Dr. Sachin Gupta (M.S., F.I.R.S., M.Ch.(USA)
With over 180 million people in India suffering from arthritis, it is
one of the most prevalent lifestyle diseases in the country. The pain,
inflammation and stiffness in joints make it difficult for a person affected by
arthritis to effectively perform his day-to-day chores and to enjoy simple
pleasures of life, like taking a morning walk, climbing stairs or playing with
one’s grandchildren.
While one can exert caution and delay arthritis progression by
maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including exercising regularly and consuming a
balanced diet, it is a physically crippling disease and medicines can only
provide symptomatic relief for it. In fact, since a person’s knees take the
maximum pressure of body weight, knee joints are more prone to wear and tear
and progression of the disease. Mobility is the key to sharing life’s beautiful
moments with your family and joint pain can come in the way. Joint replacement
surgery is a safe and effective option for treatment for severe arthritis pain.
Unfortunately, in India, knee replacement surgery is treated as a last
resort for arthritis treatment due to certain myths around the procedure. An
unnecessary delay in the surgery will reduce the quality of your life and
deprive you of its precious moments. Some of the most common myths about knee
replacement surgery are as under:
Myth: Knee replacement surgery is for old people only.
Fact: Earlier, arthritis was believed to be an old person’s disease.
However, it is a lifestyle disease and is increasingly affecting people at
younger age groups. Hence, decision about undergoing surgery should be dictated
by the stage of arthritis and immobility level of the affected person. If
someone is affected by an advanced stage arthritis but delays surgery due to
age factor, he/she will lose out on enjoying the most important years of
his/her life.
Myth: Knee replacement surgery should be delayed as much as possible.
Fact: The line of medicinal treatment available for arthritis
management only provides symptomatic relief to the patient but does not address
the physical damage to the joints. Hence, when arthritis starts affecting a
person’s life and limits his mobility, knee replacement surgery is the trusted
and efficacious treatment option. A decision to delay surgery negatively
affects the quality of life of a person before the surgery and increases the
recovery period, post-surgery.
Myth: A knee implant does not feel natural.
Fact: Due to advancement in science and technology, now high-quality implants,
which allow patients to bend the knee joint to the natural bending of close to
150 degrees, and feel and move in a manner similar to the natural knee joint. Modern
materials used for resurfacing of joints are not only strong & durable but
also provide the least amount of friction possible. The use of light-weight
materials like highly-polished Cobalt-Chrome makes the implant last much longer
than before. Also the advent of computer navigated knee replacement has
revolutionized the results of knee surgery. Computer Assisted Surgery (CAS) allows
surgeons to align the bones and joint implants with an extremely high degree of
accuracy. Now the patients can look forward to a faster post-operative recovery
and return to normal social and leisure activities.
Myth: All knee implants are same.
Fact: Knee implants are available in different types, shapes and
sizes, to accommodate each person’s physiology & lifestyle requirements. It
is best to consult a Specialist Joint Replacement Surgeon on the best implant
option based on your requirements. Years of research have allowed manufacturers
to create high flexion implants that are customized for Asian lifestyles
keeping in mind activities like sitting on the floor and other requirements with
respect to religion, culture.
Myth: Knee implants last only about ten years.
Fact: The long term success of the surgery often depends on various
factors such as: a) Surgeon’s skill and the experience he has in the technique
used; b) Material and design of the implants used. Improved quality of implants
ensures that your replaced joint lasts longer; c) Robust hospital
infrastructure with excellent overall hygiene that eliminates the chances of
post-surgical infection, specialized operation theatre equipped with latest
technology and a caring paramedic staff; d) The care taken and follow up
ensured by the patients themselves. Advances in materials and design of devices
can increase the life of knee replacements from 10-15 years to almost 25- 30
years.
With the advancement in technology, knee replacement surgery has
become a simple and less time-consuming procedure. With the introduction of
minimally invasive surgical techniques, a person feels minimal discomfort during
the procedure and experiences a faster recovery post procedure.
Along
with these surgical techniques, new surgical implants have been developed to
ensure that patients suffering from arthritis can get back to an active
lifestyle post-surgery. These implants can accommodate bending of the knee up
to 150 degrees while ensuring additional stability when the joint is bent to
this high degree. Modern implants also have a lower rate of wear and tear as
compared to older designs, along with smoother movement of joints.
For the long-term success of joint replacement surgery, it is
important to choose a skilled surgeon and high quality implants. Your surgeon
will be your guide through your entire knee replacement procedure and can help
you select the implant that best suits your needs and lifestyle.
Here’s a chance to break the shackles of pain and embrace freedom – Freedom of mobility and freedom of expressing
love with your family!
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