Knee Pain Treatment and Surgery

assignment_indTreatments & Procedures

UR Medicine offers the widest range of treatment options in Upstate New York. In many cases, we can treat your knee pain with medication, physical therapy, or injection therapies. In other cases, surgery may be required.

UR Medicine surgeons are all fellowship-trained and specialize in joint replacements, minimally invasive arthroscopic surgeries, and the treatment of orthopaedic fractures. In other cases, surgery may be required. If knee pain is interfering with your everyday life, call (585) 275-5321 for a consultation with a UR Medicine joint doctor.

Knee pain can force you to give up activities you enjoy. Many medical conditions can lead to knee pain, so it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis before you make a decision about therapy, treatment, or surgery.

Osteoarthritis in your knee is the most common condition that leads to knee replacement surgery. Knee pain may also be related to ligament injuries (ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL), torn meniscus, bursitis in the kneecap, runner’s knee, and fractures, but these conditions do not generally result in total knee replacement surgery.

We have the widest range of treatment options in Upstate New York, and your best options will be discussed with you. In many cases, knee pain can be treated with pain medication, physical therapy, or injection therapies. Others require knee surgery:

  • Total Knee Replacement. This is the right option for people with severe osteoarthritis in the knee joint. The surgeon removes the damaged bone and cartilage and replaces it with a combination of artificial parts specific to your needs.
  • Partial Knee Replacement. This procedure may be appropriate for patients who are too young for a total knee replacement, or who have arthritis in just one area of the joint.
  • Knee Revision Surgery. In the unusual case of an implant loosening or wearing out, or if a patient has further bone loss or a fracture, our surgeons can perform revision surgery to replace an artificial knee.
  • Arthroscopic Knee Surgery. In this minimally invasive procedure, the surgeon makes small portal incisions and inserts a tiny camera to find the problem. The surgeon then inserts instruments through the portal to remove debris or make repairs. This is widely used for knee ligament repair.
  • Knee Osteotomy. Some patients—particularly young athletes—may develop osteoarthritis because of strenuous physical activity that damages just one side of the knee. A surgeon can relieve pressure on the knee joint by cutting and realigning the bones around the knee.
listPreparing for Surgery

We break down your journey into manageable steps, which we cover in our Guidebook to Hip and Knee Total Joint Replacement and Total Joint Replacement Education Class, and highlight below:

CareSense is an electronic, interactive tool you can use to stay connected with us. You can use it to ask questions whenever you have them and receive a prompt reply. If you haven’t already, just open the email from urmc@caresense.com to register and complete your initial questionnaires.

Identify a support system at home – someone to take you home and stay with you for a few days after surgery. You may also want to consider a private pay aide service for additional help. You are responsible for arranging and providing your own transportation when leaving the hospital. Your ride home from the hospital should be available as early as 8 a.m.

You and your support person are strongly encouraged to download and review together our Total Joint Replacement Education Class presentation to help prepare for surgery.

The presentation materials cover:

  • The joint replacement procedure
  • How to prepare for surgery
  • Anesthesia options
  • Your hospital stay
  • Pain management
  • The recovery process
  • Equipment you may need after surgery

You can download the class presentation materials.

If you are not yet scheduled for a surgery, but joint pain is interfering with your everyday life, call (585) 275-5321 for a consultation with one of our joint surgeons or learn more about the Evarts Joint Center experience.

Our scheduler will call you to arrange a Presurgical Screening Appointment, which you will attend approximately 3-4 weeks before your surgery.

Call (585) 262-9150 with any questions about this appointment. Leave a message with your question, name, phone number, best time to call you, and we will call you back. .

Bring the following with you to your Presurgical Screening Appointment:

  • Medication names, dosages, how often and time(s) of day you take them; this includes vitamins and over-the-counter medications
  • Insurance cards, photo ID, health care proxy or living will (if you have one); if you do not have a health care proxy form, we can provide one
  • After this appointment, it is important that you read, understand, and carefully follow your presurgical instructions, particularly any medication changes. The instruction sheet has specific instructions for the day of surgery. Follow up with the nurse navigators with any questions.

 

After your surgery, it will be important to perform the following knee exercises as specified by your surgeon or Highland physical therapist. It can be helpful to become familiar with them before your surgery.

