What are the risks of having a knee replacement? -
12-21-2008, 07:11 PM
My grandmother is 64 and she is going to have a knee replacement in a few weeks.She is not worried at all, she has a great surgeon and she is very excited to get a new knee.I just want to know if there are any major risks during the surgery.I am very close to her and I don't want anything bad to happen.
Just like any surgery, there is always the risk of death, but thats pretty uncommon for just a knee replacement. I believe that the only real complications for a knee replacement are infection, blood clots and subsequent surgeries.
There are risks with all surgery, but with knee replacements mainly the risks involve infection and blood clots. Blood clots can avoided or controlled by compression hose that she will be placed in after the surgery by nurses.What she really needs to stick with is 1) her CPM unit after surgery if MD prescribes and 2) Physical therapy treatments at home and in a clinic. Both will help her get moving again and get the knee bending -even though it will hurt, she needs to do it to avoid the knee getting"stuck".
Well I saw one time in Ripley's Believe It or Not that one man who had surgery was fine after it then was in pain after a few weeks. It was because the surgeons or the nurse left a 13 inch iron stick inside the body. That's a risk. But probably since you said great surgeon, in case they leave something, it'll probably be something small. I bet those surgeons who operated the man were so stupid.
life threatening or serious risks are rare.the most common problem is that it's a fairly painful recovery. that cpm machine they use post-operatively to passively move the knee will hurt a lot. but it's important that she use it otherwise she risks having her knee get"locked up."