Knee replacement surgery at Cheema Medical Complex, Mohali
Knee replacement surgery replaces the worn surfaces of a painful knee joint with smooth metal and medical-grade plastic parts. For people whose arthritis has made walking, standing up from a chair or climbing stairs a daily struggle, it is one of the most reliable operations in orthopaedics. Most patients walk with far less pain once they have recovered.
Cheema Medical Complex (CMC Hospital) has served families in Mohali since 1988. The orthopaedic department sits inside a multispeciality hospital with a 24/7 emergency, X-ray and CT scan, a pathology lab, a pharmacy and in-house physiotherapy. Your consultation, tests, surgery, rehabilitation and follow-up all happen in one place, in Phase 4, Sector 59, on Mohali Stadium Road.
Patients come to us from across Mohali and from Chandigarh, Zirakpur, Kharar, Panchkula and the towns around the Tricity. For most of them the hospital is a short drive, which makes the many follow-up visits after a knee replacement much easier.
Signs that you may need a knee replacement
Knee replacement is not the first treatment for knee pain. It is considered when the joint is badly worn and simpler treatments no longer help. You may be a candidate if:
- Knee pain stops you walking more than a short distance, even on flat ground.
- You need support or a railing to climb stairs, or you avoid them.
- The knee hurts at rest or wakes you at night.
- The knee is stiff, swollen or has become bow-legged or knock-kneed.
- Medicines, physiotherapy, weight loss, knee braces or injections have stopped working, or only work for a short time.
- X-rays show advanced damage to the joint surfaces.
The most common reason is osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear arthritis that becomes more common after 50. Knee replacement is also done for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritis, for arthritis that follows an old injury or fracture around the knee, and for some knee deformities.
Age alone does not decide it. Some people need surgery in their fifties, others manage well without it into their eighties. What matters is how much the knee limits your life and what the X-rays show.
Total and partial knee replacement
Total knee replacement (TKR)
In a total knee replacement, the damaged ends of the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia) are shaped and capped with metal components. A plastic insert between them acts as the new cartilage. The back of the kneecap may be resurfaced as well. This is the most common type of knee replacement and suits most patients with arthritis spread across the joint.
Partial knee replacement (unicompartmental)
When the arthritis is limited to one part of the knee, usually the inner side, and the ligaments are healthy, only that part may be replaced. A partial knee replacement uses a smaller incision and keeps more of your own knee. It suits a smaller group of patients, and the choice is made only after a careful examination and X-rays.
One knee or both knees
If both knees are badly affected, they can sometimes be replaced in the same operation. More often they are done a few weeks or months apart, so you can lean on the better leg while the first knee recovers. Your surgeon will advise what is safest for you.
Implant brands and newer techniques such as robotic-assisted knee replacement vary by hospital and by case. Ask during your consultation which implants and techniques are available at CMC and which one the surgeon recommends for your knee.
Your first consultation
Your first visit is with the orthopaedic surgeon in the outpatient department. At Cheema Medical Complex the orthopaedic OPD runs Monday to Saturday, 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. Call 8054922340 to book a time.
The surgeon will:
- Ask about your pain, how far you can walk, your sleep and the treatments you have already tried.
- Examine the knee for swelling, range of movement, stability and deformity, and check your hip and spine, because hip problems can be felt as knee pain.
- Review or order standing X-rays of the knee.
- Explain whether surgery makes sense now, or whether other treatment should come first.
Bring your old X-rays or MRI reports, a list of your medicines (especially blood thinners and diabetes medicines) and any reports of heart, kidney or lung problems.
Getting ready for surgery
If you and your surgeon decide on a knee replacement, a few checks come first:
- Blood tests, ECG and a chest X-ray at the hospital lab and imaging department.
- A fitness check with the physician, and with the anaesthesia team, especially if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease.
- Control of blood sugar and blood pressure before the operation, since this lowers the risk of infection and other complications.
- Advice about medicines such as blood thinners, which may need to be stopped or changed for a few days.
