Do you suffer from intense knee pain? Do you get swelling and stiffness in your knee joints? Have you noticed a reduction in your mobility due to a knee injury? It could be that you are the perfect candidate to get knee replacement surgery.

If you think you could need a knee replacement, contact a hospital and book a consultation where you can discuss your options. Then, if you are referred for surgery, you can begin to prepare. Finally, you will have aftercare and rehabilitation. Read on for more detailed tips for each of these stages in your knee replacement journey.

Choose A Hospital and Get A Consultation

It can be tough to know how to choose a hospital for your knee surgery and you don’t want to choose just any location, without doing your research. Talking to a GP and reading online reviews of surgeons will help you decide where to have your knee replacement surgery. Once you have found a surgeon you are happy with, you can book a consultation with them to discuss your knee issues.

During the consultation, you will undergo a thorough assessment and be provided with a diagnosis and possible options for treatment. During this discussion, you can ask any burning questions you might have about your condition. You will also learn about the recovery process and rough timeline.

Prepare For Surgery

Your doctor will then tell you what you need to prepare before surgery. This could involve taking medication and exercising in the lead-up to surgery, and even in some cases, some weight loss is recommended. Before your hospital admission, think about making arrangements to ensure you will be comfortable when you get back home. 

This is the stage where you will decide roughly when you want to have the operation. When choosing the best time to have your surgery consider factors such as the climate, sleeping conditions, changing clothes, ease of movement due to weather, and your schedule for that time of year, both at work and in your personal life.

Surgery and Aftercare

Remember that on the day of the surgery, you will be given specific fasting instructions that you must follow. You will discuss the procedure with an anesthetist and then be in surgery for up to three hours, depending on whether you are getting a total or partial replacement.

Immediately following the surgery, you will spend some time in the hospital recovering. Part of your recovery is keeping the body as healthy as possible and moving your foot and ankle regularly to keep the blood flowing to maximize healing. Moreover, you will be asked to stand and walk within a day of having the surgery, as early movement optimizes recovery.

Rehabilitation

The following twelve weeks after your surgery are a crucial time for healing. This is when you can make the most impact in your healing journey and best ensure that you fully recover with no issues. You will be given a list of knee exercises that you must complete daily at home. Within six weeks you are expected to be walking unaided and driving again.

However, depending on the kind of knee surgery you get, your expected healing time will vary. There are several things that you can do to encourage healing and if you do so, within twelve weeks you should be able to perform low-impact sports. Full recovery can take six months to a year.

Rehabilitation can occur in individual or group sessions, and you can be an inpatient or an outpatient while you receive rehabilitation care.

This has been a brief guide to understanding how best to solve issues with chronic knee pain. If you have suffered pain, swelling, stiffness, and reduced mobility due to knee injury or general wear and tear, you might be well-suited to a knee replacement surgery. If you think you might need a knee replacement operation, contact a hospital that seems appropriate to you and seek a consultation.

You can discuss the process with a specialist and make arrangements for your surgery and recovery. Remember, the journey does not end with the surgery. In fact, this is just the beginning. Your aftercare and rehabilitation are incredibly important aspects of your healing process and you need to ensure you do all that you can to encourage healing and early movement. 

Contact a specialist as soon as possible if your life is being negatively impacted by knee pain – there is an easy fix and you can revitalize your life with this simple procedure. Good luck!