|
Q.
|
How
long does the actual surgery take?
|
|
A.
|
1.5
- 2 hours.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
Will
I be in any pain following the operation?
|
|
A.
|
Yes,
but it will be well controlled by local anaesthetic nerve blocks and
analgesics.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
How
long will I have to be in hospital?
|
|
A.
|
8-10
days .
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
What
are the risks of infection?
|
|
A.
|
Less
than 5%, but raised in patients who are diabetic or on steroid therapy.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
With
a knee replacement is there any risk of rejection of the prosthesis?
|
|
A.
|
No, the materials used are biologically inert.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
Will
I have to use crutches or a stick when I leave hospital?
|
|
A.
|
Yes,
for a week or two.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
Will
I be able to get up and down stairs when I get home.
|
|
A.
|
Yes,
stairs will be covered by the physiotherapy while you are still in hospital
.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
Following
my discharge from hospital, how frequently will I have to attend the
physiotherapy/Outpatients' Department and for how long?
|
|
A.
|
Outpatient
follow-up at four weeks. Outpatient physiotherapy may not be needed. It
depends how well you do.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
When
will I be able to return to work?
|
|
A.
|
At
about 4 weeks. The main factors being type of work and transport
requirements to and from work.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
When
will I be able to return to my normal leisure activities, i.e. sports,
gardening, cycling, walking for long distances?
|
|
A.
|
After
3 months from surgery.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
When
can I resume driving a car and do I have to inform my insurance company of
the surgery performed?
|
|
A.
|
Driving
for most patients is possble after 4 weeks, and there is no need to inform
your car insurers.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
|
Are
there likely to be any post-operative complications?
|
|
A.
|
The
most worrying complication of any joint replacement is infection which
occurs in less than 5% of cases. The risk of infection is increased in
diabetics and patients who are on immunosuppressive treatment e.g.
steroids. In the longer term some knee replacements loosen with time and
have to be replaced - the revision rate is about 10% at 10 years.
|
|
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|
