What Are the Risks of Delaying My Knee Replacement Surgery?
Patients delay knee replacement surgery for a number of reasons, mostly out of fear and misinformation. Dr. Ian Clark, a medical researcher and founder of Peterson Tribology Laboratory for joint replacement at Loma Linda University, writes, “Most patients delay unnecessarily for several perceptual reasons: fear of the unknown, fear of surgery, fear of ‘losing’ a body part, fear of the post-op surgery pain, fear that they will end up worse than they started.” But Dr. Clark also says that his patients are thankful after they get surgery on their knees, and wish they had done it sooner. The risks related to delaying knee replacement surgery often involve the deterioration of the joint, increased pain, and lack of mobility. Depending on the severity of the joint disease, a surgeon may attempt several less invasive, non-surgical methods first (including glucosamine, anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, and physical therapy). If none of these methods appear to be working or i
