gupta are the best orthopedic surgeons you are looking for. Check out their profiles on www.yashodahealthcare.com/doctors to know more about them. Or book an appointment at Yashoda Hospital to know more about our treatments.