- Preparing your home: a firm chair with arms, a raised toilet seat or commode, and clear walkways without loose rugs.
Patients who do knee-strengthening exercises before surgery often find the rehabilitation easier. Our physiotherapy team can show you a few safe exercises.
What happens on the day of surgery
Knee replacement is usually done under spinal anaesthesia, which numbs you from the waist down, often with sedation so you sleep through it. Sometimes general anaesthesia is used instead. The anaesthesia team will explain the plan.
The operation itself usually takes one to two hours. The surgeon removes the damaged cartilage and a thin layer of bone, fits the trial components to check alignment and movement, then fixes the final implants in place. The wound is closed and dressed, and you go to the recovery area before returning to the ward.
Pain relief starts in the operation theatre and continues through your stay, so that you can begin moving the knee early.
Recovery and physiotherapy
Recovery is where most of the work happens, and physiotherapy is part of the plan from day one.
| Time after surgery | What most patients do |
|---|---|
| Day 1 to 2 | Sit up, stand and take a few steps with a walker, start bending exercises |
| Before going home | Walk with a walker, manage the toilet, climb a few steps with help |
| 2 weeks | Wound check and stitch or clip removal, walking further at home |
| 4 to 6 weeks | Walking with a stick or unaided, most daily activities |
| 3 months | Much less swelling, longer walks, many people stop thinking about the knee |
| 6 to 12 months | Final result; the knee keeps improving slowly for up to a year |
These timings are typical, not promises. Recovery is quicker for some people and slower for others, depending on age, fitness, the state of the other knee and how regularly the exercises are done.
Physiotherapy continues after discharge, at the hospital or at home. The aim is to get the knee straight, bend it well past a right angle and rebuild the thigh muscles. Doing the exercises every day matters more than anything else in the result.
Risks you should know about
Knee replacement is a common and well-established operation, but like any surgery it carries risks. Your surgeon will discuss them with you, including:
- Infection of the wound or, rarely, the joint
- Blood clots in the leg veins; you will be given medicines and exercises to lower this risk
- Stiffness, if the knee is not moved enough during recovery
- Ongoing pain or swelling in a small number of patients
- Loosening or wear of the implant over many years, which may need another operation
Good diabetes control, stopping smoking, careful wound care and attending follow-up visits all reduce these risks.
Life after a knee replacement
Most people return to walking, shopping, travelling, climbing stairs and low-impact exercise such as cycling, swimming and yoga-style stretching. Sitting cross-legged on the floor and deep squatting are harder after a knee replacement, so ask your surgeon what is realistic for you. High-impact running and jumping sports are usually discouraged to protect the implant.
You will be asked to come back for check-ups and occasional X-rays, so any problem with the implant can be caught early.
Other treatments for knee pain
Not every painful knee needs a replacement. Depending on your knee, the surgeon may first suggest weight management, physiotherapy, pain medicines, knee braces or injections into the knee. If a torn meniscus or ligament is behind the pain rather than arthritis, knee arthroscopy may be the right treatment instead.
If your hip is also painful, read about hip replacement surgery, because hip arthritis can cause pain that is felt in the knee.
Why patients choose Cheema Medical Complex
- One hospital for the whole journey: consultation, tests, surgery, physiotherapy and follow-up under one roof.
- A multispeciality team for patients with diabetes, heart, kidney or lung conditions, so fitness checks and care after surgery happen in the same building.
- 24/7 emergency if anything worries you after you go home.
- Easy to reach from Mohali, Chandigarh, Zirakpur and Kharar, on Mohali Stadium Road in Phase 4.
- A hospital families have trusted since 1988.
The orthopaedic surgeon at CMC is Dr. Gaurav Jain, MBBS, MS (Orthopaedics), FISM (Spain), whose work covers joint replacement, trauma, sports injuries and spine problems.
Book a knee consultation
Call 8054922340 or book an appointment online. Bring your X-rays and medicine list. If you are not sure whether you need surgery, the first consultation is the place to find out. You will leave with a clear plan, whether that is surgery or not.