Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty: A Patient's Guide to Partial Knee Replacement using Minimally-Invasive Surgery (MIS) Techniques.
Edited By: Seth S. Leopold, M.D.
Last updated Tuesday, February 17, 2009
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Preparing for surgery
What type of preparation needs to take place before partial knee replacement surgery for arthritis of the knee?
Patients undergoing mini knee surgery at the University of
Washington Medical Center 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.
At the University of Washington, surgeons will 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 partial knee replacement surgery for 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 partial knee replacement surgery for arthritis of the knee and where?
The mini knee requires an experienced orthopedic surgeon and the
resources of a large medical center. Patients have complex medical
needs and around surgery often require immediate access to a multiple
medical and surgical specialties and in-house medical, physical
therapy, and social support services.
How can surgeons experienced in partial knee replacement surgery for 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 your
surgeon is not only an experienced knee replacement surgeon; (s)he also
should have a high level of skill and experience with the
minimally-invasive approach.
Some questions to consider asking your knee surgeon:
- Are you board certified in orthopedic surgery?
- Have you done a fellowship (a year of additional training, beyond
the five years required to become an orthopedic surgeon) in joint
replacement surgery?
- For how long have you been performing the mini knee?
In what type of facility is partial knee replacement surgery for arthritis of the knee usually done?
A large hospital, usually with academic affiliation and equipped
with state of the art radiologic imaging equipment and intensive
medicine care unit is clearly preferable in the care of patients with
knee arthritis.
Surgery for arthritis of the knee at the University of Washington, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Seattle, Washington
If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss this procedure in Seattle, 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. Our clinical center is located in Seattle Washington, USA
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