Knee Replacement Surgery
PATIENT: Majority of the people neglect joint pains. They just say "This is not a life threatening disease, so I will go to a doctor some other day". They take pain killer tablets for temporary relief of pain and let the days go on in negligence. What is your opinion on this Doctor?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: What would you say...Do we need to treat just the pain or treat the source of the pain permanently? Though pain killer tablets diminish pain and provide temporary relief, they in fact do not help in permanent cure.
Pain killers are available in the market with different names and brands. Unfortunately, we think that pain killer tablets help us treat the pain, but their effect is temporary and gradually result in a condition of drug toxicity where poisonous or harmful substances accumulate too much in the blood stream. Prolonged use of pain killer tablets cause more of side-effects than its actual effects.
PATIENT: Doctor, you have mentioned side-effects...Can you tell us what those side effects are?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: For example, the function of kidneys is filtration and purification of blood. Kidneys treat pain killers as waste products and filter them. Prolonged use of pain killers overdose the kidneys resulting in a condition where the kidneys cease to perform their function. This is what is called as kidney failure. This triggers the development of new health problems and diseases. Therefore, it is advisable to treat the source of pain rather than the pain itself. Detection and treatment of any bodily disorder in its early stage may prevent the need to undergo surgical intervention.
PATIENT: Explain us about "Osteoarthritis". What does it actually mean, Doctor?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease caused by cartilage loss in the joints. The term "Osteo" means Bone and "Arthro" means Joint. Bones make a man stand and the joints help in mobility. Osteoarthritis is a type of joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and the underlying bone.
PATIENT: Doctor, there are different kinds of treatment modalities like Allopathy, Homeopathy, Unani, Acupuncture, Ayurveda, etc. Do we get cured from joint pains from these?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: All the treatment methods work well in the early stages, but with complete degeneration of cartilage, there is bone-on-bone friction leading to structural damage. At this stage, any kind of treatment method fails to yield good results. The only way to treat late stage osteoarthritis is to undergo reconstructive surgery.
PATIENT: Doctor, you have explained that osteoarthritis is wear and tear of the joints. Is everyone susceptible to this?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: Most of us are susceptible at some point of our lives but development of joint pains primarily depends on our lifestyle though.
It’s similar to the wear and tear of the tyres of a car. Due to excessive usage, joints too wear off as the person grows old. Careful and precautionary plying on the road extends the life of car tyres. In the same way, adopting healthy food habits and regular exercise may delay occurrence of joint pains or may develop with less severity.
PATIENT: What are the main conditions that cause osteoarthritis, Doctor?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: The answer to this is simple. There are two reasons for the development of joint pains; primary and secondary.
Joint pains that are caused by old age and heredity are termed as primary causes. Joint pains that arise from other health problems, obesity, and lifestyle are termed as secondary causes.
PATIENT: Doctor, you have said obesity is the reason. Can you tell us how?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: Sure! There are various reasons for the development of joint pains. Obesity can be said as the main cause for joint pains. Due to excess weight, the cartilage that is in between the bones wears off quickly due to increased friction, resulting in development of joint pain.
For example, if a small Maruti car's (Hatch back) tyres take the weight of a Tata Sumo (SUV), do you think that’s OK? They are under high pressures and so they wear out early. The same thing implies to our bones and joints. Excess weight on joints causes excess wear of the cartilage that is in between the bones. As long as the cartilage is intact, there is no joint discomfort or trouble. Once the cartilage starts wearing off, joint pains develop.
PATIENT: Doctor, despite many joints present in our body, why surgeries are performed only of the hip and Knee joints?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: Both Knee & Hip joints being the big joints of a human body, they are vulnerable for increase wear & tear due to the freedom of movements they have. So the surgical repairs/reconstructions are more common in these joints.
We even replace Shoulders, Elbows & Ankles though, but the indications are very few.
PATIENT: Doctor, what are the precautions to be taken by the people suffering with joint pain, especially Knee joint pain?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: Life style changes like avoiding anything painful, decreasing body weight and proper exercises which tone the muscles should be the first line of precautionary steps.
In olden days, our ancestors took precautions and care with regards to food, exercise, and walking. They used walking-sticks in their times. But now-a-days, modern man is ashamed to walk with the support of a walking-stick thinking that he would be branded as old among people; instead, they take pain killer tablets which effect multiple organs like kidneys and liver.
PATIENT: Doctor, can you emphasize the benefits of using a walking-stick?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: Joint pains to some extent can be prevented by the use of walking stick. Walking with the aid of a walking-stick equals the relief obtained by consuming 3 pain killers in a day.
Walking-stick reduces the risk of falling. Not only that, we often see that if a person with walking-stick boards a bus, the fellow passengers get up to offer their seats to sit. The use of walking-stick fetches respect and honour from the society to the one using it and not shame at all.
PATIENT: Doctor, many doubts and questions arise in the minds of the patients when thinking about surgery. Can you explain?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: Not only patients, I too get doubts regarding surgery if it is advised to me. This is very common. Joint Replacement Surgeries have stood the test of time since more than 3 decades. Now, in modern and technically advanced days, with the introduction of sophisticated equipments, these kind of surgeries are performed much more successfully than before. These surgeries are safe and easy too.
PATIENT: Sir, Are there any chances of failure of these surgical procedures?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY:: Performing Knee Replacement Surgery has become easier with the modern-day technology. The success rate of such surgeries is more than 99 percent of course the risk of failure is mostly multifactorial but we take every possible precaution to minimize the risk of failure.
PATIENT: Doctor, What are essential steps towards a successful surgery?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: Three points are to be kept in mind to make the surgery a success:
- Correct Patient who really needs surgery
- Correct Surgeon with good skill.
- Correct Hospital with necessary infrastructure.
PATIENT: Doctor, Who is the Correct Patient who really needs surgery?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: A Correct Patient is who actually needs the surgery is the one whose joints have worn out extensively with structural damages, who does not have major health issues that influences the outcome of surgery, who follows the instructions of the doctors and physiotherapy, and the one who is mentally prepared to undergo the surgical procedure for a better life ahead.
PATIENT: Doctor, What is the recovery period after surgery? When can the patient walk?
DR. M. PRADEEP REDDY: Minimally invasive techniques and rapid recovery protocol enables the patient to walk as early as within 3 hours after surgery, in 3 days can go home, and in 3 weeks can perform their normal activities in much better way.
Services
- Joint Replacement Surgery
- Hip Replacement Surgery
- Revision Joint Replacement
- Non Surgical Treatments
- Pre Operative Physiotherapy
- Post Operative Physiotherapy
Contact Information
Appointment No:
+91 83097 71005
Email:
hmhinfo247@gmail.com
Address:
16-2-674/11, Judges Colony, Malakpet, Hyderabad – 36, Telangana, India.
Dr. M. Pradeep Reddy
MBBS, MS(Ortho), MCh(Ortho)
