Pain After Knee Surgery

Knee joint is considered to be one of the largest joints in the human body. Any knee replacement surgery thus has to be conducted with utmost precision. Since knee surgery is not a minor surgery, pain after knee surgery has to be controlled by medication. Pain after knee surgery is however not intolerable. Doctors have been trying to find out various ways to minimize the pain after knee surgery and have been successful to some extent.

Postoperative activities for pain after knee surgery

Patients after a knee surgery are advised to spend a few days in hospital. The pain after knee surgery can vary from case to case; the patient is thus advised to consult doctors after the knee surgery on regular basis. There are a number of techniques which can catalyze the recovery period of the patient and the success of the surgery depends on the successful working of these recovery techniques.

Modern techniques

Traditional open types of surgeries are outdated now. Modern surgical techniques include arthroscopic technique and the early mobilization technique. These new techniques make it comparatively easy for the patient to bear the pain because these new techniques include less cuts and surgeries on the knee joint. An arthroscope is an electronic camera which is used in the surgery and which allows the surgeon to minimize cuts. Hence pain after knee surgery is quite tolerable.

The use of continuous passive motion machine has proved to be very fruitful during the recovery period. Continuous passive motion machine is a device which can smoothly move the operated leg and it becomes easier for the patient to recover from blood clotting the pain caused by it.

Patient controlled anesthesia (PCA) is another modern technique wherein patient can have medication as per his/her wish and the pain felt by the patient. The medication however is controlled by doctors and it can not exceed a certain limit.

Skin infection and stiffness

Skin infection and stiffness are some of the important factors which result into pain after knee surgery. The patient can complain of swelling of the operated leg or fever after the knee surgery. These are some of the common complications after the knee surgery. Drainage from the incision hole can cause pain after knee surgery and the patient should keep the doctor briefed about all these complications.

Hematoma after the knee surgery is very common. Pain after knee surgery is sometimes caused by Hematoma. This occurs when the skin loses its original color and appears blue, green or yellow. Phlebitis can also result into pain after knee surgery. Phlebitis occurs when a blood clot appears within a vein. This can happen despite the intake of blood thinners. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is a painful condition after knee surgery. This condition involves swelling, stiffness and unbearable pain after knee surgery. RSD makes it difficult for the patient to recover completely from the knee surgery.