A knee replacement is a decidedly unpleasant event. From the hassle of getting the surgery to the three-month recovery to the possibility of catching an infection while you're in the hospital, nothing aside from a possible balloon or flower delivery is very fun.
But knee surgery isn’t something we do for fun. It’s something we do because we think its the treatment we need — but it turns out, in a high number of cases, even that isn’t true.
A new paper finds that one-third of knee replacements are performed on patients who don’t fit the criteria for being a good knee replacement candidate. These are people who might have their problem solved by a less invasive treatment — but instead are undergoing a major surgery.
The best candidates for full knee replacement, research shows, are those who have intense symptoms and are over 55. But a lot of people who didn’t fit those criteria got the procedure anyway.
Dr. Dev Padia
Best Orthopaedic Fractures-Ligaments Injury Doctor and Expert Knee Replacement Surgeon, Surat.