Our clinic offers treatments to help avoid knee replacement surgery, like platelet-rich plasma injections. Before you go under the knife, learn the risks associated with that highly invasive surgery and what alternatives might be available to you.
Risks of Knee Replacement Surgery
Chances are, you are considering knee replacement surgery to get out of pain and be able to get back to regular activity again. Surprisingly, only 1 in 20 people see full function and regular activity after knee surgery, according to studies, and there’s actually a chance of increased pain following the surgery for some.
There is also an increased chance of heart attack following knee replacement surgery; men have a 79% higher chance of a heart attack in the years afterward. Patients over 60 have 31X the chance of having a heart attack within two weeks of knee replacement surgery! A shocking 34% of patients end up with blood clots in their legs after the surgery.
Another risk that you may not know if is the metal can actually break off over time (in microscopic pieces), which can irritate tissues, and you can even end up with metal ions in the bloodstream, which could lead to toxicity and further damage.
And we haven’t even touched the amount of pain, downtime, and expense involved with the surgery and the physical therapy that follows! Now let’s take a look at treatments to help avoid knee replacement surgery and the inherent risks that come with it.
Alternatives to Knee Replacement Procedures
Through advanced techniques that focus on stimulating the body’s natural healing process, cells can repair themselves and regenerate at an accelerated level, leaving healthy, new tissue where damaged tissue once was.
Platelet-rich plasma injections – The premise PRP starts with you. A small blood sample is drawn and spun rapidly to separate the plasma from the red blood cells. This concentration of platelets is rich in growth factors and other elements that promote healing, so upon injection into the injured knee, these cells work with your body’s natural response to boost healing and recovery in the area.
By providing your system with what it needs to replenish the healthy cells in the knees and repair the damage done, you may be able to postpone or even avoid knee replacement surgery altogether.