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Medications Used To Manage Knee Surgery

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Bayside Orthopaedic Centre

When your knee gets injured, you might need knee surgery. The kind of surgery you will have depends on your situation and the extent of the injury. A knee injury usually needs arthroscopic surgery. This is usually done on athletes and people who play football. In some cases, the joint gets irritated and needs partial or total removal.

 

You might want knee surgery even if you are perfectly healthy. There are situations where patients require the procedure in order to restore their normal lifestyle. When your knee undergoes significant mechanical stress, you will have to have a replacement. If your knee pain hasn't responded to other ways of pain relief such as exercise, physical therapy or other methods for physical damage, including arthritis, you will need surgery.

 

When you get knee surgery, the surgeon will stop you from feeling pain by sedating you. The surgeon will then make an incision in a process called arthroscopic meniscectomy. The surgeon will replace the damaged ligament through this incision. Usually, patients can resume their normal activities two days after the surgery.

 

Patients who undergo a replacement can return to their normal activities in two to three days after the surgery. However, the surgical technique used is different for each type of replacement. Your surgeon will let you know about all the details about the procedure. So, ask as many questions as possible to make sure that you understand everything.

 

In a partial knee surgery, the surgical procedure used involves making a small incision and removing part of the bone in the knee. The surgeon then substitutes this bone with a titanium screw that will attach it to the thigh. This option offers good knee pain relief. However, the problem with this procedure is that there will be a period when you cannot bend your knee fully. This will also mean that you cannot run very fast or jump very high.

 

A full knee replacement involves replacing the kneecap and the cartilage that surround it. The surgeon then inserts a steel plate into the bone of the kneecap and attaches a titanium screw to it. Because the cartilage is replaced, the knee will have better flexibility. However, the downside of this option is that the amount of time for which you are unable to walk or stand properly will be longer than with the previous option.

 

For more information about the potential benefits of the new technique, you can talk to your doctor. He can explain the details of the procedure and what risks or benefits may apply to you. If you think that you are a good candidate for the procedure, your doctor will be able to help you determine how soon you can return to work, whether there are any other issues that you need to deal with, and how soon you will be able to get back to your sporting activity. In some cases, you can even undergo physical therapy exercises right away to strengthen your muscles.

 

It is important that you discuss your options with your doctor thoroughly. He will work with you to determine whether using a knee replacement surgery will provide you with the relief that you are looking for. Sometimes, this treatment is not appropriate for certain patients. When that is the case, he can recommend another option for you. Whatever your choice, rest assured that your pain will be managed, and your quality of life will be greatly improved.

 

During your surgery, you may have to deal with some pain after the procedure. The good news is that your doctor can prescribe you an oral painkiller to help alleviate the symptoms. Depending on the type of knee replacements that you undergo, you may also be given an anesthetic. Anesthesia can often reduce some of the discomfort, but it may affect your ability to walk following your surgery.

 

As for the epidural anesthesia, it is given during the surgery itself. Once the operation is completed, the anesthesiologist will administer it through an IV. This form of anesthesia has been found to be relatively safe, and many doctors prefer to use it for their patients who are experiencing pain control following knee surgeries.

 

With all that you can learn about the different medications used to manage your pain, there should be no reason why you should avoid going into surgery if your doctor believes that it will benefit you. Keep in mind that there are various forms of treatment, and you will need to talk with your doctor about which one will be the best option for your case. In most cases, your doctor will recommend conservative treatment first and then work on increasing the strength of your joint. Osteoarthritis sufferers who do not want to take strong medications may want to consider rehabilitation therapy first before they undergo surgery.

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