Knee Surgery – treatment in the Best Hospitals

Many injuries, inflammatory or degenerative diseases require knee surgery. It is important that the surgical procedure is performed in a good hospital by an experienced surgeon, since the function of the limb depends on the results of the intervention. The best hospitals abroad can perform surgery of any complexity. For some diseases, doctors use minimally invasive treatments. Many medical tourists visit foreign hospitals for knee replacement surgery. On the Booking Health website, you can choose a suitable orthopedic center and get information about the cost of treatment.

Content

1. Who may need knee surgery?
2. Knee replacement
3. After knee replacement
4. Meniscal repair surgery
5. Knee ligament surgery
6. Benefits of treatment abroad
7. Treatment in European hospitals with Booking Health

Who may need knee surgery? 

These operations are mostly performed for gonarthrosis or knee injuries.

An injury causes lesions to the bones, cartilage, ligaments, and joint capsule. The patient does not always need knee surgery. In many cases, conservative therapy and immobilization are sufficient. This is followed by rehabilitation to restore knee function.

But in many cases it is necessary to resort to surgery. It is mostly performed for meniscus tears, a complete tear of knee ligaments, and intra-articular bone fractures. Most operations abroad are performed using arthroscopic techniques. Thin long instruments are inserted into the knee through short incisions. After such operations, the recovery time is much shorter.

The surgeries are less often performed for tumors, severe inflammatory processes, congenital anomalies in the development of the musculoskeletal system. The surgeons abroad can perform operations of any complexity. They help restore knee function in almost all patients.

Knee replacement 

Knee replacement surgery is mainly performed for severe gonarthrosis. It is a degenerative disease of the knee with cartilage and bone tissue lesions. It is constantly progressing. There are no methods to repair the affected knees. The only radical treatment is total or partial knee replacement.

Whenever possible, the doctors perform partial knee replacement. This kind of knee replacement surgery is called unicompartmental. The operation has many benefits: natural knee movements, minimally traumatic surgery and quick recovery. However, the condition for partial knee replacement is the preservation of the ligamentous apparatus, limb muscles, as well as cartilage and bone tissue in the second half of the knee.

For knee osteoarthritis, total replacement surgery is often used. This surgical procedure involves the use of different types of artificial knee:

• Unconstrained prostheses. 
• Partially constrained prostheses. 
• Fully constrained prostheses. 

For the initial total knee replacement, an unconstrained or partially constrained prosthesis is used whenever possible. They allow preserving all or part of the knee ligaments. Such prostheses are more durable and provide better limb function.

The constrained prostheses are used less frequently in replacement surgery. They are used in severe cases: for knee replacement in case of cancer, bone deficiency, for repeated total knee replacement. The doctors usually use rotating hinge knee prostheses, while pure hinge ones are used less frequently. The latter differ in that they have a limited range of motion: they only make it possible to bend and unbend the leg at the knee. Any constrained prostheses are less functional than unconstrained ones and wear out faster after replacement.

Some patients with bilateral arthrosis require total knee replacement in both legs. The doctors abroad perform a single-stage bilateral replacement surgery. They replace two knees within a single surgical procedure. This approach provides a shorter duration of treatment and a more complete functional recovery of the patient.

After knee replacement 

After knee replacement, rehabilitation is required. Its duration is about several months.

The patient spends the first 2 weeks after knee replacement in the hospital. He performs the exercises while lying in bed. As soon as possible, a person gets up and walks with support on crutches. He receives drug therapy to prevent infectious and thromboembolic complications. One of the main goals of early rehabilitation after knee replacement is to combat swelling, inflammation and ensure normal healing of the knee tissues.

The patient is discharged 2-3 weeks after knee replacement. He can undergo further recovery in a rehabilitation center. The main method of rehabilitation is physical training. In 3-4 months, the knee function is fully restored. After its replacement, the person can return to an active life and get rid of chronic knee pain forever.

Meniscal repair surgery 

The most common indication for knee surgery is meniscal injury. It is usually damaged in young, physically active people. The improper or insufficient treatment can lead to the development of gonarthrosis in the next few years.

Here are the main types of interventions on the meniscus: 

• Meniscal suturing repair. 
• Meniscectomy (removal of the meniscus).
• Resection of the meniscus (partial removal). 

