Avoiding Total Knee Replacement

Knee replacement surgery means a long recovery, although it’s an acceptable alternative to chronic pain and limited mobility. If you’re not ready to go through major surgery and the risks involved, you may want to learn how to avoid total knee replacement. The team at Astra Knee Pain Center offers innovative treatments that help many people find a way to avoid total knee replacement. Call the Astra Knee Pain Center to find out about genicular artery embolization (GAE).

Why Would I Need a Total Knee Replacement?

Living with chronic knee pain is an isolating burden that can take a significant toll on your quality of life. Whether it’s due to a flare up of an old injury, or simply the natural aging and degeneration of cartilage, immobility of the knee can be frustrating and painful.

Knee replacement surgery may be recommended, but before you go under the knife, learn about available non-surgical treatments. Find experienced providers like Dr. George Bolotin and his team of experts at the Astra Knee Pain Center for advanced knee pain treatment. They offer options on how to avoid total knee replacement, including advanced, non-surgical treatments that can get you back to your normal activities.

What Are My Alternatives to Total Knee Replacement?

Alternatives to total knee replacement often begin by obtaining a second opinion for knee surgery from Dr. Bolotin at the Astra Knee Pain Center if your current physician recommends surgery.

The team at the Astra Knee Pain Center collects further information about your eligibility for alternative treatments such as genicular artery embolization (GAE). GAE vs. knee replacement may be an option if you’re a good candidate for the procedure.

It’s also effective in place of other alternatives, such as:

• Platelet-rich plasma and stem cell injections
• Steroid injections
• Physical therapy
• TENS and other devices

Am I a Candidate for GAE by a Knee Pain Doctor in Brooklyn?

Overall health, activity level, and weight are contributing factors when your doctor determines whether GAE is the right solution for your knee pain condition. 

In addition to your health considerations, you may be a good candidate if you have any other symptoms or conditions, such as:

• Suffering with knee osteoarthritis. Inflammation caused by aging, degeneration or flare-ups of old injuries are contributors to pain that keeps you from daily activities.
• Having failed conservative treatments. GAE may be a solution when physical therapy, pain medications or steroidal injections didn’t work.
• Looking for a non-surgical solution. Surgery can be invasive and expensive, putting you at higher risk of infection and requiring a longer recovery period.

When looking for how to avoid total knee replacement, you may have bone and joint damage that’s too severe for an embolization to fix. Dr. Bolotin considers all the alternatives, including when you shouldn’t get GAE.

What Are the Benefits of Finding Out How to Avoid Total Knee Replacement?

When you’re in daily pain, suffering from swelling and stiffness or bone-on-bone grinding, the last thing you want is to add to it. Total knee replacement may keep you from returning to normal activities for longer than you’d like, and in fact may limit your ability to participate in high-intensity activities at all.

The team at the Astra Knee Pain Center utilizes newer and less invasive alternatives to total knee replacement. Undergoing GAE may prove to be a practical treatment of joint pain, without a lengthy, painful recovery period.

Other benefits of the non-surgical treatment include:

• Minimal side effects. Side effects normally consist of temporary swelling and tenderness that subside within a few days.
• Lower risk of complications. Targeting and treating the individual nerve is a straightforward solution that’s much less complicated than replacing the joint. With replacement surgery, there’s a much higher risk of infection and blood clots.
• Short-term recovery period. The GAE recovery timeline lasts on average a few weeks, whereas a total knee replacement could take six months to a year to heal.
• Lowered cost. Non-surgical treatment such as GAE is significantly cheaper than a surgical replacement with no overnight stays in a hospital.

How Can I Avoid Total Knee Replacement?

The most important step when you’re looking for how to avoid total knee replacement is to visit a qualified provider at the first sign of pain. It’s always easier with better outcomes when knee pain is addressed sooner rather than later.

The team at the Astra Knee Pain Center identifies the cause of your pain and plans a course of treatment to suit your needs. Contact the Astra Knee Pain Center to learn about alternatives to total knee replacement and see if GAE is right for you.

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