Complications of Knee Replacement Surgery: An Introduction
No medical procedure is ever completely free of risks; however, total
knee replacement surgery has been performed for many years with successful results and limited complications.
Minor complications are usually temporary, and are often easily treated by your healthcare providers.
- Infection
- Numbness around the incision
- Minor bleeding or bruising
- Allergic skin reaction to tape, dressing, or latex
- Abnormal or painful scar formation
- Urinary tract infection.
Several major problems can also occur.
These are uncommon; however, your overall health will play a role in your likelihood of developing complications and how well you recover. For example, people with severe
heart disease,
diabetes, lung, or kidney disease may have a higher chance of problems occurring than those who are healthier.
Depending on your individual situation, a major complication from knee replacement surgery may lead to a longer hospital stay, blood transfusion, a repeat surgery (including knee revision), or, in infrequent cases, permanent disability or even loss of life.
Major problems include but are not limited to:
- Serious infections
- Knee fracture
- Patellar tendon damage
- Failure of the metal or plastic joint
- Premature wear of the implant
- Decreased knee motion
- Persistent knee pain
- Serious bleeding from damage to blood vessels
- Permanent nerve damage leading to weakness and/or numbness of the leg or foot
- Blood clots in the legs, pelvis, or lungs
- Stroke
- Reaction to anesthesia or medication
- Heart attack
- Loss of life
- Other rare and improbable events.
