Knee Replacement Specialist

Why might I need a knee replacement?

Knee replacement surgery could help you if your knee joint is damaged beyond repair. This might be a result of trauma, such as a work or auto accident, or a disease like osteonecrosis, where the bone tissue in your knee dies. However, the most frequent reason for having a knee replacement is osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis results from the effects of years of joint use, so it tends to affect older people. The protective articular cartilage wears away from the ends of your bones, causing friction that leads to inflammation, pain, and stiffness.

While medications and physical therapy can manage the symptoms successfully for long periods, some patients reach a stage where even joint injections no longer offer relief. 

At this point, your provider at SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE might suggest a full or partial (unicompartmental) knee replacement.

What does knee replacement involve?

SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE uses Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology to perform all of their total and partial knee replacements. Mako produces excellent results for patients during and after surgery.

The Mako software enables your surgeons to generate a virtual 3D model of your knee based on a computed tomography (CT) scan of the joint. They use the image to plan your knee replacement. During your surgery, the Mako robotic arm prepares your knee for the implant using the plan your surgeon created.

It's important to know that it's your surgeon guiding the procedure at all points. The robotic arm only assists your surgeon and can't do anything beyond their control. Mako technology is a sophisticated tool your surgeon uses to ensure the most accurate implant placement while causing only minimal damage to your soft tissues.

Using Mako also allows you to have a regional rather than general anesthetic, which is safer. Your surgeon can usually complete Mako robotic-assisted knee replacement in about an hour.

What are the benefits of Mako robotic-arm assisted knee replacement?

Some of the many benefits of Mako knee replacement surgery include:

• Quicker procedure
• Less blood loss
• Smaller incisions
• Less pain post-surgery
• More accurate implant placement
• Less time in hospital
• Shorter recovery time
• Greater patient satisfaction

Patients typically achieve better long-term results with Mako than traditional knee replacement techniques.

How long does it take to recover after knee replacement?

Most of SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE's knee replacement surgery patients are able to walk within a day or so of their surgery.

With the help of a physical therapy program, you could be back to doing most of your regular activities within six weeks of having knee replacement surgery.

To find out if you could benefit from knee replacement surgery, call your nearest SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE office today or book an appointment online.