If you are thinking of going through a partial knee surgery then you must be wondering about the pros and cons of partial knee replacement.
Well, it is human nature to be concerned about the outcomes. But before knowing about benefits and disadvantages one should first know what is a partial knee replacement surgery.
It is a surgical procedure in which the surgeon replaces the damaged parts of the knee with artificial implants.
Then what is the difference between Total Knee replacement and partial knee replacement? In partial knee replacements, the surgeon deals with only one compartment of the knee out of the three.
On the other hand total knee replacement, as its name suggests, deals with all three compartments.
As you can see both procedures are different and this is why is important that you talk about your knee condition with a good Knee Replacement Doctor Patna before coming to any conclusion about the surgical process.
He or she will help you clarify whether you are a good candidate for partial knee replacement or not.
Who is a Candidate for Partial Knee Replacement?
Partial knee replacement surgery is also known as unicompartmental treatment that helps to fix knee injuries and pain.
In India, the success rate of partial knee replacement surgeries is about 90 to 90%. But don’t choose to go through partial knee replacement by just seeing the success rate.
According to to health experts people who are suffering from medial or lateral knee osteoarthritis are good candidates for partial knee replacement. Here are some other criteria that determine, whether the patient is good for unicompartmental treatment or not:
#1. Age more than 60 years
#2. Has Minimal Deformity
#3. Carries a Healthy body weight
#4. Less Physical Activity
#5. Has a good range of motion
Apart from these 5 one of the most important criteria for partial knee surgery is, that a patient should not be suffering from inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid.
So, now you can decide if this surgery is suitable for your current health condition or not. If it is for you, then you must be aware of the disadvantages or advantage of partial knee replacement.
Pros and Cons of Partial Knee Replacement
Knowing about the pros and cons of the surgery will help you prepare mentally. So let’s first start with the pros:
Pros of Partial Knee Replacement Surgery
Partial knee replacement surgery is for sure a serious medical procedure, which can be scary for patients.
But as we discussed in India its success rate is more than 90%, and many people prefer going through this surgery because of its pros:
#1. Faster Recovery
Partial knee surgery is a type of procedure that only deals with one compartment, whether it be medial or lateral.
It will only affect a very minimal part of the knee and the other important areas and ligaments will left untouched.
This is why the unicompartmental knee replacement recovery time is less than other procedures like total knee replacement.
#2. Less Expensive
Cost is one of the most important factors that people consider when it comes to medical treatment.
This is because many medical procedures are really hard on the pocket. But if your doctor has confirmed that your knee issue will go away with partial knee replacement, it’s good news for you and your bank balance.
Partial knee surgeries are pretty affordable because its less invasive than total knee replacement.
#3. Less Risky
As we discussed in the previous point partial knee replacements are less invasive and that is it is also almost risk-free.
Compared to total knee replacement surgery, in this procedure, the surgeon tries to replace the affected joints with very little cutting and tearing of the knee joint parts.
However, it’s important to remember that there is no medical surgery in the world that is 100% risk-free, every surgery has some disadvantages to it.
Cons of Partial Knee Replacement
No matter form which surgery you’re going through each one of them has its one disadvantage.
Partial knee surgery also has some cons along with its long list of pros.
#1. Less Life Expectancy
Every patient has asked this question to his ortho doctor “What is the life expectancy of a partial knee replacement?”.
Well, knee implants are marketed to last forever but the truth is they don’t. In the case of partial knee replacements, they last not more than 10 years, which is very little in comparison to total knee replacements.
#2. Revision can be More Complicated
If somehow you need a revision to your previous partial knee replacement, then it will be more complicated than primary surgery.
This is because the implants that were used to fix your knee problem, would have merged with your bones and now it will need more specialized and technically demanding procedures to fix the damage.
#3. Unable to Cure Osteoarthritis Completely
It is one of the biggest disadvantages of partial knee replacement. It doesn’t cure the Osteoarthritis completely, which can get worse with time.
Once the Osteoarthritis starts spreading, it affects the other parts of the knee, which may lead to another knee surgery.
This time you may have to go through a total knee surgery because Osteoarthritis may have affected all three compartments of the knee.
If you or any of your family member is currently in that stage, you can contact Dr. Ramakant Kumar, who is known as the Best Knee Replacement Surgeon in Patna.
This high-profile ortho surgeon has performed numerous successful knee surgeries and has helped his patients go back to their normal lives.
Conclusion
Unicompartmental knee replacement is for sure one of the best ways to treat serious knee joint problems like Osteoarthritis. But like any other surgery in the world, it also has its benefits and disadvantages.
Keeping that in mind in this blog we have discussed some important pros and cons of partial knee replacement so that you don’t have any ifs and buts left.
Furthermore, we have talked about the criteria that make a patient a good candidate for partial knee replacement.
Hope you find this blog informative, if you liked it then do share it with those who are thinking of going through knee replacement surgery.