Myths and Facts of Knee Replacement

By Dr. Ramneek Mahajan in Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement

Jul 29 , 2022 | 2 min read

Common myths often heard by the patients undergoing knee replacement surgery include:

Myth 1: My knee will not be able to bend correctly after surgery.

Fact: You can comfortably bend your knees after the surgery. Your knee range of movement depends roughly on the pre-operative range of motion.

Myth 2: Knee replacement is painful. The postoperative pain is a lot.

Fact: Modern-day pain management is so advanced that the patient does not feel any pain during surgery. Anaesthesia is given before the surgery to provide a painless operation. Post-surgery pain management is done by epidural infusion or a nerve block. Patient-controlled analgesia is the latest technique in pain management in which the patient controls the analgesia dosage per pain tolerance.

Myth 3: There may be reactions or side effects of implanting foreign objects in my body.

Fact: These artificial joints contain unique metals that are compatible with our body and can stay in shape without causing any adverse effects.

Myth 4: Regular physiotherapy after surgery is necessary, and recovery is prolonged.

Fact: 99% of the patient do not need a physiotherapist. After replacement, doctors train patients on how to exercise, and the patient needs to practice at home. Most of our patients start walking with a walker the same day after the surgery. By 2-4 weeks, they can walk comfortably without any support.

Myth 5: The risk of knee replacement failure is high.

Fact: The only risk in the whole surgery is the chance of infection. The chances of having an infection in our highly advanced joint replacement centre are around 0.2%.

Myth 6: I can’t drive after knee replacement surgery.

Fact: Driving becomes easy because it doesn’t exert pressure on the knee. Most patients start driving anywhere between 6-8 weeks after surgery.

Myth 7: Diabetes and high blood pressure may prohibit me from undergoing knee replacement surgery.

Fact: Diabetes and blood pressure are no longer a concern when considering knee replacement surgery. The only thing required is blood sugar and BP under control; modern-day medicines are capable of doing this.

Myth 8: Knee replacement surgery lasts for ten years only.

Fact: Today’s joint replacements last from 20 to 25 years, and for many people, it lasts for a lifetime.

Myth 9: I am too old for surgery.

Fact: Age does not matter for this procedure. If you are clinically affected, the patient can undergo knee replacement surgery. Some patients have undergone knee replacement even at the age of 90+ years and are happy with the operation.