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| Where? Your surgery will be performed in an outpatient setting. Dr. Kimball performs surgery at UVRMC, CUSC, and
Timpanogos Hospital. The choice of facility is determined by your schedule, Dr. Kimball's schedule, and the provider options on your
health insurance policy. |
| How? Anesthesia : Your surgery will most likely be performed under general anesthesia. Under some circumstances a spinal
anesthetic may be used. You will be able to discuss these options with the anesthesiologist when you come to the outpatient surgical
facility. For cases on the knee, a femoral nerve block will be offered as well. This is an injection of a Novocain-like medication near
the femoral nerve in your upper thigh. It has a numbing effect and will diminish the postoperative pain for anywhere from 6-24 hours.
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| Night before surgery: It is imperative that you have nothing to eat or drink for at least 6 hours prior to surgery.
If you are an early morning surgery, then you should have nothing to eat or drink after midnight. Your leg/shoulder will be scrubbed with
antiseptic soap at the time of surgery. It is wise to do the same at home the night before surgery. If you have a pimple or other site
of infection either on the injury or any other part of your body, Dr. Kimball will likely delay your surgery until that infection is
resolved. When in doubt, ask the doctor. Infection is a terrible complication following surgery. It is usually inappropriate to do
surgery in the presence of infection.
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| Day of Surgery: You will be notified by the surgical center as to the time you are to arrive. Laboratory or other
tests may be done upon your arrival. You will be notified by the surgical center if special tests need be done prior to your arrival.
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| The Procedure itself: You will be taken to the operating room. Appropriate anesthesia will be administered.
The leg/shoulder will be prepped with antiseptic solution then sterile draped.
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| Examination Under Anesthesia: For cases on the knee, Dr. Kimball will perform stress tests on your knee to verify
and document the degree of instability. He will check for instability of the ACL, the MCL, the LCL and the PCL.
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| You will most likely be admitted to the hospital on the day of your surgery. After admission, you will be evaluated by a member of
the anesthesia team. The most common types of anesthesia are general anesthesia, in which you are asleep throughout the procedure, and
spinal or epidural anesthesia, in which you are awake but your legs are anesthetized. The anesthesia team with your input will determine
which type of anesthesia will be best for you.
The procedure itself takes about two hours. Your orthopaedic surgeon will remove the damaged cartilage and bone and then position the
new metal and plastic joint surfaces to restore the alignment and function of your knee replacement.
Many different types of designs and materials are currently used in total knee replacement surgery. Nearly all of them consist of three
components: the femoral component (made of a highly polished strong metal), the tibial component (made of a durable plastic often held
in a metal tray), and the patellar component (also plastic).
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| After surgery, you will be moved to the recovery room, where you will remain for one to two hours while your recovery from anesthesia
is monitored. After you awaken, you will be taken to your hospital room.
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Your Stay in the Hospital:
You will most likely stay in the hospital for several days. After surgery, you will
feel some pain, but medication will be given to you to make you feel as comfortable as possible. Walking and knee movement are important
to your recovery and will begin immediately after your surgery. To avoid lung congestion after surgery, you should breathe deeply and
cough frequently to clear your lungs.
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| Your orthopaedic surgeon may prescribe one or more measures to prevent blood clots and decrease leg swelling, such as special support
hose, inflatable leg coverings (compression boots), and blood thinners. To restore movement in your knee and leg, your surgeon may use
a knee support that slowly moves your knee while you are in bed. The device, called a continuous passive motion (CPM) machine, decreases
leg swelling by elevating your leg and improves your venous circulation by moving the muscles of your leg.
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| Foot and ankle movement is encouraged immediately following surgery to also increase blood flow in your leg muscles to help prevent
leg swelling and blood clots. Most patients begin exercising their knee the day after surgery. A physical therapist will teach you
specific exercises to strengthen your leg and restore knee movement to allow walking and other normal daily activities soon after your
surgery.
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