Your personal case history
The knee joint should never be considered and treated out of context. To ensure the success of the operation, it is therefore important to know you as a human being.
We will question you carefully about your affected knee joint, but also about possible additional physical problems in order to find the cause of your knee problems: we will inquire about previous illnesses or injuries (even childhood ones) and treatments or surgery.
Additional x-ray or blood tests may be necessary. To prepare ourselves and you for the forthcoming surgery, recording of further illnesses, particularly those of the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver or other organs is important to both the surgeon and the anaesthetist. In the discussion, we would appreciate your indicating the approximate time of your previous treatments and informing us of regular medications.
The physical examination
We examine the mobility of all leg joints, the leg axes (knock-knee/bandy leg), the stability of the joint, and the gait. Various other tests complete the examination.
The radiographic examination
The radiographic examination is very important, as it reveals the condition of the bone and the joint. Apart from the physical examination, a good x-ray picture is indispensable for the careful planning of the operation. Additional x-rays or examinations, such as computer tomographies or magnetic resonance imaging, may be required.
Planning
On the basis of the information gained from the examination, the questioning, and the x-rays, the surgeon uses templates and drawings to carefully plan the detailed technical operation.
Anaesthesia
On the evening before the operation, the anaesthetist will tell you which anaesthesia he thinks is best for you.
As a rule, two different types of anaesthesia are possible:
1. General anaesthesia
2. Regional anaesthesia, i.e. an injection in the black (epidural).
Nowadays, both anaesthesias involve a very low risk. The anaesthetist will also inform you in detail about this.
