Post Total Knee Replacement

If your knee has been injured due to arthritis, you may need to have a total knee replacement. This type of procedure is very common with about 70,000 people having it done in just the UK every year. If you find that you are facing this type of surgery then you may be wondering about what is going to happen to you post total knee replacement. This is a very common concern and hopefully by the end of this article you will have a much better idea of what is going to happen.

What Happens Post Total Knee Replacement

Post total knee replacement will usually involve a similar process for most patients. You will wake up in the recovery room following the procedure; you will likely still feel very groggy and you may have a bit of pain. If there is a lot of pain the recovery nurses will be able to give you medication for this. The grogginess will wear off over time. As soon as you are well enough you will be taken from the recovery room back to the ward.

• If you have never had a general anaesthetic previously then there is a small risk that you could react badly to it. The anaesthesiologist will explain these risks to you but keep in mind that the vast majority of people never have any issued.
• In order to conduct the surgery it is necessary to cut open the knee area. When you make a wound like this there is always the risk of infection. If it does get infected though the surgeon will be able to prescribe antibiotics and in most cases this will clear things up. Some surgeons like to give all their post total knee replacement patients antibiotics as a preventative measure against infection – there is debate about the effectiveness of this though.
• You might be at risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is a blood clot that can move to other parts of the body and cause serious problems. If you have any known blood clotting problems the surgical team needs to be aware of this.
• Sometimes people have an allergic response to the material used in the knee replacement.
• Another post total knee replacement risk is that you develop scarring which makes it hard to move the knee. There is also the possibility of nerve damage being caused during the operation.
• Some people bleed a lot following surgery.

Although there is risks post total knee replacement surgery it is important to emphasise that this is rare.