Oak Ridge Total Knee Replacement

The Best Total Knee Replacement near Oak Ridge

At Daouk Orthopaedics, Dr. Ayman Daouk, a renowned, board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon near Oak Ridge, treats a wide range of bone and joint issues. The knee is a critical joint that bears all our body weight while allowing us to move freely. However, this joint is also prone to deterioration and injury, resulting in pain, stiffness, swelling, and in severe cases, immobility.

If you have been suffering from significant pain in the knee, schedule an appointment at our Sandlake office, a short drive from Oak Ridge to consult Dr. Daouk, our skilled and highly respected surgeon. The doctor has extensive experience in knee replacement surgeries (traditional and minimally invasive methods).

Dr Daouk has completed hundreds of joint replacement surgeries, helping patients from all walks of life regain their mobility, free from pain. He utilizes the most advanced techniques for knee replacement surgery including minimally invasive methods, such as the quadriceps sparring approach, as well as robotically assisted surgery. Both techniques can help you attain the best surgical outcome with the least pain.

About Oak Ridge Total Knee Replacement, (TKR) Surgery

This is often the best surgical option to repair your damaged or injured knee caused by arthritis. Certain parts of the knee joint are removed and replaced with a prosthesis (artificial joint) in this procedure. This artificial joint could be made of surgical-grade plastic, metal, or some other FDA-approved material.

Total Knee Replacement near Oak Ridge

Total knee replacement can be complicated, making it crucial to have a well-established and experienced orthopedic surgeon operate on you. Dr. Daouk has been doing similar surgeries for decades. He and his team are here to provide you with excellent medical treatment and the best care. Dr. Daouk uses the latest surgical techniques including robotic assisted and minimally invasive surgery in many patients.

How To Know Whether You need TKR?

TKR is usually recommended when various non-operative treatment modalities used for arthritis, such as natural anti-inflammatories, NSAIDs, injections, and physical therapy have been ineffective in providing lasting pain relief. The only way you can know for sure if total knee replacement surgery is a treatment option for you is to consult an experienced knee surgeon like Dr. Ayman Daouk.

The Diagnosis

Our office is a short drive from Oak Ridge and is fully equipped with all the necessary diagnostic equipment, making it easy for the doctor to examine your knee and make the proper diagnosis right there. Every individual is unique; however, some common reasons why you might require Oak Ridge total knee replacement surgery include:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis– This form of arthritis results in chronic inflammation of the membrane that surrounds the knee joint and bones and is also referred to as inflammatory arthritis.

• Osteoarthritis– This type of arthritis is often a result of normal wear and tear in individuals over 50 years of age. Gradual aging of the joint causes the loss of cartilage resulting in pain.

• Knee Trauma– Injuries or trauma to the knee, which can lead to TKR surgery, can cover everything from prior infections to torn knee ligaments.

• Bone fracture– A broken bone around/in the knee joint can lead to early arthritis and pain ultimately requiring TKR surgery.

• Repetitive Movement Injury– Your knee can sustain minor, repeated injuries over years that result in discomfort and chronic pain. In some cases, total knee replacement becomes the best solution for long-term overuse.

• Knee deformities– From improper knee alignment to bowed knees, total knee replacement surgery often becomes the best method to correct these deformities.

• Excessive body weight– Excessive body weight can add much more force and strain to an individual’s knees. It can result in loss of cartilage from the extra stress on the joint.

These are just some of the conditions that might need knee replacement surgery near Oak Ridge. There could be other reasons, too, making it necessary for you to have a skilled orthopedic surgeon like Dr. Daouk examine you. It is best to come in for a consultation at the practice if you are experiencing any knee problems such as severe pain or swelling.

What Is Involved In Oak Ridge Total Knee Replacement Surgery?

Traditional TKR surgery has been around since the 1960s, and there were some new surgical approaches along the way until minimally invasive surgical techniques became more popular in the 1980s.

In minimally invasive total knee replacement, Dr. Daouk performs the surgery via a smaller incision while handling the soft tissues and tendons as gently as possible. A “quadriceps sparring” approach is used to lessen damage to the soft tissues. The surgical instruments used in this procedure are more streamlined than the traditional method in which 9-12 inch long incisions were made. In minimally invasive surgery, the incisions are half that in size. There are many benefits to this technique, including:

• Smaller incision
• Less strain on the soft tissues, tendons, and muscles
• Less post-operative pain
• Less blood loss
• Less stiffness and scarring
• Shorter hospital stay
• Reduced recovery time
• The patient can get back to their previous levels of activity much faster.

As you can see, there are many distinct benefits to the minimally invasive surgical technique used in TKR.

Robotic Assisted Knee Replacement near Oak Ridge

Since TKR is a technically demanding and complex surgery, surgeons need to focus on proper bone alignment and balance. Precise surgical planning and perfect execution are necessary to align the bones correctly. Today, there are many advances in the orthopedic field relating to joint replacement surgery.

Dr. Daouk always stays abreast with these latest techniques like robotic-assisted total knee replacement near Oak Ridge. He recommends it for patients with degenerative knee diseases like osteoarthritis.

The robotic system is based on a pre-operative CT scan or MRI of the patient’s knee. The robot has pressure sensors that help correct balance and accurately cut the bones to the desired measurement, resulting in a much better and natural-feeling joint. The result is a knee replacement which performs better while carrying out various activities. Furthermore, Dr. Daouk also uses state-of-the-art technologies such as computer navigation, which helps improve surgical precision, reducing blood loss and swelling.

What Happens Post- Surgery?

As part of your successful recovery from TKR surgery, you will need some form of physical therapy to strengthen the knee muscles and regain your flexibility. The doctor will create a detailed physical rehabilitation plan so that you are on track with your recovery. Dr. Daouk uses a combination of home therapy and outpatient physical therapy to help you rehabilitate your knee. You can expect to be off a cane and back to driving by 6 weeks.

Revision Knee Replacement Surgery

At Daouk Orthopaedics, we also offer revision knee replacement surgery to some patients. This procedure is used to correct complications arising from previous knee surgery. If you continue to have limited mobility and pain in your total knee replacement, Dr. Daouk is highly experienced in all aspects of knee surgeries and can evaluate your unsuccessful knee prosthetic to determine a course of treatment.

Sometimes, the artificial knee replacement degenerates due to wear and tear; this is more prevalent in younger patients that lead an active lifestyle. If your knee prosthesis deteriorates significantly and you begin to experience limited mobility or severe knee pain, you may need revision TKR surgery to replace your worn artificial knee joint. Other situations in which you might need revision knee replacement surgery include:

• Your knee implant fails/breaks
• There is an infection in the knee joint
• The knee implant becomes unstable/loose
• The implant becomes worn down
• You suffer an injury that causes a knee fracture