Preparation for knee replacement surgery
Once the date of the knee replacement surgery has been specified, the patient must go to the Diagonal clinic facilities in Barcelona (Spain) to carry out a series of preoperative examinations. You will have blood tests, telemetry, and a profile and axial knee x-ray.
How long does knee replacement surgery take? Is it painful?
The patient will not notice any type of pain during the intervention. Total knee arthroplasty is performed under general or epidural anesthesia. The duration of knee replacement surgery is usually 2 hours.
The immediate postoperative
The recovery period depends on each patient. You are usually encouraged to start walking soon after the intervention. The team of physical therapists will instruct the patient in the rehabilitation and use of crutches. The Diagonal clinic in Barcelona (Spain) schedules a couple of daily rehabilitation sessions throughout the patient’s stay in the clinic. The admission to the clinic is usually 6 days. When discharged, the patient usually leaves the clinic on his own foot, only with the help of crutches.
Specialists at the Diagonal clinic in Barcelona (Spain) highlight the importance of wound care. The patient must take care of it and avoid any infection.
Regular physical activity is a key element in recovery after a knee replacement operation. The patient should include in his routine the exercises explained by the doctor or the physical therapist. The better and more regularly exercises are performed, the shorter the recovery time becomes. It is recommended to start walking as soon as possible after the operation in order to strengthen the knee muscles as soon as possible.
Normal activities can be restarted 3 to 6 weeks after knee replacement surgery.