Planning for Minimally Invasive Knee Replacement? Read this First!

As a hospital that performs a lot of orthopedic surgery, knee pain is a common reason patients choose to undergo knee surgery. Often caused by obesity, soft tissue injuries or osteoarthritis there are a variety of ways orthopedic surgeons initially recommend treating it.  Typically, non-surgical treatments such as physical therapy and medications are recommended knee pain. When the problem becomes severe and non-operative treatments don’t sufficiently reduce the pain, minimally invasive knee replacement surgery may be recommended. If you are planning to undergo minimally invasive total or partial knee replacement in Plano or anywhere for that matter, you may find it helpful to know about the pre-op care, the surgery itself, and post-op care for after the surgery. Let’s take a look.

Pre-Operative Care for Knee Replacement Surgery

Prior to undergoing knee replacement in Plano, you will typically have a consultation with your doctor for a pre-operative checkup. The visit allows your knee replacement surgeon to get a review your medical history, pain symptoms, and current medications, if any. The appointment is usually followed by a physical examination to make sure that you are fit to undergo the procedure. The doctor may also order certain tests such as x-rays, a dental clearance exam or blood tests. If at any time before your total or partial knee replacement surgery, you become ill, call your surgeon.

Knee Replacement Surgery: The Procedure

During knee replacement surgery, a knee surgeon replaces the unhealthy or damaged knee with an artificial knee known as a prosthetic. A minimally invasive knee replacement surgery makes a smaller incision and works within a smaller surgical area than a traditional knee replacement surgery. Though the surgical procedures differ depending on the gravity of the disease and the surgeon’s approach, the whole procedure takes around 2 hours. Depending on your overall health and type of damage, you may be a candidate for a partial knee replacement surgery.

Post-Operative Care for Knee Replacement Surgery

Talk with your knee surgeon about post-op care methods after your surgery. You may have pain around your incision after the procedure, but pain medications may be prescribed to help to relieve your pain. Though many people are able to manage their pain with Tylenol alone.  Physical therapy is a vital part of the recovery process. It is, therefore, advisable to follow the guidelines set forth by your surgeon and physical therapist after the surgery. Don’t try to overdo it. 

The Bottom Line

If you or a loved one has been experiencing severe knee pain and are planning to undergo minimally invasive knee replacement surgery in Plano give us a call. Our friendly patient navigator is here to answer your questions.

Learn more about what makes our Joint Replacement Program successful.