Complications Of Joint Replacement Surgery
It is fair to say that you have about a 96% chance that you will go through the operation without any significant complication occurring.
- Blood clots in the veins of the legs : We administer blood thinning drugs to help prevent clots from forming after your surgery.
- Infection : The risk of an infection in first-time knee replacement is currently reported as being about 0.5%. We operate in a laminar flow operating room in which special filters provide clean air, free of most bacteria. Antibiotics given to you before, during and after the operation further help to lower the rate of infection.
Loosening of the prosthesis from the bone is the most important long-term problem. The longevity of the bond depends on the following factors :
- How well the surgery is done.
- The quality of your bones.
- Whether of not the implant is cemented.
- The design of the implant.
- Wear of the plastic polyethyline socket starts from the day of surgery. The plastic socket is the weakest link in the hip implants in current use worldwide. The rate of plastic wear against a metal ball is about 0.1 millimeters per year, but is more rapid in very active patients.
- Dislocation of replacement occurs in a small percentage of patients.
- Extra bone formation: This is more likely to occur in younger males with severe osteoarthritis.
- Fracture of the femur in HIP surgery rarely occurs during replacement. This can be a small crack or a major fracture. It is more common during revision surgery, but can occur with first time hip replacement.
- Residual pain and stiffness can occur. In virtually all cases the surgery will make a significant improvement in your pain and mobility. In most cases, you will have no pain at all, and the hip will feel "normal".
- In HIP surgery the length of the leg may be changed by the surgery. Getting leg lengths exactly right can be very difficult. Some leg length difference may be unavoidable. Sometimes the leg will be deliberately lengthened in order to stabilize the hip or to improve muscle function.
- Injury to the arteries or nerves of the leg is an exceedingly rare but possible complication. The major arteries of the leg lie close to the front of the hip joint. The damaged vessel can usually be repaired by a vascular surgeon if recognized in time. If the nerves to the leg are injured, they usually recover; but it may take 6 months or more.
- In KNEE surgery, wound healing can occasionally be a problem after knee replacement. If it occurs it may require skin grafting and possibly "rotation" of a muscle from the calf to cover the implant and prevent it from becoming infected. Fat legs are more prone to this complication.
- In KNEE surgery nerve damage can (rarely) occur with knee replacement. The most common nerve damaged the nerve to the muscles which bring the foot up toward the face (the peroneal nerve). If it does occur, the affected nerve usually recovers after 6 to 12 months.
- In KNEE surgery injuries to the arteries of the leg is a remotely possible but serious complication. The major arteries of the leg lie just behind the knee joint. Arterial injury can usually be repaired by a vascular surgeon. If not, you could even lose your leg. The chance of this occurring is extremely small.
- Bleeding Complications :(Hematoma Formation) Sometimes bleeding can occur into the wound several days after surgery.
- Fat Embolism: Fat from the bone marrow can get into the circulation and cause lung or neurological symptoms. This is a very rare complication.
- Numbness around part of the wound is common and permanent. Never apply hot packs to the area since you could burn the skin.
