After Knee Osteoarthritis Surgery

What is calcification?

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases in the field of orthopedics. It is a process that develops with aging. As we age, calcification occurs due to the deterioration of the cartilage structures covering the knee.

Many reasons play a role in the emergence of calcification. One of these is calcification due to aging, which has no known cause, called primary. Another reason is calcification due to various reasons called secondary. This type of calcification may develop due to fractures, trauma, or may occur due to previous surgical interventions.

Calcification is the most common disease in the human body in the knee jointIt is seen in the hip joint, shoulder joint and ankles. Calcification treatment options are directly related to the stage at which the patient consults a physician. In the early stages, there is the possibility of treatment with weight loss, simple exercises, muscle strengthening and painkillers. In addition, depending on the condition of the disease, exercise and medication treatment can be applied under the supervision of a professional specialist. If the disease is detected in more advanced cases, there are treatment options that include bone surgeries and prosthetic surgeries.

Things to Do After Knee Osteoarthritis Surgery

Prosthesis surgery is inevitable in cases where the patient feels unbearable pain due to knee arthritis and has difficulty in walking, going up and down stairs, and continuing his daily life. Knee prosthesis surgery, which consists of replacing the worn out knee joint with an artificial joint, allows the patient to get rid of the pain he suffers and make his life more comfortable.

Patients with knee prosthesis stay in the hospital for an average of 3-4 days after surgery. In this process;

• No patient needs care. The patient will be able to go to the toilet and walk around within 2-3 days after the surgery.
• In the first 3 days, the patient is checked and monitored by the specialist physician. During these checks, it is observed that the patient walks a few steps with the physiotherapist on the first day, becomes a little more active on the second day, and is able to both walk and climb stairs on the third day.
• On the following day, the patient is discharged home on foot.
• The first check is performed on the 15th day. In this control, wound control and care is performed. Since subcutaneous stitching is usually done, there is no need to remove stitches for wound care. The compression socks worn after the surgery are removed. The patient can then start taking a bath.
• The blood thinning medication given when leaving the hospital must be used for 1 month.
• The second control is performed at the 6th week. It takes 6 weeks for the tissues intervened or repaired during surgery to heal.
• While there are no general restrictions on patients, they are asked to move more controlled and not to jump from heights during the first 6 weeks.
• After a week, patients completely return to their routine and normal lives.

After the surgery, the physical therapy and exercise program given by the specialist physician must be followed regularly.

How Long Does Pain Last After Knee Osteoarthritis Surgery?

In knee prosthesis surgery; A type of local anesthesia called epidural anesthesia is applied by placing a catheter in the patient's waist area. In this way, complications that may occur during general anesthesia are eliminated. Postoperative pain It is kept under control and minimized, ensuring that the patient experiences a rapid recovery process. The most important advantage of epidural anesthesia is that medication can be given to the patient from here. Most of the time, the patient gives his own medication and can control his pain. In this way, the pain experienced after surgery in the past was eliminated and patients were enabled to stand up and walk early. Even if both knees have been operated on, the patient is stood up the next day and asked to take steps and go to the toilet. Therefore, there is a very rapid postoperative period. In the first three weeks after surgery; Considering the healing process of the intervened tissue, it is normal to feel slight pain.

Exercises After Knee Osteoarthritis Surgery

The rehabilitation process after knee replacement surgery has also accelerated compared to before. The day after the surgery, the patient must be taken out of bed. Because this is the prerequisite for the patient to stay away from complications.

The patient walks with the help of a walker, can take 3-5 steps and even go to the toilet if he/she wishes. On the other day, slightly more accelerated physical therapy continues. These include climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, and taking longer corridor walks. exercises There are. Following this, the patient is discharged and sent home.

The patient who goes home is definitely not bedridden. He goes to the toilet at home with the help of his walker and takes 10-minute walks in the corridor every hour. After this 15-day period has passed, he is given a walker, a cane and allowed to go out.