Total and Partial Knee Replacement
Knee osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease which is characterized by inflammation, pain, stiffness, and swelling of the knee. In osteoarthritis, the articular surface (cartilage) of the knee is damaged which leads life altering pain. There are many conservative treatment options including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroid injections, viscosupplementation injections, physical therapy, bracing, and activity modification which may be considered. Often, if conservative treatment does not alleviate the patients symptoms, joint replacement is recommended by your surgeon. Dr. Kirol preforms both unicompartmental (partial) and total knee arthroplasties in an outpatient and inpatient setting. You and your physician will discuss which option will best relieve your individual arthritis symptoms.
Total Knee Arthroplasty
Total knee arthroplasty is a orthopedic procedure which the damaged joint surface is replaced with a metal and plastic implants which relieves pain, increases mobility, and allows the patient to return to there normal daily activities. Total knee replacement surgery is indicated for patients with knee arthritis in more than one compartment of the knee joint. This will be evident on your radiographs which Dr. Kirol will reviewed with you in the office.
Unicompartmental (Partial) Knee Arthroplasty
Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is an orthopedic procedure where only one compartment, most commonly the medial compartment, of the knee joint is replaced. This minimally invasive surgery typically allows for a quicker recovery, smaller incision, less pain after surgery, and a more “natural” feeling knee since the healthy parts of your knee are kept.
Knee Replacement Surgery as an Outpatient
Traditionally, total and unicompartmental knee replacement surgeries were preformed only as inpatient procedures. This was mainly due to postoperative pain control, social support, patient mobility limitations, and perioperative complications. Now with decades of improvements in pain control, risk stratification, efficient surgical techniques, and younger more active patients, outpatient joint replacement has become a safe and viable option for patients. Outpatient joint replacement allows for an efficient, cost-effective alternative to the traditional hospital stay for patients who meet specific clinical criteria for surgeries covered by their insurance plans in that setting.
