Treatment methods for sequelae of knee replacement

In the last century, medicine was not well developed, and some friends underwent knee replacements, which were not scientific in medicine. It is inevitable that it will bring serious impacts to your body, such as the sequelae of knee replacement. So when this situation occurs, how should we treat it? Let me introduce it to you below.

The most serious complication of total joint replacement surgery is the occurrence of lower limb venous thrombosis (DVT), which can lead to various serious consequences. If it further develops into pulmonary embolism (PE), the risk of death will be extremely high. Our former Defense Minister Luo Ruiqing underwent artificial hip replacement surgery in Germany and died of pulmonary embolism after the operation.

High-risk factors for lower extremity venous thrombosis include: hip and knee surgery, old age, trauma, previous history of venous thromboembolism, obesity, paralysis, immobilization, use of tourniquet during surgery, general anesthesia, malignant tumors, central venous catheterization, chronic venous valve insufficiency, etc. The more risk factors there are, the greater the likelihood of occurrence. I once had a patient who was able to walk 3 days after hip replacement surgery. However, after being discharged from the hospital (3 weeks after surgery), he suffered a cerebral infarction and subsequently died of complications. It was a pity.

There are three measures to prevent lower extremity venous thrombosis.

1. Basic prevention, including encouraging patients to turn over frequently, early functional exercises, get out of bed and move around, and do deep breathing and coughing movements. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Improve your lifestyle, such as quitting smoking, drinking, and controlling blood sugar and blood lipids.

2. Physical prevention, using gradient pressure elastic stockings, etc., using mechanical principles to accelerate venous blood flow in the lower limbs, reduce blood retention, and reduce the incidence of deep vein thrombosis in the lower limbs after surgery. During my further studies in Germany, I found that German doctors generally use 15cm wide elastic bandages to replace elastic stockings, which also achieves good results and has better cost-effectiveness. This method is also widely used in our orthopedic center.

After understanding the sequelae of knee replacement, everyone should pay more attention to their health in daily life. Especially during the operation, they must choose a regular large hospital for surgical treatment to avoid leaving sequelae after the operation.