Your Knee Replacement Surgery

We want to ensure that you receive the highest level of healthcare. This means keeping you educated and informed about what is involved in the different stages of your knee replacement surgery. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with your doctor or medical team.

Understanding Knee Replacement Surgery

Knee Replacement Surgery replaces parts of injured or worn-out knee joints most commonly caused by osteoarthritis. The surgery can help ease pain and make the knee work better, by removing the damaged bone and cartilage and replacing them with parts made of metal and plastic. Some can be managed with partial knee replacement (when the damage is limited to only one part) but most patients require a total Knee Replacement due to the entire joint being affected.

How to Prepare for Your Knee Replacement Surgery

Your doctor will advise you to:

Do pre-operative blood tests, ECG, and X-rays
Have a Pre-Anaesthesia Check-up Appointment (PAC) with the anaesthetist, who will inform you when you are to stop eating and drinking and if there is a need to do any further investigations before the procedure
Avoid blood thinners within 72 hours before and 24 hours after the surgery
Follow specific instructions about if and when to take your insulin or other diabetic medication, if you have diabetes
Take all other medications as usual with small sips of water on the morning of your procedure
Leave your jewellery and other valuables at home
Bring a current list of medications and allergies with you to the hospital
Bring your government-issued identification
Ensure you have someone to drive you home after your procedure and to help you at home with everyday tasks such as cooking, bathing, and laundry.

You will attend physiotherapy to improve your mobility after your procedure, but it will be helpful to make your home safer and easier to navigate during your recovery, by:

Creating a living space on one floor as climbing stairs can be difficult
Installing safety bars or a secure handrail in your shower/bath and on your stairs
Getting a stable chair with a firm seat cushion and back, and a footstool to elevate your leg
Arranging for a toilet seat riser with arms if you have a low toilet and a stable bench/chair for your shower
Removing loose rugs and cords from around your house.

The Procedure

On the day of the procedure, make sure that you do not eat anything and follow the instructions given by the anaesthetist regarding your routine medications.

These are the FOUR STEPS you will go through when you come to Health City for a Knee Replacement.

STEP 1

You will be admitted 60 minutes before your procedure unless otherwise advised by the patient care coordinator. After check-in, a healthcare provider will lead you to a room where you can change into a hospital gown. A nurse will check your vitals such as blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen, and place an IV line in your arm to begin delivering sedatives and pain medication to your bloodstream. From there, you will be taken inside the operating room for your procedure.

STEP 2

The anaesthetist will give you either a spinal block, which numbs the lower half of your body, or a general anaesthetic, which puts you into a sleep-like state. Your orthopaedic surgeon might also inject a numbing medicine around nerves or in and around the joint to help block pain after your surgery.

STEP 3

Though your surgery will likely take 45 minutes, your time inside the operating room can be one to two hours. Once the anaesthetist has administered the anaesthetic, the surgeon will make an incision over the knee, remove the diseased and damaged bone and cartilage leaving healthy bone intact, and implant the replacement parts into the thighbone, shinbone, and kneecap. Artificial knee joints (prostheses) used in Knee Replacement Surgery are typically made of metal and plastic. Metal parts replace the damaged thighbone and shinbone. Plastic replaces cartilage on the shin and kneecap parts.

STEP 4

You can expect to go home within 1-2 days after the surgery and when:

Your vital signs are within an acceptable range;
Your pain is manageable, and you do not feel nauseous;
You can get out of bed and stand up from a chair without assistance;
You can walk a short distance with an assistive device; and
You can safely navigate a short flight of stairs.

You can expect some pain, swelling, and bruising after surgery. You should:

Use ice packs or an ice therapy machine to reduce pain and swelling;
Elevate your leg;
Take acetaminophen or NSAIDs as directed; and
Take prescription pain relievers, such as opioids, as prescribed.

Recovering from a Knee Replacement

Timeline Post-Surgery

Recovery Plan/Activities

Day 0-1

Your healthcare team will help you get up and moving with the aid of assistive devices. They will help you with full knee extension (straightening the knee) and increase knee flexion (bending), navigating stairs, give you frequent breathing exercises, and gradually increase your activity level before discharge.

Week 1

You will focus on restoring gait, increasing range of motion, and regaining strength. Using an exercise bike can be extremely helpful. If you’re using a cane, hold it in the hand opposite to your new knee and avoid leaning away from your new knee. This can help offset your weight and improve the mechanics of walking.

Weeks 2-3

Walk and stand for more than 10 minutes. Keep doing exercises to improve your mobility and range of motion. You may stop using your assistive device. Throughout your recovery, alternate between sitting and walking throughout the day as sitting for long periods can cause your knee to feel stiff. You should find that you no longer need the medication to manage the post-procedure pain.

Weeks 4-6

You can start returning to daily activities like work, driving, travel, and household tasks. You should notice a dramatic improvement in your knee, including bending and strength, after one month. The swelling and inflammation should also have gone down significantly. You should be able to go for longer walks, do toe and heel raises while standing, and hip abductions (raising your leg out to the side while standing or lying on your side). Though medical tourism patients can fly within 7-14 days after the procedure, in most cases, elective travel can be considered after six weeks.

Weeks 7-11

You can start returning to low impact physical activities like swimming and cycling. Some recommended exercises are mini squats, balancing on one leg at a time, and step-ups, alternating which foot you start with each time.

Week 12+

You can start returning to higher-impact activities such as golf, dancing and bicycling if your surgeon agrees. However, avoid running, aerobics, skiing, basketball, and football until your surgeon approves. You should have little or no pain during your typical activities and recreational exercise, and a full range of motion in your knee.

Follow-up Appointments

Your first dressing appointment will be three days post-discharge then every three days. At your fourth dressing appointment, your sutures will be removed. You will have an X-ray and a review with the doctor one month after your procedure. All appointments will be made at your convenience and availability.

Frequently Asked Questions

If a waterproof dressing was used, you may be able to shower the day after surgery or after several days. If the dressing is not waterproof, you will usually have to wait longer before showering. You are advised not to soak your knee for 1–3 weeks to let the incision heal fully.

There’s a 90–95% chance that a Knee Replacement will last more than 10 years and an 80–85% chance it will last more than 20 years. Ensure you attend your regular check-ups which will continue for the first year after your surgery to make sure that your knee is staying healthy.

Your Knee Replacement Surgery

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