Should You Opt For A Minimally Invasive Knee Replacement Surgery

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Should You Opt For A Minimally Invasive Knee
Replacement Surgery? Both traditional knee
replacement and minimally invasive knee
replacement are performed to lessen, and even
eliminate, chronic knee pain that may have
aroused due to arthritis or injury in the knee.
Both these surgeries require cutting of the soft
tissue and bone in order to implant artificial
knee components. But, the difference is that
minimally invasive knee replacement requires a
smaller skin incision thus lesser cutting of
other soft tissues, muscles, ligaments, and
tendons. This knee surgery shows how the medical
field is continually evolving to improve
outcomes for patients. However, this is not a
widely used surgery procedure as it requires
deep thinking and knowledge by surgeons. And,
just like any other surgery, this surgical
procedure also has both pros and cons, which
makes it inappropriate for all knee replacement
patients. So, let us look at the pros and cons
in detail to help you know if you can undergo a
minimally invasive knee replacement, or will
have to stick to the traditional Total Knee
Replacement in Bangalore.
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• How do both surgeries differ?
• Traditional knee replacement requires an 8-12
  inch incision down the middle of the knee, while
  minimally invasive knee replacement requires an
  incision of only 3-6 inches.
• In a traditional knee replacement surgery, the
  surgeon needs to cut through quadriceps muscles
  at the front of the thigh, the quad tendon that
  attaches four quadriceps muscles to the kneecap,
  and the surrounding soft tissue. Whereas, in the
  minimally invasive knee replacement surgery, the
  muscles and tendons are not cut, but are only
  lifted or pushed out of the way.
• The surgeon turns over the kneecap to 180 degrees
  to have full access to the point where the femur
  and tibia meet, in the traditional knee
  replacement surgery. But, in minimally invasive
  knee replacement, the kneecap is only pushed
  aside. Also, the tibia is not dislocated from the
  femur in a minimally invasive knee replacement
  surgery, which is not the case in a traditional
  surgery.
• Advantages of minimally invasive surgery
• Smaller incision
• Less damage to skin, soft tissue, muscles,
  ligaments, and tendons
• Less blood loss during surgery
• Less pain after surgery
• Faster recovery
• Because of lesser damage and smaller incision,
  there is lesser blood loss during a minimally
  invasive surgery. Also, lesser pain and faster
  recovery is often seen. And, faster recovery
  means patients can resume their everyday
  activities sooner than those who undergo a
  traditional knee replacement surgery. Moreover,
  minimally invasive surgery requires a shorter
  hospital stay. Where traditional surgery
  requires 3-7 days in the hospital, minimally
  invasive surgery requires the patient to stay
  for only 2 to 5 days.

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• Disadvantages of minimally invasive surgery
• After considering the above points, you would
  definitely prefer to undergo a minimally
  invasive surgery. But, before you finalize your
  decision, make sure to look at the below
  mentioned disadvantages of this surgery too.
• This surgery takes a longer time to perform.
• This is a technically demanding surgery because
  it gives the surgeon limited view of the joint.
• This surgery may have unknown potential risks.
• The skin and soft tissue can be stretched and
  torn during surgery.
• There is likelihood of the knee components being
  poorly fit or misaligned.
• So now, if you are planning to undergo a knee
  replacement surgery, you must speak to your
  surgeon about the potential advantages and
  disadvantages that the surgery may have in
  respect to your condition, health, and lifestyle.

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