If you’re dealing with pain in both of your knees that isn’t responding to conservative techniques, there’s a possibility that you would benefit from having both knees replaced with an artificial joint. Some patients opt to have their knees replaced at the same time, which is known as a bilateral knee replacement, while others opt to have one replaced and then have a second operation down the road. Both options present their own benefits and drawbacks, and we’re going to explain the positives and negatives of each in today’s blog.
Benefits And Drawbacks Of Bilateral Knee Replacement
Let’s start by looking at some of the reasons why someone would opt to have both knees replaced at the same time. There are a number of benefits to the bilateral knee replacement procedure, with the main benefit being that you only need to go through surgery and recovery once. Recovering from knee replacement surgery will take work, and many people prefer to go through a double knee replacement physical therapy program than to go through a single leg program twice. This is also a helpful option if you only have limited time away from work or you want to be fully recovered by a certain date, because you’ll spend more time recovering after two individual knee replacements than one bilateral recovery program.
We’re hesitant to call the following points drawbacks, but there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind if you are considering moving forward with a bilateral knee replacement. For starters, the surgical procedure is longer, and while you won’t really notice a difference in surgery length because you’ll be under anesthesia, longer surgeries inherently carry additional risks, so your doctor will want to ensure you are healthy enough for a 2-3 hour procedure. As we mentioned above, your total recovery time will be shorter if you pursue bilateral knee replacement, but recovering from a double knee replacement will be more physically challenging and at times more uncomfortable than recovering from a single surgical procedure. That said, many people aren’t exactly excited about the prospect of going through the recovery routine for a second time, so even though it may be more challenging, oftentimes it’s still preferred to going through a slightly easier recovery two times.
Benefits And Drawbacks Of Two Separate Knee Replacement Procedures
Many of the benefits and drawbacks we touch on in this section relate to the benefits and drawbacks we touched on above. For example, the main benefits of undergoing a knee replacement procedure on one knee and then having the other knee replaced at a later date are that the procedure is shorter and recovery is slightly easier, but this will require you to go through this recovery program a second time. It’s easier for your surgeon to account for possible issues during and after surgery when only one knee is being replaced, but a surgeon won’t recommend a double knee replacement if the patient has a high risk profile.
The biggest complaint from patients who undergo two separate knee replacement procedures is the fact that they need to go through the same 8-12 week recovery program a second time. You’ll really want to take a look at your life and see if it is feasible to be physically limited for two extended periods instead of one recovery period. Also, even though recovering from a single knee replacement procedure is easier, it’s not going to be a walk in the park. We always tell patients that you’ll get out what you put in, and while that motivates some, it intimidates others. If rehab was challenging the first time, you may not like the idea of needing to do it again when your other knee is replaced. We’ll do everything we can to make your recovery period comfortable and rewarding, but for the right candidate, we typically recommend that they strongly consider having both knees replaced at the same time.
For more information about single or double knee replacement, or for answers to other questions you have about joint replacement surgery, reach out to Dr. Botero and his team today at (865) 558-4444.
