Knee replacement surgery is common in New York and across the United States. Harvard Health Publishing reports an estimated 600,000 knee replacement surgeries occur each year in the U.S. Many of these surgeries go well but some are unsuccessful.
Reasons for knee replacement surgery
According to the Mayo Clinic, arthritis is the most common reason for knee replacement surgery. You could also need the surgery because of a personal injury, such as from a car accident. Your doctor might suggest this surgery if your knee is damaged or causing pain.
What happens if the knee replacement fails?
Your body will let you know if the knee replacement isn’t working. Symptoms can include stiffness or swelling in your knee. The knee might also become painful and not move freely.
It’s generally possible to correct a failed knee replacement. However, you’d need to speak with your doctor to discuss your situation.
Correcting a failed knee replacement
Your doctor might determine that a revision total knee replacement is needed. This procedure involves removing the malfunctioning knee prosthesis and inserting a new one. In short, you’ll have to get a second knee replacement done on the same knee.
What causes the failure?
Several things can cause a knee replacement to fail. The Mayo Clinic lists infection as one of the most common causes. The infection can occur at the incision site or even deeper within the knee.
It’s even possible that the surgeon or someone on the surgical team could make a mistake. If a negligent healthcare provider is at fault, that’s possibly a medical malpractice situation.
The procedure is successful for the majority of patients. However, the possibility of failure does exist.