• What does total knee replacement surgery do?
• How can hip replacement help my pain?
• Why is anterior hip replacement better than traditional surgery?
• What is the patient experience like at Louisville Hip & Knee Institute?

More than 1.7 million hip and knee replacements are performed in the United States each year, making these surgeries one of the most common orthopaedic procedures today. Not only are total knee and hip replacements now fairly routine, they are long-lasting and effective.

The data shows 90% of replacement knees are still functioning after 15 years and 82% are still going strong 25 years later. Nearly 60% of hip replacements last 25 years or longer. However, most patients simply seek out these procedures as a relief from the chronic, debilitating pain stemming from arthritis in a worn-out joint.

One of our patients, Erv U., had a total knee replacement and a total right hip replacement from Joseph W. Greene, M.D., board-certified orthopaedic surgeon at the Louisville Hip & Knee Institute. Dr. Greene specializes in partial and total knee replacement, anterior hip replacement, and revision joint surgery. 

Dr. Greene was the perfect choice for Erv who says, “I feel absolutely fantastic.” Are these results typical? What can you expect from a total knee or total hip replacement (or both) at the Louisville Hip & Knee Institute? Let’s follow one patient’s journey to find out.

Total knee replacement, also known as knee arthroplasty, removes the damaged parts of the knee joint, and replaces them with an artificial joint. The most common reason for knee replacement is to restore function to a “bad” knee and to eliminate the pain and suffering from arthritis and inflammation. 

That was exactly why Erv sought relief from Dr. Greene. Today, he says, “When it comes to the knee, I have zero pain, no arthritic pain. I was totally impressed.” That relief of pain is worth the one-to-two-hour surgery, particularly because the end result is so dramatic. Patients typically are walking the same day of their surgery and can go home to recover completely. 

Total knee replacement can alleviate some of the suffering and joint immobility caused by:

• Joint deformities that cause knock knee or bowed legs
• Knee injuries, such as torn ligaments or broken bones
• Osteoarthritis caused by age or overuse of the joint, the most common reason for knee replacement
• Rheumatoid arthritis, in which the immune system attacks the interior linking of the knee
  

Total knee replacement surgery can be undertaken as a minimally invasive procedure today in an ambulatory surgery such as the Louisville Hip & Knee Institute. During knee arthroplasty, the orthopaedic surgeon removes the entire structure of the knee joint in a precision procedure designed specifically for the individual patient’s height, weight, and activity levels. Doctors can replace the damaged parts of the knee with an artificial prosthesis made of metal and plastic, then attach it firmly to the thigh bone, kneecap, and shin bone. This replacement is so strong we’re seeing patients still mobile 25 years after the surgery is performed.

Like total knee replacement, hip replacement surgery is designed to remove a worn out, arthritic, or otherwise damaged joint and replace it with an artificial prosthesis. Some of the common signs for needing hip replacement include:

• Hip pain that keeps you up at night
• Pain when walking or performing exercises
• Radiating hip and groin pain
• Stiffness and difficulty standing or sitting
• The inability to stand on one leg due to instability of the joint

Most patients pursue hip replacement after trying a variety of other treatments with their doctor. From over-the-counter pain relief, to steroids or other prescription medications, physical therapy, and more, these treatments can and do help patients for a time. However, at some point, these non-invasive efforts fail, which is when it’s time to seek surgical relief to restore the joint.

Erv had total knee replacement on his left knee in 2016. Erv was so pleased with the surgery outcomes, he came back to Dr. Greene for a total right hip replacement two years later. Today, Erv says that no longer having pain and being able to do the things he has done his entire life have been some of the greatest benefits of having these critical orthopaedic procedures. “I feel absolutely fantastic,” Erv says.

Erv benefited from anterior hip replacement, which is a less-invasive way of conducting the hip replacement over traditional surgery. The benefits of anterior hip replacement are that it has a shorter recovery period and less pain after the surgery. There are fewer complications because unlike the posterior or traditional surgery, the surgeon enters the hip through the front (anterior) of the body where there are fewer muscles to cut through or push aside. Typically, an anterior hip replacement requires no cut muscles, which means a patient like Erv can recover more quickly.

Erv says Dr. Greene explained the anterior hip replacement as “relatively new.” Anterior hip replacement surgery is an innovation that is more patient centered than traditional surgical approaches. The procedure has been done for the past 15 years or so and is growing in popularity. 

Erv says, “Two weeks after I had my hip replacement I was up and at ‘em 90%.” He continues, “A month later, I was 100%. No pain, no limits, nothing.”

Erv is a repeat customer of Louisville Hip & Knee Institute, having had two major orthopaedic surgeries with our team. He describes his experience at Louisville Hip & Knee as “complete professionalism.” Erv says that Dr. Greene “went over the x-rays with me…and he made me feel at home.” This kind of experience is typical of what you will go through when visiting our facility. The entire team is devoted to providing you with the best medical treatment in a comfortable setting designed entirely around getting you back to health. 

Erv concludes, “The biggest benefit I had with getting both of these done with Dr. Greene was getting back to a life of normalcy.” At Louisville Hip & Knee Institute, that is our goal. Talk with our team today about getting your life and health back. We’re here to help.