Driving After a Knee Replacement: When Can You Get Back Behind the Wheel?
If you’re counting down the days until you can grab your car keys again, you’re probably asking the same question most patients ask their surgeon: how long after knee replacement can I drive? For most people, the answer sits between 4 and 6 weeks after surgery, though it depends on which knee was replaced, what […]
Pain After a Knee Replacement: What Is Normal and How Long It Lasts
If you have recently had knee replacement surgery, or you are preparing for one, you have probably asked the same question thousands of patients ask their surgeon every week: why is there so much pain after knee replacement? The short answer is that your body has just been through major reconstructive surgery. The surgeon cuts […]
How Long Does Knee Replacement Surgery Take? A Step by Step Timeline
How long does knee replacement surgery take? For most patients, the operation itself takes one to two hours, whether it is a conventional or MAKO robotic procedure. Total time in the operating suite, including anaesthesia, positioning and closing, usually runs closer to two to three hours. This guide breaks down what happens at each stage […]
Running, Golf and Kneeling: What You Can Do After a Knee Replacement
Can you run after a knee replacement? For most patients, the honest answer is no, at least not as a regular form of exercise. Modern implants are built to handle decades of walking, golf swings, kneeling and cycling, but the repeated pounding of running places a different kind of stress on the joint that most […]
How Do You Know If You Need a Knee Replacement?
You likely need a knee replacement if you have persistent, severe knee pain that does not settle with rest, medication, or physiotherapy, along with stiffness, swelling, or reduced mobility that stops you doing everyday activities. If an X-ray also shows significant cartilage loss or bone-on-bone contact, and conservative treatments have already been tried without lasting […]
Does Medicare Cover Knee Replacement in Australia?
Yes, Medicare covers knee replacement surgery in Australia, but how much it covers depends entirely on which pathway you take. As a public patient in a public hospital, Medicare pays for the whole procedure, the surgeon, the anaesthetist, the hospital stay, and the prosthesis, and you won’t receive a bill. Choose the private system instead, […]
How to Sleep After a Knee Replacement
Sleep on your back with your operated leg straight, using a pillow under your calf and heel rather than under the knee itself. Most surgeons advise avoiding your operated side and stomach sleeping until swelling and pain have settled, usually around four to six weeks after surgery. Disrupted sleep is one of the most common […]
How Long Can You Wait for a Knee Replacement in Australia?
If you have been told you need a knee replacement, the question on your mind is probably a simple one: how long can you wait? The honest answer depends on which system you are waiting in. Australia’s public hospitals currently ask most patients to wait many months, sometimes more than a year, while private surgery […]
Knee Replacement Recovery Week by Week: The Complete Timeline
Knee replacement recovery follows a fairly predictable path, even though everybody heals at their own pace. Knowing what to expect in the days, weeks, and months after surgery turns a stressful unknown into a plan you can actually follow. This guide breaks down knee replacement recovery week by week, from the first hours after the […]
Swelling After Knee Replacement: What’s Normal and What’s Not
Some swelling after knee replacement is one of the most predictable parts of recovery, yet it is often the detail that worries patients most. A new knee that looks puffy and feels tight in the days and weeks after surgery does not automatically mean something has gone wrong. In most cases, swelling is simply the […]