FAST FORWARD
TO RELIEF

The Difference Fast Track Knee Replacement
can make for Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee Replacement is one of the most successful Orthopaedic procedures and has been practised widely over the past 30 years. A vast number of the world’s population, especially women, suffer from Osteoarthritis of the knee joint. The prevalence of Knee Osteoarthritis above the age of 60 years is around 85%. As the ageing population continues to surge, Joint Replacement surgeries will also increase in time to come. The number of Knee Replacements that happen in India alone is around 1.5 lakh per year at present, and it is expected to grow by at least 20% annually.


"Fast Track Knee Replacements aim for optimising perioperative management using a multidisciplinary and individualised patient approach and allows an earlier discharge from the hospital."
Recently, there has been a significant improvement in terms of technology, surgical technique and understanding of kinematics of the knee joint. Postoperative pain management and focused physiotherapy have made a huge difference in recovery.

Fast Track Total Knee Replacement is a new way of personalised care for Knee Osteoarthritis patients. This technique is also a preferred treatment option at BLK Super Speciality Hospital. The main objective of this technique is to make Knee Replacement procedure less painful, facilitate quicker recovery and early return to normal lifestyle, lesser need for prolonged physiotherapy and ultimately achieving good results. This is a team effort

and requires intensive involvement of Anaesthetist, Intensivist, Physiotherapist along with the surgeon to achieve desired results.

All Knee Replacement surgeries performed at BLK Hospital are protocol driven. Usually, the patients are investigated along with pre-anaesthetic check-up on an outpatient basis. Latest anaesthesia techniques along with minimally invasive surgical procedures are used. This involves smaller skin incisions, minimal tissue dissection and less blood loss. Mostly, these patient are operated without tourniquet leading to lesser thigh pain and early recovery



Post-operative pain management involves multimodal techniques with epidural analgesia with PCA pumps and oral analgesics. Overall, these modifications have resulted in reduced post-operative pain. The patient is made to walk 2-4 hours after the surgery with the help of support. By the third day after surgery, the patient is able to walk to the washroom and is self-supporting. Most patients with bilateral Total Knee Replacement leave the hospital on the 4th day with minimal support and return for suture removal fourteen days after the surgery usually without any support. Quick discharge has an added advantage of cutting down hospital expenditures, reduce hospitalacquired infections and improve patient satisfaction rates.