Knee replacement. How and when do they decide it is time for it and on an average how long is recovery time?

Question

I am 61 still working as a welder and am still active

Answer 1

It is a subjective decision...but when it really starts to affect the quality of your life and all conservative means have failed is the time to consider joint replacement.

61 is certainly not too young, but you must consider many things prior to the procedure...how long will you be able to take off work? Generally speaking, for someone with a physical job such as yours, you will most likely need about 3 months of recovery time and 2-3 months of physical therapy. Pain, swelling and stiffness still happen on occasion at this point, and maximum benefit is reached in about 6 months to a year. Although you will be walking the day after surgery and hopefully be walking with out any device in 6 weeks, fatigue and sleepnessness are big factors after this surgery. If your employer offers short term disability, this may be a time to use it. Will you need to kneel at your job? While some of the newer prostheses accomodate this, most surgeons still recommend to avoid kneeling on the affected knee.

Hospitalization is usually about 4 days unless your are having a minimally invasive knee or unicompartmental knee...then the stay is usually overnight. Recovery of the minimally invasive knee has a tendancy to be faster than a standard total knee replacement, but not everyone is a candidate for this procedure and not every surgeon does this.

Someone your age will most likely be able to discharge home and receive home health PT, but get into outpatient as soon as your are able. Overall, it is a very effective surgery at reducing pain from end stage arthritis...mild pain and stiffness may still occur on occasion but it is usually far less than the arthritic pain.

Be sure to discuss your particular risk of complication with your surgeon.

Best wishes.

Answer 2

As a general rule,when the joint is bone to bone they will start thinking about surgery.
Recovery time will depend on you and just how committed you are to getting well.
A friend of mine just had a total knee and was dancing somewhat in 5wks.

Good Luck

Answer 3

The price of knee joint replacement surgery is very low in India as compared to USA, UK and Canada. My cousin also got her hip replacement surgery in India through the forerunners healthcare .She is more than very happy with the results. She is totally pain free now. She just paid 25% of the amount she was quoted in USA and is all praise for this forerunners healthcare company.


Forerunners Healthcare is very famous in India. I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and magazines. I have read a lot of their patient stories also. They arrange financing for USA, Canadian, UK and other international patients who plan to have surgery abroad for low price, as all joint surgery is not covered by insurance in USA or by NHS in the UK. They also have photos pasted of their International patients. You can checkout their website. There are huge cost savings. As a doctor I personally believe that your surgery can be easily handled in India, as the quality of healthcare available In India is simply best in the world. The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star.

http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com
Hope this helps.