fitnessmotivation Archives

Bilateral Knee Replacement- Reasons, Risks and Benefits

February 7, 2020March 30, 2024
by Eva Hospital

With aging degenerative tissues, pain and stiffness in knees, or difficulty in getting up from a chair or going up and down the stairs, you may be experiencing multiple problems in the knee. With thorough check-ups and analysis, the orthopedic doctor may suggest knee replacement.

Patients with arthritis are worse affected. Arthritis may lead to inflammation of one or more joints causing acute pain and immobility. You have to get a knee replacement done to live a pain-free life and improve mobility.

The knee replacement surgery is where the damaged joint is replaced with artificial knees made of metal, plastic, or ceramic and this is called a prosthesis. If the problem persists in both the knees, the orthopedic recommends surgery of both the knees. This is called bilateral knee surgery.

What is Bilateral Knee Replacement?

With arthritis, both the knees of the patient may need replacement and this process is called bilateral knee replacement. Usually, patients who are above 60 are recommended for knee replacement. There are two types of bilateral knee replacement surgeries:

Staged Knee Replacement

When both the knees are replaced one after the other in a span of three to five months, it is called staged knee replacement. This lets one knee recover fully before undergoing the surgery of the other knee.

2. Simultaneous Bilateral Knee Replacement

As the name suggests, the patient undergoes surgery on both knees at the same time. This allows the patient to get both knees replaced at the same time and as a result, lesser downtime is involved.

What is the Recovery Time after Bilateral Knee Replacement?

The hospital stay is usually 3-5 days after staged knee replacement surgery and around 4-5 days after simultaneous knee replacement. The doctor will administer medications during the hospital stay and guide on the exercises and medicines to be followed after discharge.

A close watch must be kept for signs of infection, blood clots, and other complications. The physiotherapy programs must be continued for 6-12 weeks and these focus on knee-strengthening exercises. The recovery time and ‘back to routine’ vary from person to person depending on factors like age and weight.

What are the Benefits of Bilateral Knee Replacement?

Bilateral Knee replacement is the consecutive surgery on both knees. This offers the following advantages:

Shorter Hospital Stay

Rather than staying twice in a hospital simultaneous knee replacement is always better with a stay at the hospital only once.

Shorter Leave from Work

Simultaneous knee replacement is better as you will have to take leave only once from the office and can resume work sooner than two consecutive surgeries.

Physical Therapy at Once

Two separate physical therapy treatments mean double the time and efforts in the recovery of two knees. Simultaneous knee replacement calls for physiotherapy twice or thrice a week for nearly 8 weeks and both the knees will be treated simultaneously.

Better Costs

Simultaneous or bilateral knee replacement costs are lesser than two different surgical operations.

What are the Risks of Bilateral Knee Replacement?

Though the advantages of bilateral knee replacement are many, the following are a few risks that have to be considered:

Long Anesthesia Risks

There may be complications due to prolonged anesthesia. The doctor has to examine the general health of the patient before undergoing bilateral surgery.

More Blood Loss

During the surgery, there may be a chance of blood transfusion because of bilateral knee surgery compared to single knee surgery.

Multiple Complications

The chances of multiple complications like wound infections, pulmonary embolism, etc. are higher in the case of bilateral knee replacement.

Final Thoughts

Dr. Tanveer Bhutani has an unparalleled diagnosis of knee injuries and pain. For a genuine suggestion contact the best orthopedic surgeon of Punjab at EVA Hospital and enjoy a pain-free knee. Add years of happiness to your life as you improve your mobility.

Orthopaedic

How to Treat the Recurrent Shoulder Dislocation

November 12, 2019March 30, 2024
by Eva Hospital

The shoulder is the most mobile joint of the body which is responsible for movement in the arm, swinging the arm, lifting weights, moving the arm to and fro as well as up and down. This greater range of movement may be a cause of instability, especially in the case of a sportsman.

Causes and Effects of Shoulder Instability

Due to shoulder instability, the upper arm bone comes out of the cup-shaped socket that is a part of the shoulder blade and this causes a shoulder dislocation. Following may be the symptoms of shoulder dislocation:

A deformed or misplaced shoulder
Swelling or bruising in the shoulder
Intense recurring pain
Immobile joint

With the movement of the shoulder in just any direction to swing the arm, dislocations are more likely to happen if there is instability in the joint. A strong jerk or a sudden blow may pop the arm ball out of the shoulder socket.

The reasons for shoulder dislocation can be either of the following:

Sports and Work Injuries

In sports like hockey, cricket, soccer, or sports involving falls like gymnastics, skiing, volleyball, etc. Shoulder dislocation can happen frequently. Repetitive strain can cause the shoulder to become unstable. Even some jobs require repetitive work which can traumatize the shoulder.

Sudden Fall

A fall from a certain height, fall from a ladder or stairs, or even tripping from a lopsided carpet or rug may be the cause of severe shoulder pain and shoulder dislocation.

Sudden Jerk

A sudden jerk while exercising or a sudden brake while driving may cause the shoulder to dislocate. Shoulder dislocation or recurrent shoulder dislocation may cause tearing of muscles, ligaments, and tendons that reinforce the shoulder joint. It may lead to shoulder instability which makes shoulder dislocation recurrent.

What are the Treatments for Shoulder Dislocation?

In some cases, non-surgical treatment by just reducing and immobilizing the shoulder may work. This is usually done by your orthopedic surgeon in anesthesia. Post-procedure, applying ice, rest and physical therapy may help.

However, if the tissues that hold the shoulder are ruptured or strained, or if you experience recurrent shoulder dislocations, Dr. Tanveer Bhutani, at Eva Hospital suggests and strongly recommends Shoulder Arthroscopy surgery. If you are a young athlete majorly in sports involving arm movements like throwing or collisions, shoulder arthroscopy is mandatory to resume the game.

What is Shoulder Arthroscopy?

Shoulder arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery where the surgeon accesses the shoulder using small incisions and minimal damage to the surrounding tissues.

A slim, pencil-sized instrument called an arthroscope is inserted into the joints through a small incision. With a keyhole light and a keyhole video camera, on the other hand, the details of bones, tendons, ligaments, and labrum are highlighted and magnified.

The torn ligament or labrum is repositioned, the ring of cartilage that surrounds the shoulder socket is repaired and the humerus is stabilized.

It is usually outpatient surgery and you can leave the hospital within a couple of hours post the surgery. This may, however, be contingent on the patient’s health status and age.

Dr. Tanveer Bhutani, the best orthopedic surgeon in North India describes this surgery for shoulder dislocation as very effective and says that with proper follow-up and medications, and physical therapy, the patient will be able to resume sports activities within 8-14 weeks.

Last words

Why suffer from pain and discomfort of recurrent shoulder dislocations when shoulder arthroscopy can heal the dislocated shoulder! The surgeon’s level of experience and knowledge is vital for a genuine diagnosis.

For any kind of pain in the shoulder and neck or any visible signs of lumps in the back, contact Dr. Tanveer Bhutani. He is a specialist in shoulder arthroscopy in Punjab. Resume your sports and games and live your life pain-free!

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