Revision Knee Surgery

A revision knee surgery is when a second surgery needed for a total knee replacement after the primary surgery.

Overview of procedure

A 3-4 inch incision will be made on the front of the knee
The tendons are pulled to the side to expose the joint to allow for assessment of the damage to the prosthesis.
The physician will remove some or all of the parts of the original prosthesis and replaces these metal and plastic parts with new ones.
The patient may need a bone graft or to rebuild part of the bone with metal augmented parts.
The patient may need a specialized implant with longer stems that fit deeper inside the bone for more support
Due to technical aspects of the revision knee surgery being more complex, the surgery is longer than a primary total knee replacement surgery and will last 2-3 hours.

Knee replacements can fail after a certain amount of time. High impact activities, excessive body weight, and wearing down of plastic spacer in between the two metal implants all pre-dispose the implant for wearing down or loosening.
Younger patients may “outlive” their prosthesis and therefore need another.
Recommended when there is an infection in the joint
Recommended when there is instability due to ligament damage, stiffness, or fractures around the components of the replacement.
A revision knee surgery is performed to fix a complication and restore pain-free function
Each surgery is unique and individualized due to the needs and complications from the first surgery.
The revision knee surgery is a longer more complex procedure that requires extensive planning as well as specialized implants and tools.

Technical aspects of a revision knee surgery are more complex. Therefore, recovery can be slower than with the first surgery.

After surgery patient is taken to a recovery room and then to their in-patient hospital room. The normal duration of stay after revision knee surgery is approximately 1-3 days.
Physical therapy to restore range of motion will begin immediately after surgery as well as medications to control pain and thin the blood to reduce clots.
Once the patient can walk and pain is controlled they can be discharged from the hospital\
The first post-operation office visit will be at approximately 2 weeks. Following appointments will be made 6 weeks post-op and 12 weeks post-op.

A revision surgery is required is the original knee replacement has worn out or is causing pain or instability
This revision procedure can restore function and allow patients to move better and more pain free