Frequently Asked Questions

There are obviously tremendous individual differences in terms of recovery. CortoClinics provides a personalized care plan that includes taking steps in advance of surgery to ensure that rehabilitation goes as smoothly as possible. Recent studies have shown good results with therapy started before surgery. We will discuss all of the options with you and provide you with the information you need to make the decision that’s right for you.

Yes, there is. The standard procedure at CortoClinics, though, is for you to keep your kneecap in a total knee replacement, except in cases where that is not possible. Sometimes, the wear and tear is limited to only the kneecap and the rest of the joint is undamaged. In those cases, a kneecap prosthesis could be an option. This consists of a metal component (typically cobalt-chrome) affixed to the front of the thigh bone and a plastic component (polyethylene) cemented to the back side of the kneecap.

Knee replacement surgery requires considerable rehabilitation. Most of your recovery occurs in the first 6 weeks to 3 months after surgery. That is not to say that the final result is achieved by that point. Some people require up to a year to achieve the final result and feel fully recovered.

It takes about an hour to place the prosthetic joint. You then spend the night at the CortoClinics clinic, before immediately returning home the next morning.

That is to say, after you’ve recovered, you can get back to your normal life. Moderately intense exercise, such as cycling and hiking, should become possible once again. Some people with a prosthetic hip joint also engage in more vigorous activities, such as skiing or jogging. While this is often possible, it also brings with it a higher risk of wear over time. The most important thing is your quality of life: exercise is healthy.

No, once we decide on surgery, we can schedule an appointment immediately.

There are obviously tremendous individual differences in terms of recovery. CortoClinics provides a personalized care plan that includes taking steps in advance of surgery to ensure that rehabilitation goes as smoothly as possible. Recent studies have shown good results with therapy started before surgery. We will discuss all of the options with you and provide you with the information you need to make the decision that’s right for you.

The average expected lifespan of a knee implant is between 15 and 20 years. But the length of time your knee replacement will last depends on many factors. How much stress is your implant subjected to? And what is the quality of the surrounding bone?

Implants are classified using the ODEP rating system. This benchmark is based on scientific evidence gathered on a group of implant users. The result is a rating made up of a number and a letter. The number indicates how many years the implant has lasted without problems among a high percentage of users. That number can be deceiving, though: an implant that has only been on the market for 5 years can never receive a rating of higher than 5. The longer a hip implant has been on the market, and thus also been studied, the higher the number can be. The letter in the benchmark indicates how large the group of users that participated in the study was. An A rating means that the group was large. For the knee implants that CortoClinics uses, the ODEP ratings are 5A for the partial knee prosthesis and 10A for the total knee prosthesis.

The Mako robotic arm helps the orthopedic surgeon accurately position the hip or knee implant, producing results with a margin of error of less than a millimeter. The robotic arm has another important advantage: implant components can be placed using minimally invasive surgery. With this technique, the incision needed is smaller than with traditional hip or knee replacement surgery. Equally important, there is less damage to the surrounding soft tissue, such as tendons and muscles. That means you recover faster.

It is customary to feel some pain shortly after surgery. We use painkillers to combat this. The pain from hip or knee replacement surgery will diminish after about 2 weeks. It will continue to gradually dissipate further after that. Within 3 to 4 months after surgery, you should see a considerable improvement. Some people, however, require up to a year to achieve the final result and feel fully recovered.

That is to say, after you’ve recovered, you can get back to your normal life. Moderately intense exercise, such as cycling and hiking, should become possible once again. Some people with a knee replacement also engage in more vigorous activities, such as skiing or jogging. While this is often possible, it also brings with it a higher risk of wear over time. The most important thing is your quality of life: exercise is healthy.

Your first appointment can be scheduled within a week.