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.
Dr. Vivek Mittal
Associate Director
BLK Centre for
Orthopaedics, Joint
Reconstruction &
Spine Surgery
BLK Super Speciality
Hospital, New Delhi