The knee and hip implants are designed to last for many years. They improve the patient’s mobility and help them carry out their day-to-day job with ease. However, these implants can fail. It can simply occur when the lifespan of the artificial joints ends or it fails due to other complications. The usual life of a successful total knee replacement is about 20 years. It may however vary under individual circumstances. If primary surgery is not successful then a revision knee replacement surgery is required where a part or the whole of the previous knee/hip replacement surgery in Thane needs to be revised. There are several reasons for the failure of knee implants.
If the implant fails to function properly, the patient might need revision surgery to replace the torn artificial joint with a new one. It is called revision surgery. You may need to undergo a hip or knee replacement revision surgery within 2-5 years of the initial surgery. Fortunately, you may not need revision surgery at all.
Revision Surgery: Everything You Need to Know
First things first, the revision surgery includes the implants that do not guarantee a lifespan as long as the initial hip or knee replacement surgery. For example, if your current prosthesis has a lifespan of 20 years, the same in the revision surgery will last 10 years or less. Besides, the second surgery involves a greater risk of complications.
That’s because the hip surgeon replaces the original prosthetic parts with new implants, leaving little to no bone for support. In some cases, the surgeon may transplant a piece of bone from other parts of your body to the knee or hip joints to provide adequate support to the new prosthesis. As it involves more risk, the procedure could be difficult to perform and requires the best hip surgeon in Mulund. Specialized tools and pre-planning for the surgery are a must to ensure a successful operation.
Risks of Joint Replacement Surgery
The procedure carries a higher risk than the initial surgery. Not only does it involve a specialized tool, but it takes longer for the surgeon to perform this operation. They have to save as much bone for the support as possible.
Here are the complications that might arise following the revision surgery:
- Reduced mobility
- Higher risk of infection around the wound (immediately after the surgery)
- Outright device failure
- A bone fracture
In some patients, some portions of the new implants break into tiny pieces and collect around your knee joint.
When and Why Do You Need Revision Surgery?
If you have had knee replacement surgery in Thane, India, you need to watch the signs of infection or prosthesis failure for the first few months. The most common reason why you may need a revision surgery is that your prosthesis starts to wear (which happens in 10-20 years following the surgery).
Other reasons include:
- Infection around the wound that leads to fluid buildup
- Loosening the implant because of intensive physical activities
- Loss of bone that supports your joint device
- Bone fracture around the implant
- Joint dislocation
Infections after knee replacement surgery rarely occur as the doctors take the best safety precautions during the operation. If it does occur, you may have to undergo revision surgery to replace the knee or hip joints with a new implant.
