When Should I Have Knee Replacement and What Will Happen?

You might find it difficult to know when to schedule knee replacement surgery, and you will probably have reservations about what to expect. To help you out, here is some information to clear things up:

The When:

If you find that medications, physical therapy or other recommended treatments no longer alleviate pain or increase your range of motion, then this is a clear sign that surgery may be necessary.

Furthermore, if you tend to avoid behaviors that require knee movement, or you lose excessive amounts of sleep due to pain, these are clear signs to go ahead with the surgical option. At that point, you may want to know what the surgery involves.

The What & How:

A knee replacement is expensive, though for most people, much of the cost will be covered by insurance and/or Medicare. Furthermore, the pain can be very intense, though it usually goes away soon. Rehabilitation is not necessarily easy. You will have to work hard, and you’ll get started on physical therapy only a day after your surgery takes place.

However, the good news usually outweighs these factors. Keep in mind that knee replacement surgery is very safe, especially with the experience level of hospitals and centers like Excelsior. While recovery time does take six weeks, this duration is nothing compared to the years that you will have lacking pain, inflammation or motion restrictions.

Therefore, even considering any setbacks, the surgery offers the tremendous benefit of at least 15 years of use before you might need another surgery. Yes, the artificial knees don’t last forever, but they give patients upwards of two decades free of pain and a much larger range of motion.