Knee Replacement Specialist

Why might I need knee replacement surgery?

Knee replacement surgery can restore mobility and relieve pain when you have severe arthritis in your knee.

Many types of arthritis affect the knees, but the most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis develops as you age because of the gradual wearing away of protective articular cartilage in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis typically begins in your younger years and results from an immune system dysfunction.

In both cases, the knees become increasingly painful, stiff, weak, and swollen. The joints might twist or distort as well, and severe arthritis can cause significant movement limitations.

Activity modification, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication, and joint injections can help control these symptoms for a while, but eventually, they may become ineffective. At this point, knee replacement surgery could be the best option.

What does knee replacement surgery involve?

Dr. Samimi can take different approaches to knee replacement surgery. Depending on how bad the damage is to your bones, he may replace the entire joint (total knee replacement) or just part of the joint (unicompartmental knee replacement).

Knee replacement surgery takes place under a general anesthetic and could take several hours. Dr. Samimi removes the damaged cartilage and bone and prepares the healthy surfaces to receive the implants.

The new components forming your prosthetic knee may be metal, plastic, or a combination. To hold them in place, Dr. Samimi fixes them with bone cement.

The techniques Dr. Samimi uses to perform knee replacement surgery depend on the complexities of the operation, but where possible, he uses minimally invasive approaches to keep tissue damage to a minimum.

What happens after knee replacement surgery?

When the knee replacement surgery is complete, you stay under observation while coming around from the anesthetic. You may need to remain at the hospital for several days, during which time you begin physical therapy to help restore function to your knee joint and promote healing.

Dr. Samimi might give you a knee support that incorporates a continuous passive motion (CPM) device to improve circulation and reduce swelling. After about 3-6 weeks, you can start doing your normal activities, providing Dr. Samimi is happy with your progress.

If your nonsurgical arthritis treatments are no longer effective, visit Samimi Orthopedic Group to see if knee replacement surgery is a good option for you. Call one of their offices or book an appointment online today.