Knee prosthesis surgery at MSM Clinic Antalya
Pain and wear and tear in the knee joints can limit your daily activities and significantly affect your quality of life. Climbing stairs and walking become a challenge, while physical activities and social contacts seem less and less attractive.
This is exactly where a knee prosthesis (knee joint replacement) operation offers a new beginning. In our clinic, our experienced specialists and state-of-the-art medical equipment create individual treatment plans for you to relieve your knee pain, knee problems and help you return to an active life.
In this article, we answer the most common questions about knee prosthesis surgery and give you a comprehensive overview.
What is a knee prosthesis and why is it used?
For various reasons, the cartilage and bone in the knee joint can wear out over time. This leads to restricted movement and severe pain. With a knee prosthesis, the damaged part of the knee joint is removed and replaced with an artificial joint made of metal and plastic. This restores mobility and significantly improves quality of life.
Who is a knee replacement suitable for?
Here are some typical reasons for a knee replacement:
- Severe knee joint wear (osteoarthritis): If the cartilage in the knee joint is so worn that the bones rub against each other and cause severe pain, an artificial knee joint can provide relief.
- Severe knee injuries: If the knee joint is seriously injured, for example due to accidents or sports injuries, a knee replacement may be necessary.
- Failure of conservative therapies: If painkillers, physiotherapy and other conservative treatments do not provide sufficient relief, a knee replacement may be considered.
- Significant reduction in quality of life: If the pain and restricted mobility significantly affect everyday life and severely limit the quality of life, a knee replacement is an option.
How is a knee replacement operation performed?
The operation is usually performed under general or spinal anesthesia, depending on the patient’s condition and age. Damaged joint surfaces are removed and replaced with an artificial joint (prosthesis).
What is the recovery process after knee replacement surgery?
It is very important to do regular physical therapy and exercises in the postoperative period. Although the recovery process varies depending on age, health status and following the doctor’s recommendations after surgery, daily activities can usually be resumed within a few weeks.
What are the risks of knee replacement surgery?
As with any surgery, knee replacement surgery carries certain risks. Possible complications include:
- Infection: Infection can occur both in the surgical area and elsewhere in the body. This may require further surgery to remove the prosthesis.
- Blood clots: After surgery, there is a risk of blood clots forming in the legs. These can travel to the lungs and cause serious complications.
- Loosening of the prosthesis: Over time, the connection between the prosthesis and the bone can loosen. This can lead to pain and restricted movement.
- Nerve damage: Nerves can be injured during surgery, which can lead to loss of sensation or muscle weakness.
- Bleeding: Heavy bleeding can occur during or after surgery.
- Exacerbation of rheumatic diseases: In patients with rheumatic diseases, the disease can worsen after surgery.
- Allergic reactions: Allergic reactions to the anesthetic or other medications may occur.
Fortunately, these risks are rare and can be minimized by careful patient selection, the surgeon’s experience, and the use of high-quality implants. To further reduce the risk of complications, it is important that chronic conditions are well controlled before surgery.
What should be taken into account after knee replacement surgery?
For the success of the operation, it is very important to regularly perform the exercises recommended by the doctor in the postoperative period, pay attention to hygiene to reduce the risk of infection, and avoid overly strenuous activities.
How much does knee replacement surgery cost?
The cost of the operation varies depending on the location of the hospital, the experience of the doctor, the type of prosthesis used and the part covered by insurance.
How long does a knee prosthesis last?
The average lifespan of knee prostheses is between 15 and 20 years, but this period can vary depending on age, level of activity and quality of the prosthesis.
Knee replacement surgery is one of the best options when nothing else can be done after all the procedures that could be done before.Knee replacement surgery is one of the best options when nothing else is possible after all previous procedures have been tried. For this reason, when deciding to have knee replacement surgery, all preparatory measures must be taken under the supervision of an experienced doctor, the process of performing it must be at least as important as the surgery itself and there must be mutual trust between the parties.
As with all the procedures we perform in our patient-oriented clinic, we explain the entire process to our patients in a transparent manner and leave the final decision to our patients. If you have any further questions about knee replacement surgery, you can write or call us.