How Long Is Recovery Time?
A variety of conditions can lead to people needing joint replacements. Sometimes degenerative conditions like arthritis lead to sustained damage over time, while athletes may face overuse or sudden trauma injuries that require care. Joint replacement surgery can be applied to any joint in the body but some of the most common procedures are for the hips and knees. In the past, this type of surgery was incredibly invasive and was associated with lengthy recovery timelines. Thankfully, modern innovations have led to minimally invasive surgery techniques that are changing that reality.
Open versus minimally invasive
Historically, joint replacement was managed as an open surgery. The label means that a large incision was used, multiple tissues would be disturbed, and the process was managed as an inpatient treatment. As a result, recovery timelines were extended with knee replacements taking up to 3-6 months to get back to regular daily life and a full year to achieve maximum strength and movement. With hip surgery, the timeline was 2-3 months for daily activities and a full year or longer for maximum mobility and strength. Compare those figures with minimally invasive surgery (MIS), which is 4-6 weeks for daily activity for both surgeries, and 3 months for full functionality for hips and 3-6 months for full recovery for knees.
Deciding partial or total
Joint replacement surgery is officially referred to as arthroplasty. The operation is designed to replace damaged joints with the use of prosthetic materials. A variety of mediums can be used including metal, ceramic, or even plastic depending on the extent of the damage and the activity level of the patient. Joint replacements can be performed as either partial or total surgeries. A partial only removes damaged parts, while a total will completely replace the portion of the bone in the affected joints. Multiple factors will influence the extent of the surgery including how much damage is present, or if a risk for progressing bone damage is possible.
Benefits of MIS treatment
Faster recovery times are one of the biggest draws for MIS joint replacement. Because smaller incisions are made and smaller instruments are used, less tissue is disturbed which helps to reduce timelines along with pain and discomfort. As a result, MIS joint replacement is usually treated as an outpatient procedure. Patients are able to walk around the same day as treatment, and go home too.
Making the case for MIS
While MIS joint replacement tends to be the standard treatment option, not every patient is a good candidate. Specific observed issues can disqualify people including having a high body mass index (BMI), significant joint deformities, inflammatory arthritis or a history of extensive surgery in the affected area. Similarly, people with uncontrolled health issues like diabetes, smokers, and even having an active infection might also be a problem because of the risk of increased complications.
