This is an information resource designed to help you understand the nature of a medical condition and the surgical procedure most commonly used to treat it.
You doctor has recommended that you undergo knee replacement surgery. But what exactly does that mean?
The knee is one of the most complex and one of the most important joints in your body.
Let's take a look at the way the knee joint works.
The knee is made up of four bones. The femur, which is the large bone in your thigh,
... attaches by ligaments to your tibia.
Just below and next to the tibia is the fibula, which runs parallel to the tibia.
The patella, or what we call the knee cap, rides on the knee joint as the knee bends.
When the knee becomes diseased due to arthritis or other injury the bones rub together causing pain and can even restricting the ability to walk.
No matter what the cause, one of the most effective ways to fix a damaged knee is to replace it surgically.
In this procedure, the ends of the femur, tibia and patella are replaced with a metal joint which restores freedom of movement.
Knee surgery is a major operation, but your doctor believes that the procedure --followed up with physical therapy and time to heal -- will result in reduced pain and greater mobility.
Your Procedure:
On the day of your operation, you will be asked to put on a surgical gown.
You may receive a sedative by mouth and an intravenous line may be put in.
You will then be transferred to the operating table.
The surgeon will then apply antiseptic solution to the skin and place a sterile drape around the operative site.
Next, the anesthesiologist will administer anesthesia by injection and using an inhalation mask.
After you are unconscious, your doctor will make a vertical incision in your leg above your knee.
Using retractors to pull back the skin, the surgeon will make a second incision in the muscle in order to expose the damaged knee joint.
Next, your doctor will remove the patella, or knee cap, and flex your leg to expose the surface of the joint.
Preparing the surface of the joint involves removing the damaged or diseased parts of the bone and then cutting and shaping the surface to allow the best fit possible for the artificial joint.
Once your doctor is satisfied with this preparation, the team will drill holes in the femur and tibia.
They will also prepare the inside surface of the knee cap, and then coat the bony surfaces with a special cement.
The metal pieces of the new joint are then installed on the tibia and femur, as well as the knee cap pad.
Finally, your doctor places a spacer on the tibia surface.
After a final check to make sure all components fit and that the leg can move freely, the muscle and other tissues are closed with sutures.
Following surgery, sterile dressings are applied.
To aid in healing, your knee may be stabilized with a brace and you will be encouraged to use crutches during the recovery process.
The knee is one of the most complex and one of the most important joints in your body.
It is made up of bone, ligament and cartilage. Damage to any individual part can dramatically restrict the normal movement of the leg and can even interfere with the ability to walk.
Patient Education Anterior Cruciate Ligament Arthroscopic Repair Surgery
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Your doctor has told you that you have a torn anterior cruciate ligament in your knee and has recommended arthroscopic surgery in order to repair it. But what does that actually mean?
On the day of your operation, you will be asked to put on a surgical gown.
You may receive a sedative by mouth and an intravenous line may be put in.
You will then be transferred to an operating table.
In the operating room, a nurse will prepare you for surgery by clipping or shaving your leg.
The surgeon will then apply antiseptic solution to the skin around the knee and place a sterile drape around the operative site.
The anesthesiologist will begin to numb the lower body by injecting a drug into the small of your back.
To perform arthroscopic surgery your doctor will make a few small, button-hole sized incisions in the area around the knee. An arthroscope is a very small video camera that your doctor uses to see the inside of your knee and to guide the surgery.
Before your doctor can insert the arthroscope, the surgical team must inject a clear fluid into the joint. This fluid will inflate the interior space, and will help your doctor by providing an unobstructed view and enough room in which to work.
The actual surgical instruments will be inserted through one or more other openings small openings.
After verifying that anterior cruciate ligament -- or ACL -- has been severed, your doctor will begin the procedure by removing a piece of tissue from the front of the knee. This tissue, or graft, has bone on both ends and a section of tendon stretched between.
Next, the team drills a hole in the end of the thighbone.
And another in the top of the shin. These holes becomes the sockets for the bony ends of the tendon graft taken at the beginning of the procedure.
The ligament graft is then inserted into place.
When the procedure is complete, the team withdraws the instruments and the surgical fluid drains safely from the knee.
Following surgery, sterile dressings are applied. To aid in healing, your knee may be stabilized with a brace.
Tonsillectomy in children - Patient Education & Patient Engagement -PreOp® StoreMD™ for Physician videos: https://store.preop.com Patient Education Company Your doctor has recommended that you - or your child - undergo surgery to remove you or your child’s tonsils. But what does that actually mean? In the operating room, the anesthesiologist will begin to administer anesthesia. When the patient is asleep, a breathing tube will be inserted through the nose. Next, the surgical team will pack the back of the throat with cotton or other material to absorb blood and prevent it from escaping down the back of the throat. An instrument called a retractor will be used to hold the tongue. Using a clamp, the surgeon will pull the tonsils toward the middle of the mouth. Next, the tonsils are cut free by tightening a wire loop around each of their bases. Finally, when the bleeding has lessened, the team will remove the packing and the breathing tube. Depending on the age of the patient an…
PreOp® Tonsillectomy in children - Patient Education & Patient Engagement -
What is a Tonsillectomy?
Your tonsils are located in the throat at the back of your mouth – one on either side of the uvula. Together, your tonsils work to help fight infection entering the body through the mouth.
Your doctor has recommended that you - or your child - undergo surgery to remove you or your child's tonsils. But what does that actually mean?
Your tonsils are located in the throat at the back of your mouth - one on either side of the uvula. Together, your tonsils work to help fight infection entering the body through the mouth. They are part of your immune system.
Occasionally tonsils themselves become infected. This condition is called tonsillitis.
During an attack of tonsillitis, the tonsils can become inflamed and can cause fever and body aches. In addition, tonsillitis can increase the chance of other complicating illnesses, including:
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Enlargement of the lymph nodes in the neck.
Enlargement of the tonsils causing difficulty breathing or swallowing.
Recurrent bronchitis. And other conditions caused by infection.
In most cases, a doctor will recommended the surgical removal of tonsils only when tonsillitis becomes chronic and begins to interfere with daily life.
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Luckily, in most people, the immune system is more than able to compensate for the loss of the tonsils and having them removed will not in any way weaken you. You should make sure you have spoken to your doctor about the particular reasons behind his or her recommendation.
And remember, the final decision is up to you. No one can force you to undergo a surgical procedure against your will.
Your Procedure:
On the day of your operation, you will be asked to put on a surgical gown.
You may receive a sedative by mouth and an intravenous line may be put in.
You will then be transferred to the operating table.
In the operating room, the anesthesiologist will begin to administer anesthesia. When the patient is asleep, a breathing tube will be inserted through the nose.
Next, the surgical team will pack the back of the throat with cotton or other material to absorb blood and prevent it from escaping down the back of the throat.
An instrument called a retractor will be used to hold the tongue.
Using a clamp, the surgeon will pull the tonsils toward the middle of the mouth.
Next, the tonsils are cut free by tightening a wire loop around each of their bases.
Finally, when the bleeding has lessened, the team will remove the packing and the breathing tube.
Depending on the age of the patient and the size of the tonsils, fine sutures may be used to close the blood vessels feeding the tonsils.
