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Knee replacement surgery has potential complications including infection, scar tissue, nerve damage, and knee joint instability. Antibiotics are given to reduce infection risk, but scar tissue and joint instability may require further surgery. Physiotherapy exercises can help prevent complications, and recovery time is around eight weeks. The artificial knee lasts up to 15 years.
Knee replacement surgery of any kind is a complicated and difficult procedure, and there are a number of potential complications. Even so, the operation is usually successful and only a small percentage of patients suffer any major problems. Some of the more common complications of knee replacement include infection of the joint or surgical wound, instability of the knee joint, scar tissue, and damage to the nerves surrounding the operation site.
Infection is a common complication in any type of surgery, but is more of a risk during complicated procedures. In most cases, you will be given antibiotics during knee replacement surgery to reduce your risk, but there is always some chance that the joint will become infected. Other common knee replacement complications include the development of blood clots or a bad reaction to the anesthetic, although these are relatively rare.
Scar tissue can occur in knee replacement surgery. If there is a large amount of scar tissue, it can reduce the joint’s range of motion and cause pain. In some cases, further surgery is needed to remove the scar tissue.
If the knee joint becomes loose after a full or partial knee replacement, this may require more surgeries. A loose knee joint is one of the more undesirable knee replacement complications as it can cause a great deal of instability and prevent the person from returning to everyday life. Further surgery will help stabilize the joint.
In addition to the potential complications of knee replacement, there are also some short-term side effects. For example, the person undergoing surgery may feel sick after anesthesia. The knee will also be sore and painful to move for up to a year after surgery. Due to the complicated nature of the surgery there will almost always be a scar present after the operation and this is usually permanent.
Complications of knee replacement are sometimes unavoidable, but it helps if the patient follows the correct physiotherapy exercise after the operation. These differ between patients, but usually involve tightening the muscles around the joint to provide greater stability. Returning to work after knee replacement surgery usually takes up to eight weeks, although the patient will be able to move around the house much sooner. It’s also important to keep in mind that an artificial knee will last up to 15 years before needing to be replaced.
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