Opting to receive a knee replacement surgery is no simple decision. Especially when both of your knees face the prospect of being replaced, the process can be compared to childbirth. If you want three children, is it better to have them each a few years apart, and endure three separate labors, or have triplets, and have it all over with at one time?

Knee Replacement Surgery

Formally known as knee arthroplasty, a knee replacement surgery is typically recommended when a patient’s knee joint has become so damaged or diseased that the patient is in chronic pain and cannot easily participate in normal daily activities. The damage is usually caused by osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that causes the cartilage that cushions the joint between two bones to erode and leave the bones rubbing against each other instead.

It is no secret that a knee replacement surgery does carry the risks of infection, blood clots, and nerve damage, but the surgery has come light years since its days of early development. Doctors now know how to monitor for signs of infection and prevent complications after surgery. Since it’s such an invasive surgery, knee replacement requires many weeks of rest and recovery. With proper physical therapy and careful recovery over a six-week period, a knee replacement can allow a patient to once again embrace a pain-free, mobile lifestyle unrestricted by chronic knee problems.

Why Replace Both Knees at Once?

If you are in good health but know that both of your knees will require surgery at some point, it’s worth talking to your doctor about the possibility of a double knee replacement. A knee arthroplasty is a major surgery that requires a hospital stay and extended recovery time. Some people prefer to handle it all at once, rather than go under the knife a second time and endure the medical process all over again.

If this sounds like the right path for you, you need to be ready for a rigorous program of physical therapy and rehabilitation. There’s no way to avoid the hard work, but it will pay off. You’ll benefit from only one experience with anesthesia instead of two, be restricted to the hospital for less total time, and only have one period of rehabilitation and home-bound recovery. It’s also important to consider that only repairing one bad knee ultimately places extra stress and strain on the other bad knee during recovery, potentially limiting your ability to rehabilitate.

Talk to your doctor to determine the best choice for your personal situation.