Dangers of Delaying a Total Knee Replacement Surgery

Are you afraid of undergoing total knee replacement surgery? Is your fear a reason for delaying the total Knee replacement surgery? Patients can abstain from knee surgery for several reasons like fear of surgery, misinformation, fear of losing a body part, pain after undergoing the surgery, and fear that they will end up worse than they started. But delaying a total knee replacement surgery can in turn have numerous risks associated with it.

Risk of Delaying a Total Knee Replacement Surgery

• Delaying surgery may result in deterioration of the joint, increased pain due to the damaged joint, and inability to walk, sit and stand.
• Deformities/damage which may develop inside and outside of the joint.
• Worsening of knee pain causing difficulty in managing the pain.
• Inability to walk due to increased disability.
• Early treatment may help avoid Knee replacement surgery and can be treated through non-surgical methods which include anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, glucosamine and physical therapy and surgery may only be required in case these interventions do not work.
• Decreased quality of life.

Postponing a total knee replacement surgery can make it a more complicated process and can limit the knee replacement options. Whereas, performing surgery earlier can prevent functional decline and promote a better outcome.

Numerous studies have shown knee replacement surgery to be one of the most successful surgical procedures. If the surgery is done at the right time, a patient can get benefited in terms of pain relief and fast recovery. It may also save costs and is proven to be a cost-effective treatment.

Also Read : What Causes Knee Pain?