There’s Another Option to Knee Replacement Surgery!

Your doctor says there are no other options. Your knee pain has gotten so bad that you can hardly walk. The medication and cortisone shots just aren’t cutting it anymore. It’s time for surgery.

No one really wants surgery. Not only is going under the knife risky but you’ll be facing months of healing to get back to where you are today. But you trust your doctor has your best interests at heart.

But before you do say yes to surgery, did you ever stop and think what if there was another option?

The Ins and Outs of Knee Replacement Surgery

The purpose of replacement surgery is to relieve pain and restore function to the knee joint, damaged by arthritis. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons states that more than 600,000 knee replacement procedures take place each year in the U.S. It is one of the most common surgeries in the United States.

What happens during surgery is the surgeon will replace the joint with an artificial joint, usually made of either plastic or metal. Once the surgery is complete, it can take approximately three to six months to fully recover.

But what the doctors never tell you is that these artificial joints do wear down with time and overuse. And then you may need to have another, more complicated surgery to once again replace the knee.

How Do I Know If My Knee Replacement is Failing?

There are a few signs to watch for to know when your knee replacement is failing, such as:

• A moderate pain becomes severe as time progresses
• You begin to experience symptoms of an infection such as fever, chills, and muscle ache
• Mobility issues
• Excess fluid in the knee
• Warmth and redness of the skin around the knee
• A rash caused my metal hypersensitivity
• Bone destruction
• The tissue under the artificial joint has thickened

If any of these symptoms occur, you may have to undergo “revision” surgery. This surgery will remove the prosthesis and replace it with a new one. Another operation means another year of your life in recovery.

But it can be avoided.

How PRP Therapy Can Help

For decades, platelet-rich plasma therapy has helped relieve the pain caused by arthritis. Since it’s your blood, there’s little to no risk of an allergic reaction.

Here’s how it works:
Blood is drawn from the patient and is spun in a centrifuge at high speed to separate the blood into its four components: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Once separated, portions of the plasma are mixed back in with the platelets, forming a very “platelet-rich” solution. This solution is injected into and around the knee through the use of a Fluoroscope, significantly strengthening the body’s natural healing.

Before opting for knee replacement surgery, get all the options available. Contact Northeast Knee & Joint Institute today to schedule a no-risk, obligation-free consultation today!