Odisha-based Dr Sandeep Singh recommends knee replacement surgeries for resuming active lifestyle

Bhubaneswar: With age and strenuous lifestyle, the knees of middle-aged adults and senior citizens are affected by arthritis. These people complain of swelling and pain in the inflamed knees. The most prevalent forms of arthritis include osteoarthritis which is the degeneration of the joint due to breakdown in the cartilage and the adjoining bones in the knees. Rheumatoid arthritis is known to cause excessive synovial fluid leading to inflammation, stiffness, and pain in the knees while arthritis due to injury and trauma is referred to traumatic arthritis.

Dr. Sandeep Singh, one the best orthopedic doctor in Bhubaneswar, Odisha states, ‘I recommend knee replacement surgery to resurface the severely affected knee on account of arthritis and/or knee injury. Knee replacement surgery is a procedure in which plastic and metal parts are used as caps to cover the ends of the bones of the knee joint after removing the damaged parts of the knee joint. I focus on resurfacing the damaged areas of the knee joint and reduce the inflammation of the knee especially when all the other treatments have failed to deliver results.’

Artificial knee caps or implants or prostheses are specially designed and developed to replace the damaged knee joints. Each prosthesis has distinct sections viz. the tibial section which replaces the top of the tibia, i.e. shin bone or the large bone of the lower leg. The second section replaces the lower end of the thigh bone or the femur, and the third section of the prosthesis replaces the backside of the kneecap or the patella that rubs against the thigh bone. The prosthesis is made using metal and plastic. Better and improved quality prostheses are available and recommended as per requirement.

A knee replacement surgery lasts for an hour and is performed under general or spinal anesthesia. The patients are expected to walk within a few hours of the surgery. They could use walking aids such as crutches or a cane for support. The doctor focuses on bending the knee and straightening the knee joint.

In normal conditions, patients are discharged in 3 to 5 days after the knee replacement surgery. The orthopedic doctor will prescribe medicines to manage pain, accelerate the recovery process and prevent infection.  The patient will also receive guidance on how to take care of oneself along with exercises and physiotherapy routines for better recovery.

The initial days after the procedure are very important and the patients should fully follow the doctor’s advice for best outcomes. But the patient can resume most activities in four to six weeks. During this period, therapy and rehabilitation play an important role in ensuring good recovery results. Total recovery after a knee replacement procedure takes nearly 12 weeks.

During the recovery period, patients can resume low-impact activities such as walking, swimming, weight training with lower weight, use of the elliptical trainer, and so on. However, running and jumping are considered as high impact activities and hence should be avoided.

Dr. Sandeep Singh states, ‘Knee replacement surgeries have a high rate of success. Nearly 90% of people with replaced knees are active and have no complaints even after more than twenty years of their replacement surgeries.  But, it is essential to avoid high-impact activities, maintain normal weight and healthy lifestyle’.

Dr. Sandeep Singh is a highly experienced best orthopedist in Bhubaneswar with specializations in joint replacement surgeries and sports injuries. He has performed many complex orthopedic surgeries and unicompartmental knee replacement surgeries across 11 years of his medical practice. He practices in Bhubaneshwar and looks forward to offering quality and state-of-the-art orthopedic treatment to as many people as possible.

 

 

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