All you need to know about
Knee replacement
As a patient, your number one priority is to completely understand the steps in your surgery.
You are the principal actor of your surgery
You will be the only one present from the beginning to the end of the care process, from A to Z and beyond. In other words, you need to be part of the project. To help you feel an integral part of the surgical team, it is important that you are well informed and know how to communicate with your caregivers.
What are the expected benefits of the prosthesis?
The main expected benefit is the relief or even the total disappearance of pain, allowing you to stop taking painkillers. Ideally, you will forget your prosthesis: it is the forgotten knee. The improvement in function allows greater autonomy and the resumption of social activities or even leisure sports. It should be underlined that the prosthesis is not a mobilising operation. A knee that is very stiff before the operation will never be perfectly mobile after the operation. Moreover, not all activities are recommended.
Can I have a normal life with my prosthesis?
You will need to discuss this with your surgeon. Your surgeon will determine the framework in which you will live with your prosthesis from now on. You may experience symptoms (discomfort, pain, effusion) or even complications (fracture, wear) if you leave this framework. And you will be frustrated because you will not be able to do the things that you want to do.
What are the most common symptoms that lead to a prosthesis?
What are the risks of the operation?
Can I have both knees operated on at the same time?
A total prosthesis of both knees in the same operation (bilateral knee prosthesis) is a possible option, although rare, which is proposed to patients who are in very good health, active and have a specific request. These are usually patients under the age of 70 who have specific motivations or reasons, often professional.
In cases where this surgery is possible, the operation begins on the side that is most painful or disabling. It continues on the other knee, in full agreement with the anaesthetist, if no adverse phenomena have occurred. It is therefore possible, although exceptional, to interrupt the operation after the first prosthesis if necessary.
Is the procedure painful?
Your comfort is our constant concern. Every surgical procedure justifies preventive and systematic pain management. Our prescriptions are based on the experience we have gained with Orthopaedic Studio® after treating tens of thousands of patients. This has led to the development of highly effective protocols. We are all different when it comes to the experience of pain, and we take this into account.
The initial administration is often intravenous, followed by a prolonged oral administration over several weeks. The key is not to let the pain set in, not to try to fight it at all costs, but to treat it as soon as it appears.
Talk to your anaesthetist about your fears during the anaesthetic consultation, and he or she will explain how to prevent pain.
In the same series
Cruciate ligament
Everything you need to know about the anterior cruciate ligament, the most common injury in sports.
Meniscus
Everything you need to know about the meniscus, the cartilage that causes a lot of knee pain.
Kneecap
Everything you need to know about the kneecap, one of the three bones that make up the knee and allow it to extend.
Osteotomy
Everything you need to know about this operation to repair bone and joint deformities
