Minimally invasive knee replacement surgery is use to treat serious deteriorated condition of the joint in the knee. Records showed that over 542,000 people go through the procedure every year. It involves a much less incision than the traditional knee replacement surgery. Traditional method generally involves an incision of eight to ten inches long while a minimally invasive knee replacement surgery involves about four to six inches long.
With the minimally invasive surgery, patients actually expect a much shorter stay in the hospital and a short recovery period and of course less scarring. Minimally invasive knee replacement surgery is recommended for individuals who suffer from knee arthritis. This is for patients who have undergo several non-surgical treatments and failed to achieve cure thus resulting to a limited activities and lifestyle. You actually have several surgical options which include total knee replacement, partial knee replacement and knee arthroscopy.
The purpose of such surgery is to offer freedom from knee pain which lets individual go back to their normal activities. To accomplish such purposes, it is vital that knee implants are properly inserted and should be in the right position so as proper knee function can be restored and of course last for a long time.
But what is the real score for minimally invasive knee replacement surgery? In Rush University Medical Center, Orthopedic surgeons have found out that 96 percent of individuals who under go a minimally invasive total knee replacement surgery have experience no complications and were able to go home the same day of the operation. Many walk out with just the use of a cane and even some walk out without even assisted. All this finding were recorded and published in the Journal of Arthroplasty (Journal of Arthroplasty, October Issue).
The study comprises of fifty patients 30 of which are males and the remaining are females. Its average age is 68 with an average weight of 203 pounds and a body index of 29.2. Osteoarthritis is their common condition in fact 48 of these patients suffers from osteoarthritis.
The Lead surgeon who is Richard A. Berger has described his technique for total knee replacement surgery. The only incision made is from the joint line to the pole of patella which makes the quadriceps tendon free from any cut. Surgery is fast and takes less than two hours.
Patients need to see their physical therapist after surgery. Patients should be able to get in and out of the bed on their own, walk at least 100 feet and be able to walk up and down a stairs. If they can accomplish these then patients gets release and go home with some pain medication.
Richard Berger also commented that this study shows in selected patients that outpatient total knee replacement surgery is safe and does not experience any complications. Certainly new improvements in the technique, pain management and rehabilitation procedure will perfect this procedure in no time.