Joint pains are common. Once in a while, you may have inflammation that is causing the joint pain. However, when the pain prevents you from sleeping, moving, and enjoying your everyday life, it ceases to be normal. Gautam Siram, MD is an orthopedic joint specialist in Chevy Chase, specializing in hip pain, knee pain, and other painful joint conditions likely to disrupt your life. If conservative measures have failed to relieve you from pain effectively, Dr. Siram could recommend a hip or knee joint replacement.

The common joint replacements services Dr. Siram offers his patients include:

Joint Replacement

In a joint replacement procedure, your surgeon removes the affected parts of your joint then replaces them with artificial parts to minimize your pain and improve movement. Your doctor will recommend a joint replacement when your joint gets damaged by:

  • Several years of use
  • Diseases
  • Arthritis
  • Severe fractures

However, before the specialist suggests the procedure, he will first try other treatment options to alleviate the pain and enhance your joint’s functions. Unfortunately, the symptoms may worsen, making participating in your everyday activities impossible. In such an instance, your doctor will request an X-ray to evaluate the joint. If the imaging results show that the joint has been damaged and can no longer effectively function, he will recommend a joint replacement.

During the surgical procedure, your surgeon will first give you either regional or general anesthesia before replacing the affected joint with an artificial alternative that will function just like your natural joint. Though hip and knee are the most common joints experts replace, the other joints your care provider could replace for you include shoulder, ankle, elbow, and fingers.

Knee Joint Replacement

Your doctor will replace your ailing or affected knee with a prosthesis or an artificial joint during a knee-joint surgical procedure. The prosthesis is usually made of plastics, ceramics, or metal alloys and will perfectly mimic your knee’s function. Before recommending the surgical procedure, your doctor will evaluate your case to ascertain your eligibility. He will look into several factors, including your pain level and general health.

Your surgeon is most likely not going to recommend a surgical if you are young and could benefit from other alternatives. However, if surgery is needed, your orthopedic surgeon will make an extensive cut above your knee, pull back your skin and muscle and cut the damaged bone or cartilage. The expert will then fix your new joint to your femur and tibia using special cement, screws, and pins.

Hip Replacement

Also known as total hip arthroplasty, a hip replacement procedure will be your best option when the debilitating pain prevents you from leading a normal life and non-surgical options are ineffective or have failed to help. It is possible to get blood clots after a hip replacement. Therefore, your surgeon will recommend measures to hinder the complication. He will advise you to:

  • Apply pressure on your leg to prevent the pooling of blood in your veins.
  • Sit up and move with walking aid soon after recovery.
  • Take an oral or injectable blood thinner after the procedure.  
  • Have a physical therapist to help with your exercises to speed your recovery.  

Your surgeon’s primary goal during a joint replacement is to relieve you of the debilitating symptoms and improve your mobility. To know if a joint replacement is the best solution for your chronic joint pain, book an appointment today with the experts to discuss your options.