Knee Replacement Surgery Explained

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Bal Rajagopalan, from the Miracle Mile Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, demonstrates how he performs a knee replacement surgery.

Knee Replacement Surgery Explained Dr. Travis Stork: We’re going to tell everyone right now that she is feeling -- Mona: Unbelievable. Dr. Travis Stork: We’re going on a mission to Mars. Dr. Bal Rajagopalan: Absolutely. That was my second dream to be an astronaut but not. Beside the fact, the reason I wear those spacesuits is to reduce infection. Our number one complication that we fear is infection with any implant. So personally, we do everything we can to reduce infection. So this spacesuit prevents flora for myself or for my surgical team to go into these needs. Dr. Travis Stork: And you got a cool little prop over there because I want everyone to understand the anatomy of what you are doing there and -- Dr. Bal Rajagopalan: We’re just taking away millimeters off of bone off of the femoral site is well as the tibial site and putting on these metal implants on a femoral site, tibial site with the plastic spacer in between. This plastic spacer allows us to flex, extend, and fully weight bearer. And preservation of these ligaments allows me to tell Mona to fully wait there right away. Dr. Travis Stork: So she was walking the first day. Mona: They got me out. Dr. Travis Stork: That’s good. I know it hurt a little bit but -- so and the other thing about this procedure, did it hurt? Mona: Just a little bit. Dr. Travis Stork: Just a little bit, which is understandable but you’re far out that now. How far out now are you? Mona: Two months. Dr. Travis Stork: Two months and I saw you walking up here and you are walking just like you never had surgery before. And this is a procedure more and more common that folks are getting. Dr. Bal Rajagopalan: Absolutely, the best part about this procedure because of our new technology, we can do younger and younger people because we understand the range of motion of the knee, we got to understand how it works on kinematics motion and function. So therefore we remove less bone and people like Mona who are young, we can go ahead and change our lives. Dr. Travis Stork: And that is a good thing. Dr. Raja, thank you. You have one satisfied patient. And Mona, thank you Mona. Mona: Thank you.