FTKR, patient friendly knee replacement

A team of orthopaedic surgeons at the Star Hospital, led by joint replacement surgeon Dr Neelam Ramana Reddy, performed pioneering Fast Track Knee Replacement (FTKR) surgery at the hospital premises on Wednesday. Explaining about the surgery, Dr Neelam Reddy said, “The Fast Track Knee Replacement (FTKR) surgery is a comprehensive, evidence-based, best practice level of care focused to present the optimum outcome for patients suffering from severe degeneration of the knee joint and requiring Total knee replacement (arthroplasty).

This procedure busts the general misconception of knee replacement surgery being excruciatingly painful, involving long duration of bed rest and prolonged physiotherapy.” Fast Track Knee Replacement, a Minimally invasive surgery, requires small incision of 3 to 4 inches, unlike conventional total knee replacement requiring large incision of 8 to 12 inches and significant disruption of the muscles and tendons. In FTKR the amount of soft tissue (muscles, tendons, etc.) disrupted during surgery is drastically reduced.

According to Dr Neelam, FTKR surgery is considered a giant leap forward in total knee replacement. “It shortens hospital stay, ensures fast recovery, minimises pain and scarring. Some of our patients walk out of hospital in just about 48 hours after their operation, while a patient undergoing conventional total knee replacement would normally take around five to seven days to get discharged from hospital,” he says.