In most cases, chronic hip and knee pain improves with conservative approaches such as medications and physical therapy. However, if these approaches prove futile, your hip and knee replacement specialist Braselton has your back. Hip and knee replacement offer freedom, limited mobility, and chronic pain.
What to expect during knee replacement surgery
Knee replacement surgery is an effective solution for chronic knee pain resulting from degenerative disorders like arthritis. The Total Joint Specialists team offers knee replacement surgery on an outpatient basis to alleviate your pain and restore optimal function in your knee. During your initial appointment, your provider discusses your symptoms, reviews your medical history, and conducts a thorough physical exam.
The team may recommend surgery if you have severe knee damage or your knee pan doesn’t improve with conservative approaches. Your treatment plan will involve a pre-surgical evaluation to determine the position and size of your artificial joint. The team may use CT scans and digital X-rays to plan for your optimal joint replacement. During the surgery, the specialists use special instruments to prepare the surfaces and measure your knee. Your provider only removes a small portion of your bone to achieve a mobile and well-balanced knee at the end of the treatment.
What you should know about hip replacement surgery
It is a procedure in which your doctor replaces your damaged hip with a custom-made prosthesis. Medical experts often recommend this procedure after medicines, physical therapy, weight loss, and other noninvasive techniques have failed. You may be eligible for hip replacement surgery if you have neoplasms, osteoarthritis, developmental hip dysplasia, an injury that didn’t heal well, or avascular necrosis.
All surgeries have risks, and hip replacement surgery is no exception. Sometimes prostheses may fail over time, so your provider may recommend putting off hip replacement until you begin experiencing severe symptoms. Before surgery, you may need to change into a hospital gown. Your surgeon may then give you a spinal block to numb your lower body or a general anesthetic to put you to sleep according to your preferences. The surgery usually takes approximately two hours.
What to expect during recovery
After treatment, your provider may give you an antibiotic and pain medication to alleviate pain at the incision site. The team may also recommend physical therapy to minimize your risk of blood clots. To avoid deep vein thrombosis, you may need to wear special stockings, take specific medication, and do ankle pumps a few days after surgery. If your surgeon used external sutures or staples, you might need to go back to the practice to have them removed. Inform your provider if you experience increased redness, bumps or pimples, swelling or pain, or drainage at the incision site. After surgery, you may need to remain at the facility for about two days for monitoring. If the specialists feel that it is unsafe to go home directly, they may send you to a rehabilitation center until it is safe to discharge you.
If chronic hip or knee pain interferes with your quality of life, call the Total Joint Specialists office or schedule an appointment online for treatment.
