Knee joint replacement surgery due to degenerative arthritis, postoperative results, reviews, and personal impressions!!

I would like to talk about my experience with knee joint pain caused by degenerative arthritis and my treatment with knee joint replacement surgery, as well as the effects after the surgery.

Based on my experience helping my mom with care and rehabilitation after knee surgery, I can say that the success of a knee joint replacement depends on post-surgery management!!

 

 

My biological mother has been experiencing knee pain for several decades. Therefore, she had a knee replacement surgery three years ago because her knee joint was in poor condition.

For several decades, whenever my mother sat down or stood up, lay down, or walked a lot, she experienced knee pain and suffered. Her walking style was not balanced on both legs, and she walked somewhat stiffly, with her legs slightly deformed into a bow-legged shape. Especially in the evenings, her legs would hurt, and she experienced chronic pain. Because my mother always had knee pain, I recommended surgery. However, my mother was afraid of knee replacement surgery. She had heard from people around her that after knee surgery, the treatment did not feel significantly better than before, and she still felt pain; she also heard stories that even after surgery, knee pain remained the same. She was reluctant to undergo surgery. I kept persuading her, reassuring her, and suggested that she just get a diagnosis at the hospital. We then went to a specialized hospital for knee surgery.

The doctor specializes in knee surgery, has many successful cases, explains in detail, and is very kind. So, my mother decided to undergo joint replacement surgery with confidence. The doctor checks the patient's mood and condition before surgery, explains the patient's status, post-surgery progress, and effects well, and assures us that they will do their best to provide good treatment, which reassures us.

 

 

In the case of my mother-in-law, she had bilateral knee replacement surgery due to degenerative arthritis. The surgery takes about 1-2 hours, and both knees are not operated on at the same time; first one knee is operated on, and then there is a hospitalization period of about 1-2 weeks for each knee. During the hospital stay after knee surgery, she receives physical therapy and manual therapy. After knee surgery, it is important to practice bending the knee properly to ensure good flexion, and daily checks of the knee bending angle are necessary.

My mother-in-law was hospitalized for about a month due to surgeries on both knees. The doctor said that the surgeries went well and were successful, and that the surgery was not the end, but in order to see the effects of the surgery, she needs to diligently undergo physical therapy, manual therapy, and knee exercises.

Knee joint replacement surgery involves removing damaged cartilage caused by knee cartilage damage and then inserting an artificial joint made of biocompatible metals and plastics.

 

 

My mom's knee artificial joint surgery had better results compared to others who had the same procedure. The doctor also said that the knee bends naturally. To see proper results after knee surgery, rehabilitation is the most important.

If rehabilitation does not progress well, it can lead to an unbalanced gait similar to before knee surgery, and the knee may not bend properly or there may be pain.

 

After knee joint replacement surgery, I continued physical therapy and physiotherapy. At home, I used a knee bending machine twice a day. We rehabilitated at home, and this machine helped me initially with bending my knee. It allows for angle adjustments to help the knee bend properly. (If you think of it as a knee bending machine, there are different types of machines~ I don't have a photo of the specific one I used.) Proper bending is important because when the knee bends well, it makes walking more natural with the knee smoothly flexing, but if not, walking can become stiff and difficult. The physical therapists emphasized that it's important to bend the knee properly.
The rental fee for the bending machine was about 220,000 won for 15 days of use. Mom used it for about a month. Even if you don't use the machine, you still need to do knee exercises.

 

 

When stretching, place a towel or string on the sole of the foot and gradually practice bending the knee. This makes knee bending easier, allowing for more natural walking and less pain. Since it is difficult for mom to do the bending exercises alone at home (she experienced pain and difficulty when she had to bend her knee after surgery, sit on the toilet, or when her knee wouldn't bend), family members should help by gently assisting with bending and pressing the knee (at first, when she practices bending on her own, she tends to stop if it hurts a little, so gentle pressure from the side is necessary). Gently pressing the knee, massaging the leg, and helping with these exercises will significantly reduce pain and aid in rehabilitation. Massaging and rubbing the surgical area of the knee also help. Once the pain improves after surgery, it is important to practice walking steadily and slowly. Taking slow walks is sufficient. Even just practicing walking together greatly helps with knee exercises. Since walking alone can sometimes cause balance issues, walking together is beneficial. For the large scar from the knee surgery, it is also good to buy regenerative cream and apply it. The surgical scar is large and can be itchy as it heals.

 

What I felt while nursing and caring is that it is important for the knee surgery to go well first, and postoperative rehabilitation is really important!!

When meeting people who had surgery together, those who rehabilitated and exercised definitely have higher satisfaction after surgery and walk more naturally, while those who experienced pain and did not rehabilitate or exercise walk stiffly with their knees not bending and have lower satisfaction with the surgery.

After knee surgery, it seems necessary to receive assistance with rehabilitation initially from family members or professionals, both at the hospital and at home.

After knee surgery, since a foreign object rather than your own cartilage was inserted, you may experience discomfort and an inability to bend your knee. When trying to bend it alone, it may not bend well and can be painful, leading some people to give up. It is important to encourage motivation by providing nursing support and guiding exercises alongside. Even if it hurts, encouraging patience and trying just once is crucial for rehabilitation.

My mother-in-law has been consistently doing rehabilitation therapy at home after her surgery, and her leg has straightened from a 0 angle to a straight line. The pain is also much less than before the surgery, so she is very satisfied with the surgery. She is pleased that the knee surgery was successful because she is now experiencing the benefits.