Whenever possible, the knee meniscus is sutured. However, this is not always possible, since the knee meniscus is poorly supplied with blood. When it breaks in the white zone devoid of blood vessels, regeneration is impossible. However, if the rupture occurs in the red or pink zone, then the meniscus may grow together after suturing. The advantage of the intervention is the complete preservation of the knee meniscus, but there is also a disadvantage: it will take several months to fully recover.

The resection of the knee meniscus is the most common surgical procedure for injuries. The doctor removes part of the cartilage lining that is causing pain or blocking movement in the knee. It takes only a month and a half to fully recover.

Meniscectomy is performed only in the most extreme cases. The knee meniscus is completely removed if it is not viable. In developed countries, meniscectomy is complemented by knee meniscus prosthetics. A pad made of artificial materials is implanted instead. If the meniscus is removed without prosthetic repair, the patient's knee will quickly collapse, and it will have to be replaced with an artificial endoprosthesis.

Knee ligament surgery 

Ligament injuries are most commonly suffered by athletes. The anterior cruciate ligament usually develops.

These injuries are treated with arthroscopic surgery. The ligament cannot be simply sutured together. The doctor actually needs to create a new ligament that will keep the knee stable. It is formed from the patient's own tissues, donor tissues or synthetic materials.

The doctors most often use the patient's own tissues, as they can better survive in the knee. The doctor looks at the quadriceps tendon of the thigh, the patella's own ligament, or the tendons of the knee flexors. The medical specialists abroad also use very strong "artificial ligaments"in order to avoid additional trauma to the donor site.

Benefits of treatment abroad 

Knee surgery can be performed in any country in the world. However, the quality of the operation determines whether the knee preserves its function, whether pain persists, whether there will be long-term complications, including gonarthrosis. Therefore, many patients choose to travel abroad for treatment in order to receive a higher level of medical care.

The cost of treatment abroad may be higher, but in the end, the total cost of treatment of knee diseases and injuries may be even less, since rehabilitation often takes less time and the risk of repeated surgical interventions is minimal.

Here are the main advantages of treating knee diseases abroad: 

• Most surgical procedures are performed using minimally invasive methods. The doctors use arthroscopy. They insert long thin instruments into the knee and perform the operation through short incisions.
• European specialists work according to international protocols. They do not perform unnecessary knee surgeries for those who can recover with only conservative therapy.
• The use of modern options for surgical interventions: more sparing, more effective, providing a minimum risk of complications and completely restoring the function of the knee.
• Knee replacement is performed using computer-assisted navigation. It allows implanting the components of the endoprosthesis very accurately, which greatly increases its service life.
• The use of high-quality endoprostheses from the best world manufacturers. They are highly wear-resistant and can last for decades. Most patients will never need the second prosthesis replacement surgery.
• The use of fast-track rehabilitation protocols. They help restore knee function faster after surgery, reduce the risk of complications, and shorten the length of hospital stay.
• Full-fledged late rehabilitation provides complete recovery of muscles, joint stability, and limb support ability. It allows the patient to return to an active life in the shortest possible time. 

Treatment in European hospitals with Booking Health 

To undergo treatment in European hospital, please use the services of Booking Health. On our website, you can get information about the cost of treatment in different hospitals, compare prices and book a medical care program at a favorable price.

Please contact the Booking Health specialists to undergo treatment in European hospital. We will provide the following benefits for you: 

• We will choose the best European hospital whose doctors specialize in certain types of knee surgery.
• We will help you overcome the language barrier, establish communication with your attending physician.
• We will reduce the waiting time for the start of the medical care program and book a doctor's appointment on the most suitable dates.
• We will reduce the price. The cost of treatment in European hospitals will be decreased due to the lack of additional coefficients for foreign patients.
• We will take care of all organizational issues: documents for entering the country, transfer from the airport, hotel, interpreter, etc.
• We will prepare a program and translate medical documents. You do not have to undergo previously performed diagnostic procedures.
• We will provide communication with the European hospital after the completion of the medical program.
• We will organize additional medical examinations and treatment in European hospitals, if necessary.
• We will buy medicines abroad and forward them to your native country. 
• We will help you keep in touch with the European hospital after the completion of the program. 

Booking Health makes treatment in European hospitals easier, faster and cheaper. We will fully organize your trip, and you will only have to focus on restoring your health.

Authors: Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko