How Long Does Knee Replacement Surgery Take?

Chronic knee pain can be extremely debilitating and significantly impact your daily life. If you suffer knee pain from arthritis, an injury, or another degenerative knee condition, knee replacement surgery is often necessary to alleviate your pain and restore full function.

The good news is that knee replacement experiences a very high success rate. Most knee replacement patients can resume various physical activities after surgery, including walking, cycling, hiking, swimming, and golf.

In addition, many patients can even return to more strenuous activities such as skiing. When a highly skilled board-certified orthopedic surgeon performs your surgery, and you take steps to care for your knee implant after surgery properly, you can expect long-lasting results. In fact, approximately 85% of knee replacements last 20 years.

While knee replacement surgery is relatively routine and highly successful, you should research the procedure before deciding to move forward. In particular, it’s important to understand how the procedure is performed and how long it will take.

Surgical Time for Knee Replacement Depends on Your Procedure 

In general, knee replacement surgery takes one to three hours to complete. The exact duration of your procedure will depend on the type of knee replacement you’re undergoing:

• Partial knee replacement is the least invasive procedure; surgery is generally completed within an hour.
• Total knee replacement is a more extensive procedure; surgical time is typically about two hours.
• Revision knee replacement is the most complicated procedure, and it’s common for this surgery to take up to three hours.

What Is Knee Replacement? 

Knee replacement is performed to remove any parts of your knee joint that are damaged or worn out and replace them with an artificial implant. The procedure effectively relieves pain and restores proper function, allowing for greater joint stability and ease of movement after surgery.

Only the damaged portions of your knee are replaced in partial knee replacement. In a total knee replacement, the entire knee joint is removed and replaced with an artificial implant. Revision knee replacement is performed to replace an artificial knee implant that has worn out over time or to correct a poor outcome from a prior knee replacement procedure.

What to Expect During Your Knee Replacement Surgery 

When you arrive for surgery, you’ll be taken to a pre-operative room, where you’ll put on a hospital gown. You’ll then receive anesthesia, consisting of a spinal block that numbs the lower half of your body, or general anesthesia, which places you into a sleep-like state.

Next, you’ll be taken into the operating room for your procedure. Knee replacement surgery includes the following steps:

• An incision is made over the knee
• All damaged bone and cartilage are removed, leaving any healthy bone intact
• An artificial joint implant is placed into your knee and attached using a medical adhesive such as cement, ensuring your implant remains securely fixed in place.
• The incision site is closed with stitches.

After surgery, you’ll be taken to a recovery room to rest while our team monitors you as the anesthesia wears off. You’ll often be able to go home on the day of surgery. However, complex procedures may require an overnight hospital stay.

Providing the Exceptional Care You Deserve 

At Colorado Advanced Orthopedics (CAO), we’re committed to delivering the finest quality medical care available. Our team consists of board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons, ensuring your procedure is performed by the region’s most highly trained and experienced surgeons.

In addition, our knee surgeon, Dr. Kevin Borchard, uses the most advanced technology for your procedure, including the Mako Robotic-Arm Surgery System by Stryker Orthopaedics. This technology improves Dr. Borchard’s ability to customize your procedure, achieving greater levels of precision while minimizing surgical risks.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment. Colorado Advanced Orthopedics serves patients in Meeker and throughout the Western Slope.