1️⃣Be Prepared Both Physically and Mentally

Going into total knee replacement surgery, you must be as strong as possible both physically and mentally.

Try and engage in pre-operative exercises to strengthen the muscles around your knee, most especially your quadriceps. If it’s too painful, at least try some weight-bearing exercises or activities like swimming and cycling to be in better shape at the moment of surgery. This will make a huge difference in your recovery process.

At the same time, if you have any other existing medical conditions, like diabetes or hypertension, manage them beforehand to minimize complications. 

If you smoke, it’s highly recommended that you stop smoking at least 6 weeks before the surgery and 6 weeks after.

You can also start following an eating plan that’s rich in fruits, vegetables, and protein which will be highly beneficial for healing after your surgery.

→Curious about how a total knee replacement surgery works? Check out our educational video

2️⃣Prepare in Advance for Your Postoperative

After surgery, you are likely to have your life changed. You’ll need help getting around and your day-to-day life will be different:

• If you have an upstairs bedroom or bathroom, going up the stairs can be challenging the first few days after surgery. Be sure to have everything you need on one level.
• You can feel sore and even extremely tired after surgery. 
• Have ice packs ready or an ice machine to help with inflammation.

3️⃣Set Real Expectations 

Total knee replacement surgery is a huge surgery and having realistic expectations is important. Recovery journeys look different for everyone, what may work for someone may not work for you.

Overall, most patients start feeling some improvements by week 3 to 6 post-op. During this time, you have an activity program so you slowly regain mobility on the knee. On the three-month mark, you will likely feel much better and will want to get back to a more active lifestyle. 

4️⃣Understand How Your New Knee Works

You will see great improvement in your knee motion, but it’s highly unlikely that you can have full restored motion. You can expect to be able to almost fully straighten the knee and bend it succicnetly as to climb stairs or get in and out of a car.

Kneeling can feel uncomfortable, but it’s nothing to worry about.

You can also feel some numbness in the skin around the incisions and numbness with excessive bending activities.

Most patients feel or hear some sort of clicking of the metal and plastic when walking, don’t be alarmed as this is completely normal.

 not to be taken lightly, and this is particularly important when it comes to ailments that might affect your quality of life or your autonomy. Hence, you should ideally consider only a medical professional with enough proven experience to give you peace of mind.

When considering a doctor, ask them questions about the kind of patients they have treated, and the equipment or methods they use to treat rotator cuff tears. Nowadays you can find trustworthy reviews all over the internet, so a thorough Google search can give you a good headstart.

Total Knee Replacement Surgeon in Texas: Schedule an Appointment With Eric Berkman, MD

Dr. Eric Berkman is board certified in orthopedic surgery and has been in practice since 1996 and he specializes in knee treatment. The majority of his treatment is non-surgical, but should this not suffice, he will provide you with the best personalized surgical care.

He makes a point of offering extensive and thorough treatment to patients as young as 13 years-old. Dr. Berkman is also the author of several medical articles and was voted by his colleagues as one of Houston’s Top Docs for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 by H-Texas Magazine

If you have any questions about total knee replacement surgery, schedule an appointment with Eric Berkman, MD through this link.