knee

Medical terminology can sometimes be frustrating, especially if you’ve seen specialists who don’t take the time to explain the basics. We believe it is always beneficial to equip yourself with a basic understanding of procedures you or your loved one must go through. In this article, we explain arthroscopy, which is a commonly performed and very safe procedure. What is Arthroscopy? Is arthroscopy invasive? Will I have to go to sleep (general anaesthetic)? How does the procedure work? When is arthroscopy needed? Why is arthroscopy needed? How long does an arthroscopy procedure normally take?  We hope you’ve found this article educational and easy to understand. We aim to make orthopaedic terminology and procedures more widely understood. Like always, if you have any questions regarding arthroscopy and what you have read in this article, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Do you, or your loved one, have a painful arthritic knee? Perhaps they haven’t been to a specialist yet, but their GP has acknowledged that their knee pain is due to arthritis? Well whether their need for a knee replacement has been confirmed by an orthopaedic surgeon or not. Here is everything you need to know about knee replacements. When is a knee replacement required? Specialists only recommend total knee replacements when the patient has an extremely painful and badly worn knee, which is normally due to arthritis. If the pain in their knee is affecting their everyday life and they’ve tried physio, then it’s time to get a referral from their GP to see a specialist. The source of their knee pain will be investigated and if the source is arthritis and their knee has degraded enough, a total knee replacement is the only option. Specialists take knee replacements very seriously and try to avoid giving them to people under the age of 50. Benefits of a knee replacement Replacing the arthritic knee with an artificial joint will allow pain-free walking and activities of daily life! A knee replacement provides the patient with many years of quality life and relief from pain. Implications of a knee replacement An artificial knee will never function in exactly the same manner as the original knee. The artificial knee is made of metal (chrome cobalt or titanium) and a plastic (high-density polyethylene) joint bearing that will slowly wear over the years. If too much wear occurs, the knee may become loose and painful or the components may even break! It is important for patients to treat their knee carefully and avoid excessive activities that may shorten the life of the artificial joint. High-impact activities such as running, tennis and aerobics should be avoided.  Walking for exercise, the use of an exercise bicycle and swimming are excellent forms of exercise that are not detrimental to your artificial knee. Artificial knees require regular “check-ups”. 6months after the surgery the patient should be seen, then every year thereafter following the operation. For each yearly visit, an x-ray of the knee will need to be performed beforehand so it can be taken to the check-up. Before the knee replacement Hospital admission After the knee replacement Recovery at home – what to expect  Dr Viral Shah should immediately be contacted if: Hopefully, this article answers most, if not all your preliminary questions about total knee replacements. If you do think of any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us at  Dr Viral Shah Orthopaedics.

Have you been diagnosed with bunions? Has it been getting exceedingly uncomfortable? And you’re beginning to think about your next option? Or perhaps your family member has developed a bunion and you want to better understand what that means? Well, we’re here to help you understand bunions and provide you with the necessary information about hallux valgus correction surgery and recovery. What are bunions?A bunion is a deformity of the big toe. Basically, the big toe tilts towards the smaller toes, which makes a bony lump appear on the inside of the foot. The bony lump that appears is the end of the “knuckle-bone” of the big toe (in medical terms, the “first metatarsal bone”) which becomes exposed as the toe tilts out of place. Sometimes swelling of soft fluids develops over the bony lump causing more discomfort. Note: The medical terminology for a bunion is “hallux valgus” and is how most doctors will refer to it. How do you get bunions?Bunions often run in the family. They can also be caused by the shoes you wear or the way you walk. If bunions do run in your family and you are at all worried about developing bunions, we recommend you get a referral from your GP to see a podiatrist. They are great at evaluating your walk to locate any issues with your feet and ankles, they will also prescribe the right shoes for your feet. Approaches to relieving bunion painThere is no foolproof method for reducing the pain caused by bunions, however, here are some things you can try that you may find work well for you: Hallux valgus correction surgeryAs all bunions are permanent unless surgically removed, hallux valgus correction surgery has become very common. There are two categories of surgery that Hallux valgus correction surgery falls under, which is either open or minimally invasive. Minimally invasive (MI) foot surgery means that the operation is carried out with less invasive techniques which have a multitude of benefits including smaller surgical openings, more precision, faster healing time for the patient and less/smaller scars. Generally, this surgery is done under general anaesthetic (asleep), however, the anaesthetist advises what’s best for each patient.  The surgery: Correction surgery recoveryThe recovery slightly varies depending on whether one foot or both were operated on. If it is just the one foot then: However, if both feet are operated on, or any second surgery is performed, then you are usually asked to stay in the hospital for 1-2 days.   Now it is normal to expect during post-op and recovery:   Two weeks after surgery:   If your feet have been in extreme discomfort and you’ve previously taken measures to reduce the pain (with not much luck), then it is time for a consultation with us. Let’s get your feet back to normal and eliminate that pain. Visit your GP to get a referral and contact us for an appointment with Dr Viral Shah Orthopaedics.