KNEE Surgery
Relief for knee pain
If your knee is damaged due to injury, arthritis, or some other degenerative condition, not only are you experiencing pain, but it may have progressed to the point where you find it hard to perform simple activities, such as walking or climbing stairs. You may even begin to feel pain while you are sitting or lying down.
If nonsurgical treatments like medications and physical therapy are no longer helpful, you may need to consider knee surgery. Knee surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States and can be a life-changing procedure…not only relieving pain but helping you return to doing the activities you love.
Dr. Boyett is highly trained to diagnose and treat your knee problem and aid in your full recovery. His expertise encompasses a wide range of minimally invasive procedures, including total knee replacement and arthroscopic knee surgery. Dr. Boyett utilizes the VELYS Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement for knee replacement surgery. The robot assists in balancing knee ligaments and deformity for assured stability and optimal range of motion. The VELYS Robot is the newest generation robot available.
Total Knee Replacement
If you’re dealing with knee pain from arthritis, total knee replacement (also known as knee arthroplasty) may be a treatment option to consider. What is it exactly?
Some patients believe that knee replacement surgery requires cutting out the joint and replacing the knee with a hinge. Knee replacement has evolved far beyond this concept in the present time. Essentially knee replacement with today’s technology involves capping each end of the joint while preserving the ligament structures and in some cases using the robot to assist in balancing the knee back to a stable joint that provides improved motion and eliminates. We always strive to preserve ligaments to allow the knee to feel more natural and stable. When the knee condition allows, we use a rotating platform design implant that allows for normal motions of flexion and extension coupled with the normal twist and rotation that occurs with activities of daily living.
When arthritis is confined to isolated compartments of the knee, Dr. Boyett is able to perform small incision partial knee replacement, also known as partial knee resurfacing. This is commonly used when arthritis is confined to either the inside portion of the knee or the kneecap portion of the knee.
During this procedure, the diseased portion of the knee is resurfaced, sparing the patient’s healthy bone and surrounding tissue. This preserves all the natural ligaments of the knee and is done without disruption of the quadriceps tendon which affords a much faster recovery and less downtime.
Knee Arthroscopy
Knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows Dr. Boyett to view and repair the knee joint without making a large incision through the skin and other soft tissues.
During knee arthroscopy, Dr. Boyett inserts an arthroscope into your knee joint. The scope itself is about the size of a pencil and the incision is only large enough to accommodate the scope size. This typically involves two incisions each closed with a single stitch. The camera displays pictures on a video monitor that he uses to guide miniature surgical instruments.
Because the arthroscope and surgical instruments are so small, arthroscopic surgery allows for these small incisions, rather than the larger incision needed for open surgery. This results in less pain and joint stiffness for patients and often shortens the time it takes to recover and return to favorite activities.
Dr. Boyett may recommend knee arthroscopy if you have a painful condition that does not respond to nonsurgical treatment. Conditions most treated with arthroscopic surgery include:
- Arthroscopic meniscal repair or debridement
- Cartilage restoration
- ACL reconstruction and other ligament reconstruction
- Ligament balancing
- Excision of loose bodies within the knee
- Microfracture
- Osteochondral transfer for bone lesion
- Stem cell applications
- Percutaneous fixation of stress fractures
Arthroscopy is commonly performed as an outpatient procedure. Your rehabilitation and recovery time depend on the type of procedure.