Total Knee Replacement: A Patient's Guide.
Edited By: Seth S. Leopold, M.D.
Last updated Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Preparing for surgeryWhat type of preparation needs to take place before total knee replacement surgery for severe arthritis of the knee? Patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery usually will
undergo a pre-operative surgical risk assessment. When necessary,
further evaluation will be performed by an internal medicine physician
who specializes in pre-operative evaluation and risk-factor
modification. Some patients will also be evaluated by an
anesthesiologist in advance of the surgery.
Routine blood tests are performed on all pre-operative patients;
chest X-rays and electrocardiograms are obtained in patients who meet
certain age and health criteria, as well.
Surgeons will often spend time with the patient in advance of the
surgery, making certain that all the patient's questions and concerns,
as well as those of the family, are answered. How can the costs of total knee replacement surgery for severe arthritis of the knee be anticipated? The surgeon's office should provide a reasonable estimate of:
- the surgeon's fee,
- the hospital fee, and
- the degree to which these should be covered by the patient's insurance.
Who should perform total knee replacement surgery for severe arthritis of the knee and where? The total knee requires an experienced orthopaedic surgeon and the
resources of a large medical center. Some patients have complex medical
needs and around surgery often require immediate access to multiple
medical and surgical specialties and in-house medical, physical
therapy, and social support services.
How can surgeons experienced in total knee replacement surgery for severe arthritis of the knee be found? There is good evidence that the experience of the surgeon performing
partial knee replacement affects the outcome. It is important that the
surgeon be experienced--and preferably fellowship-trained--knee
replacement surgeon.
Some questions to consider asking your knee surgeon:
- Are you board certified in orthopaedic surgery?
- Have you done a fellowship (a year of additional training, beyond
the five years required to become an orthopaedic surgeon) in joint
replacement surgery?
- How many knee replacements do you do each year?
In what type of facility is total knee replacement surgery for severe arthritis of the knee usually done? A large hospital, usually with academic affiliation and equipped with
state-of-the-art radiologic imaging equipment and medical intensive
care unit is clearly preferable in the care of patients with knee
arthritis.Surgery for Severe arthritis of the knee at the University of Washington If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss this procedure, you can request an appointment using our online referrals website. To request a referral online, please click here. You can also call the Bone & Joint Surgery Center at 206-598 - BONE(2663) or Eastside Specialty Clinic at 425-646-7777 to make an appointment.
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