Introduction
Knee surgery refers to the replacement of the entire or part of the knee. In most cases, knee surgery is necessitated by the occurrence of numerous infections and/or diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. The main reason as to why I have chosen to discuss about knee surgery is that most people are unaware of the various processes involved. From a personal perspective, I also intend to use this research to understand the specific processes involved in knee surgery such as history, advancements in knee surgery and the various infections associated with the process among other perspectives.
History of Knee Surgery
In the year 1891, renowned surgeon, Theophilus Gluck from Germany became the first ever person to carry out knee surgery in the world. During his surgical procedures (largely experimental), Gluck used various types of synthetic materials to replace parts of the knee. In subsequent years, Gluck made significant improvements to knee surgery including the use of joints derived from ivory while making replacements. (O’Neill, 2008)
Building on Gluck’s work, extensive improvements to knee surgery were made throughout the 20th Century more so in Europe and the United States of America. For instance, Leslie Gordon spearheaded the use of modern surgical procedures in knee replacement surgery in the mid-1950s. (Jackson, 2008)
Other notable pioneers who played a significant role towards the improvement of knee surgery include Frank Gunston and John Charnley. Despite these developments, it is important to highlight that numerous challenges have characterized knee surgery processes over the years. Among the most notable challenges pertained to loosening of the knee joint some years after knee surgery. Furthermore, some recipients of knee surgery reported restrained movement as a result of continuous wear of the synthetic material used during the operation. (Cushner, 2006)
Significant breakthrough in knee surgery was made when a team of top medical researchers from Massachusetts developed a synthetic replacement material derived from plastic in the year 1974. This innovation was characterized by minimal complications as compared to previous approaches towards knee surgery. (O’Neill, 2008)
Improvements in Knee Surgery
As briefly highlighted in the previous section, knee surgery has been characterized by numerous improvements over the years. In most cases, these improvements have been necessitated by the various complications associated with knee surgery; however, other improvements have been aimed at enhancing the quality of outcome among patients. Prior to examining the various improvements that have been made in knee surgery, it is essential to pinpoint that numerous research frameworks are on-going in different parts of the world as pertains to the enhancement of the process. (Dabboussi, 2012)
This indicates that knee surgery might be subjected to further improvements in the near future upon the successful completion of these kinds of research studies. One of the most recent developments pertains to the introduction of minimally invasive surgery. This refers to a surgical process that involves shallow incisions into the patient’s knee. As a result of this approach, the patients spend less time in hospital upon the successful completion of the knee surgery. (Ponzer, 2010)
In addition, the minimally invasive operation is associated with minimal post-surgery complications as compared to other surgical procedures. Despite the fact that minimally invasive surgery brings about excellent results in terms of patient outcome, it is associated with high costs and as such, most people struggle to finance the huge bills. Advancements in medicine have also facilitated for the knee surgery that encompasses the replacement of the entire knee joint.
Prior to the 1970s, it was very hard for surgeons to replace the entire knee joint among arthritis patients; this was occasioned by the fact that there was lack of sufficient synthetic materials to replace the knee joint. Furthermore, knee surgeons were wary of the possibility of complications during the post-surgery recovery process. Improvements in knee surgery have also been characterized by the increased specialization of operation procedures; for instance, some knee replacement procedures are specifically aimed at the hinge joints. (Cushner, 2006)
Knee surgery pertaining to the posterior cruciate ligament has also been streamlined in order to perform substitution surgical procedures and specialized retention surgery. From a different perspective, improvements in knee surgery have also been characterized by the extensive use of modern technology. As opposed to previous approaches, modern knee surgery encompasses the use of exemplary anesthetic methods in order to streamline the surgical process. Improvements in knee surgery have also facilitated for the integration of specialized computer technological systems in order to enhance the quality of patient outcome. For instance, during the diagnosis phase, knee surgeons analyze the actual condition of the ligaments and joints using high quality x-ray systems. (O’Neill, 2008)
Infections of Knee Surgery
As mentioned above, exemplary improvements and/or advancements have characterized knee surgery in recent years. However, it is extremely essential to note that there are different kinds of infections that might occur as a result of knee surgery. Even though knee surgery infections rarely occur, it is vitally important that the patient fully understands about the potential risks prior to the surgery.
This facilitates for conscious decision making as far as the patient’s well-being is concerned. The infections associated with knee surgery are mainly classified into two main categories; the intra-operative and post-operative infections. (Ponzer, 2010)As the name suggests, intra-operative infections refer to infections that occur during the operation stage; on the other hand, the post operative category encompasses knee surgery infections that occur during the recovery phase. Even though fatal complications are extremely rare, serious post-operative and intra-operative infections might claim the life of patients.
