Benefits of TKR & PKR

In most cases, a TKR or PKR surgery will relieve your knee pain and help your knee joint move better. You would be able to resume most of your daily activities such as walking and driving.

Types of Prostheses

1. Total Knee Replacement Prostheses

2. Partial Knee Replacement Prostheses

Limitations of TKR & PKR

As the prosthesis is not a perfect replacement for your natural knee, you will have to avoid participating in high-impact activities such as jumping or running that will place excessive stress on the knee.

More Information on Knee Replacement

Before Surgery

• You should inform your doctor of any medications you are currently taking, for example aspirin, or any known drug allergies you may have.
• There will be a pre-operative education program before the surgery to teach you what to prepare and how to prepare for the surgery

During Surgery

• Before the procedure, the anaesthesia team will administer either general or spinal anaesthesia.
• The surgery will last about two to three hours
• The metal components are secured to the ends of femur or tibia by bone cement. A plastic liner is attached in between to allow the femoral component to glide smoothly over the tibia and support the body weight.

After Surgery

• You may experience post-operative pain following the knee replacement. Your doctor will give you medications to manage the pain.
• You may also experience some stiffness in your operated leg. While at rest, you will be wearing compression pumps to encourage blood flow. You will also wear anti-embolism stockings to help prevent blood clot formation in the deep veins (called Deep Vein Thrombosis, or DVT).
• To aid recovery, you will need to undergo rehabilitation with our physiotherapist or nurse who will set specific goals for you to achieve.

Risks Associated with TKR Surgery

While serious post-operation complications are not common in TKR or PKR patients, potential complications that may occur (but not limited to) are:

• Bleeding/bruising
• Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Fracture
• Infection
• Loosening of implants
• Nerve and Blood Vessel Injury
• Numbness
• Stiffness/instability
• Stroke/Heart Attack

These risks will be explained to you in detail during your consultation with your doctor. Your doctor will also assess your health condition before the operation.

Length of Hospital Stay

• Patients who have undergone TKR procedure without complications usually stay in the hospital for 1 to 3 days.
• For PKR procedure, patients usually stay in the hospital for 1 to 2 days. Some patients can even be discharged on the same day, a few hours after the surgery.
• Your length of stay is dependent on how well you recover. Participating in physiotherapy sessions can help to speed up your recovery.