When Would A Knee Doctor Recommend Surgery?

If there’s one thing that people living with knee pain want, that is to get rid of it. To address the pain, knee doctors usually exhaust all conservative methods of treatment, such as physical therapy and medications. However, when such options fail to provide satisfactory pain relief, surgery may be the only recourse.

Let’s talk about all the other signs that may prompt your knee doctor that it’s time to recommend surgery –and when it may be too soon.

Signs It May Be Time for Knee Replacement Surgery

Your knee doctor would recommend knee surgery if you have the following symptoms/conditions:

• Visible knee deformity
• Unabating symptoms
• Sleep deprivation
• Joint stiffness that causes immobility and/or walking with a limp
• Depression

The biggest indicators that it may be time for knee replacement surgery are severe, debilitating pain and immobility, which are most prevalent in people between the ages of 50 and 80. This is attributable to the fact that the ability of cartilage to heal significantly decreases with age.

Knee replacement surgery is one of the most successful orthopedic surgeries ever performed. There now has been a minimally invasive technique for knee surgery that can reduce the recovery time.

Your commitment to recovery plays an important role in reaping the full benefits of your knee replacement. Over 90 percent of people who get knee replacement surgery are able to return to their normal activities and are happy with the results.

However, as with any type of surgery, there are still risks associated with knee replacement surgery, and it is equally important to discuss the risks with your knee doctor.

Signs It May Be Too Soon for Knee Replacement Surgery

It may be too early for knee surgery if any of these ring true:

• There are less invasive pain management approaches you still have not yet tried, such as corticosteroid injections
• You are able to walk without limping and without needing assistive devices
• You are overweight and are still working on getting down to a normal weight
• You have type 2 diabetes and have not been able to manage your blood glucose levels

Knee Doctor in St. Peters & O’Fallon, MO

At Advanced Bone & Joint, our highly-skilled, board-certified knee doctor, Dr. John W. McAllister II, is the expert that you need for your knee pain. Dr. McAllister has extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of a gamut of orthopedic conditions, such as those that cause knee pain. He makes sure to exhaust all non-surgical and less invasive options before recommending surgery.

If your situation calls for it, Dr. McAllister has already performed numerous surgeries and has helped dozens of our patients return to a pain-free life, so you can rest assured that you’re in good hands.

If you would like to make an appointment with Dr. McAllister, call us at (636) 229-4222 or use our convenient online request form now.