One of the most notable infections in the intra-operative category pertains to the injury on a major nerve or artery. The risk of such injuries is quite high for knee surgery involving penetrative incisions; an injury to a major artery curtails the normal functioning of the entire circulatory system. (Ponzer, 2010)
On the other hand, an injury to a major nerve during knee surgery inhibits the normal functioning of the entire nervous system. (Jackson, 2008)The introduction of minimally invasive surgery has tremendously reduced the risk of contracting these kinds of infections. Intra-operative complications of knee surgery might also encompass ligament injury; such an injury complicates the recovery process. During knee surgery, the femur and tibia are also prone to serious fractures and complications might necessitate amputation. (Dabboussi, 2012)With regard to post-operative infections, some patients might develop persistent swells. Swelling usually occurs along the incision sites and is usually characterized by intolerable pain. Consequently, the patient might require additional injections for the purposes of reliving pain.
Additionally, such swellings create an enabling environment for bacterial infections and this might seriously curtail the recovery process; the condition becomes even worse when the bacterial infection spreads to other parts of the limb. As with the femur and tibia fractures, complications in bacterial infections might necessitate amputation in order to enhance the patient’s quality of life. The deep wounds resulting from knee surgery might not heal completely and the patient has to live in pain; such wounds are also potential sites for bacterial infections.
Another serious complication associated with knee surgery pertains to hematomas. In essence, this infection encompasses the loss of blood not only during the knee surgery but also during the recovery phase. However, the risk of contracting hematomas during knee surgery has been tremendously minimized with the increased use of specialized procedures that are based on modern technological platforms for surgery. (O’Neill, 2008)
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is another complication associated with knee surgery; it is characterized by uneasiness and persistent anxiety among the patients. Even though rare, this complication takes a long time to manage and as such, comprises the patient’s quality of life. (Ponzer, 2010)
Outcomes of Knee Surgery
As with any other kind of operation, the outcomes of knee surgery might not necessarily depict the intended goal. This is occasioned by numerous factors such as the patient’s immune system, the post operative prescriptions provided by the surgeon, the specific approach used during the surgery and the like. In almost all cases of knee surgery, the main goal concerns the improvement and/or enhancement of the patient’s quality of life. However, is some instances, knee surgery might seriously compromise the patient’s quality of life particularly if the post-operative infections and/or complications are persistent. (Ponzer, 2010)
Despite the possibility of these kinds of instances, the most outcomes of knee surgery are associated with excellent results in that the patient leads a normal life after full recovery. Even in instances whereby the patient does not recover fully, his or her quality of life is significantly enhanced as compared to the situation prior to the knee surgery. It is extremely crucial to note that positive results are not always guaranteed after knee surgery; for instance, some surgical procedures such as the removal of meniscus increase the likelihood to contracting arthritis. Additionally, some patients have to endure pain throughout their lives due to the nature of some surgical procedures such as penetrative knee surgery. (Jackson, 2008)
Conclusion
The paper has comprehensively addressed numerous important perspectives as pertains to knee surgery. The research has equipped me with useful knowledge with regard to the historical perspectives of knee surgery. For instance, I have learnt that a significant breakthrough in knee surgery was made when a team of top medical researchers from Massachusetts developed a synthetic replacement material derived from plastic in the year 1974. As far as improvements in knee surgery are concerned, I have learnt that one of the most recent developments pertains to the introduction of minimally invasive surgery. It encompasses a surgical process that involves shallow incisions into the patient’s knee.
As a result of this approach, the patients spend less time in hospital upon the successful completion of the knee surgery. In terms of infections associated with knee surgery, I have learnt that there are two main categories including the intra-operative and post-operative infections. Intra-operative infections refer to infections that occur during the operation stage; on the other hand, the post operative category encompasses knee surgery infections that occur during the recovery phase.
References
Cushner, F. & Scott, W. (2006). Surgical techniques for the knee, NY: Thieme Medical Publishers
Dabboussi, N. & Girard, J. (2012). Minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty,North American Journal of Medical Sciences, 4(2), 81-85
Jackson, D. W. (2008). Reconstructive knee surgery, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
O’Neill, D. F. (2008). Knee surgery: The essential guide to total knee recovery,St. Martin’s Press
Ponzer, S. & Ekman, S. (2010). The hip and knee replacement operation, Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 24(4), 663-670