Photo of Knee Replacement Physical Therapy Exercises
Ankle pumps video

Seated Knee Extensions

Ankle pumps video

Knee Extension Stretch

Ankle pumps video

Walking Demonstration

local_hospital Your Surgery & Recovery

You’ll receive compassionate care in the comfort of a community hospital, backed by the leading-edge technology and research at UR Medicine. Our entire team is focused on your success, made easier by our dedicated state-of-the-art orthopaedic operating rooms, joint surgery recovery unit, and rehabilitation gym.

The operating rooms at Highland’s Evarts Joint Center are state-of-the-art and dedicated to joint replacement and orthopaedic surgeries. On the day of your surgery, arrange to be dropped off at the main entrance of the hospital, or park in the main parking garage adjacent to the hospital and proceed to the information desk staff, who will direct you. Your time in surgery is about 2-3 hours, but the actual elapsed time from operating room to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), where you will recover from anesthesia, is usually about 3-4 hours. Your companion should follow current hospital visitation guidelines. If you are brought to a recovery unit, your companion will be notified and they should follow our visitation guidelines. We will monitor your recovery until it is safe for you to go home

Your nurse will assess your needs and review your individualized care plan. Your nurses will be your primary point of contact and will start you on your road to recovery with understanding, compassion, and a steady drive to get you back to a life in motion.

A Patient Care Technician (PCT) will assist the nurses with vital signs and hygiene routine, and can help you get in and out of bed.

Your Physical Therapist (PT) will evaluate you, help you to move and walk, and provide physical therapy sessions. The goal of physical therapy is to determine if you can navigate your environment safely enough to go home.

Soon after surgery, you will sit in a chair with help from your therapist or nurse. You will also learn how to use a walker. The sooner you can stand and walk with a walker, the more independent you will become and the stronger your new joint will become. Do not get up alone or with the help of your companion until the therapist has cleared you to do so.

Your Occupational Therapists (OT) will focus on Activities of Daily Living (ADL) that help you achieve independence, such as dressing and personal hygiene. Getting stronger at these activities will help you make a smooth transition to home.

A social worker will review your discharge plans with you prior to surgery. Most patients are discharged and return home 1 day after surgery, and patients who qualify can even go home the same day as their surgery.

Most patients who get discharged to home will receive in-home services. The social worker will provide information on home care agencies. Please note that your insurance plan may determine which agency you choose, the services available to you, and what is covered.

A small percentage of patients will be medically ready for discharge but not yet strong enough to return directly home. If medically indicated, your physician and the unit social worker will discuss with you the possibility of discharge to a Skilled Nursing Facility for short-term rehabilitation.

Please be aware that even if it is recommended by the hospital, your insurance company may disagree with the recommendation and may not cover short-term rehabilitation. In these cases, you might be given the opportunity to privately pay for a stay at a skilled nursing facility You should discuss your coverage with your insurance provider.

You Make the Difference! You will play a huge role in the success of your surgery and your recovery. It’s important that you be proactive and participate in your physical therapy program. The more committed and enthusiastic you are, the quicker your improvement will be.

During your first few weeks at home, you will adapt what you’ve learned at the hospital to your own setting.

A few key reminders for when you first return home:

  • You must protect yourself from falling and keep your new joint in safe positions while you heal.
  • You might need to use adaptive equipment to help you with tasks.
  • You should plan for someone to stay with you for several days when you first go home.
  • You will not be able to drive until your doctor says it is okay, so you will need someone to take you to your first doctor’s appointment and physical therapy.

It is normal to experience discomfort when doing your exercises and you may need to take pain medication 30 to 45 minutes prior to doing your physical therapy exercises. It is important that you perform your assigned exercises exactly as instructed by your physical therapist with the appropriate number of repetitions.

help Questions & Answers

Here are the answers to questions we have heard most often about knee surgery. Please feel free to contact us to get your specific questions answered.

Your time in surgery is about 2-3 hours, but the actual elapsed time from operating room to the post- anesthesia care unit (PACU), where you will recover from anesthesia, is usually about 3-4 hours.

Most patients are discharged and return home 1 day after surgery, and patients who qualify can even go home the same day as their surgery.

Though there is an adjustment period, you will get 80% of the benefit in the first three months.

Your surgeon will let you know when it is safe for you to drive. Although everyone heals differently, a safe assumption is that you shouldn’t plan on driving for at least 4 weeks.

Typically the modern replacement joints we use will last at least 15-20 years. Many factors influence the joint’s life, including your activity level and overall l health.


To review a longer list of questions and answers about your surgery and your Highland experience, visit our Frequently Asked Questions Page.