Knee endoprosthetics in Turkey
When, due to joint disease, a person loses the ability to move normally, in many cases, only knee arthroplasty will help to restore the joy of movement. More than 90 percent of people who underwent this operation expect a complete disappearance of pain syndrome and a significant increase in mobility for the possibility of a normal, active life. However, total knee arthroplasty cannot do more than you could before developing arthritis.
The knee joint is a complex three-piece system. If all parts of the joint are worn out, a complete prosthesis is implanted, if one or two parts are worn out, a one- or two-section prosthesis is chosen.
Features of knee arthroplasty in hospitals in Turkey
Before surgery, preliminary tests are carried out: a complete blood count, a test for electrolyte disturbances, an assessment of blood clotting, a chest X-ray, an ECG and selection of donor blood parameters for a possible transfusion. Accurate X-ray images of the affected knee are also needed to obtain the dimensions of the components of the future prosthesis.
When planning knee replacement surgery in Turkey, the patient should do a series of exercises daily to strengthen the hip, knee and ankle. About a month before surgery, the patient is given iron supplements to increase the hemoglobin level in the blood. Over the course of a few days, medications such as Warfarin and Aspirin are prescribed to reduce the amount of bleeding.
The operation takes about two hours on average. The surgeon removes the damaged cartilage and part of the bone and then installs new metal and polymer articular surfaces in order to restore the axis of the limb and the function of the knee joint.
Many different types of prostheses are currently used for total knee arthroplasty. Almost all of them are made up of three components: the femoral component (made of highly polished, durable metal), the tibial component (composed of a strong polymer, often located on a metal platform), and the patella (also polymer).
The length of stay in the hospital until complete rehabilitation is 21 days on average. However, they may vary slightly, depending on the patient's condition, mobility and flexibility of the operated leg.
In general, despite the complexity and large volume of the operated space, this operation is tolerated by patients quite easily.
Surgery is performed under general anesthesia or epidural anesthesia. Epidural anesthesia is used for patients with heart problems and other patients if general anesthesia is contraindicated for them.
Prostheses:
The clinics use endoprosthesis from the world's leading manufacturers (Smith & Nephew, DePuy, Lima, Stryker). If the patient has a model that he prefers, his wishes can be taken into account when choosing a model. The service life of the installed prosthesis is designed for 25-30 years, but largely depends on the personal characteristics of the patient and his lifestyle: weight, habits, sports activity (a patient who continues to actively engage in mountain skiing has a higher risk of damaging the prosthesis than a person leading a moderate lifestyle). The wear of the prosthesis is also affected by the correct gait and the muscle corset of the knee.
Rehabilitation:
The patient is put on his feet already on the 1st and 2nd day after the operation. The main postoperative rehabilitation is carried out in specialized centers at the clinics, the patient is discharged when he is able to independently move with the help of a cane or crutch. Upon returning home, the patient can independently continue the rehabilitation course at home, for this, the rehabilitation specialists will give full instructions. The most important advantage of undergoing postoperative rehabilitation in the clinic is that you are under the supervision of the same doctor who performed the operation. The patient does the required amount of exercises and uses specialized equipment under the supervision of a professional rehabilitation ordinary life.
