What is the youngest age for knee replacement surgery?

Is it a bad idea to get a knee replacement at 92 years of age?

Will my knee straighten? How long will the pain in the knee stay?

These questions will naturally occur to somebody ailing with knee problems or a person contemplating a knee replacement surgery.

Knee Replacement on the Rise

An increasing instance of knee replacements is evident today. Let us try to understand the procedure and the outcomes expected out of it in an attempt to answer these questions.

Knees – The largest joints in the body, also one of the most load-bearing. Naturally therefore subject to damage with age, injury or disease. With the onset of any of these, one may need ointments, therapies, physiotherapy exercises or walking supports. The pain can persist, hurting even while just sitting and is a hindrance in conducting routine activities. Sometimes, there could be a chronic swelling in the knee that does not subside with medication or the knee could be deformed preventing its mobility. In all these cases a knee replacement surgery is the only probable answer.

Knee replacement, also known as knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure to replace the weight-bearing surfaces of the knee joint to relieve pain, correct deformity and disability. The procedure involves cutting away damaged bone and cartilage from your thighbone, shinbone, and kneecap and replacing it with an artificial joint (prosthesis) made of metal alloys, high-grade plastics and polymers. It is a safe and effective procedure to help you resume normal activities. Once this path has been decided, the patient is ridden
with all kinds of questions, all kinds of anxieties.

Facts about the procedure

Performed for the first time in 1968, arthroplasty having clocked its golden jubilee, is a well established and much evolved surgical option for arthritis. In India 175,000+ joint replacement surgeries were performed in 2018. Inthe USA alone annually 600,000 joint replacement surgeries are performed according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The general age group for surgery is between 50 and 80 years. However, based on the medical condition of the individual and the condition of the bones surgeries can be performed
outside of this age bracket too.

Experiences after the surgery

The surgeries have served patients for 15 years or more in many cases. The surgery permits the individual to perform routine activities like walking, climbing stairs, swimming, cycling and driving with ease. A knee supports may be given to aid the function of the knee. A graduated walking program will be recommended and must be adhered to for smooth recovery. Within a few weeks the patient should be able to straighten the knee and resume normal use of the knee.

my-healthconnect to the rescue

A case in point is that of Mr. Bimal Agarwal’s wife. At 65, she had had a nagging knee pain for some years. Having just undergone a knee replacement surgery she was expecting a total makeover. But the surgery did not go off well. She continued to have problems. Unfortunately, Mrs. Agarwal fell in that 2% – Her problems continued and the pain did not subside. Totally disappointed with the local medical facility, she was looking for a better solution. That is when she stumbled upon my-healthconnect. She sent an inquiry after uploading her x-ray reports after surgery.

First, she received an email from the site’s administrator, a doctor, who prepared her with questions to ask her own doctor. After studying her case, going through her reports – which she uploaded on the site – the panel of doctors she consulted advised her a revision knee replacement surgery. This was done in Hyderabad. She is content and able to walk again and is happy. More so as it took her just 3 weeks to straighten her knee and resume normal movement.

Had she been too scared to leave her email address or talk about a terribly invasive surgery procedure online, Mrs.Agrawal would never have gotten the help and support she so needed. And when her recovery was over, she was able to post again to tell her tale, and help others who needed it. It surprised her a little to be giving support in the same forum she had first come to for support herself! Do check the comments from her caretaker here.

Do not go down on your knees

Today with the advances in medical sciences and healthcare facilities you have to be assured that knee replacement is pain relieving, safe and long lasting. More and more surgeons are available to you and with a platform like my-healthconnect you can easily find a reliable or an expert orthopedic surgeon.