At the Advanced Center for Orthopedics and Plastic Surgery, several of our orthopedic surgeons specialize in the revision of total joint arthroplasty (also known as joint revision surgery), including Dr. Doppelt and Dr. Leonard. The Advanced Center for Orthopedics and Plastic Surgery has been performing joint revision surgery for more than three decades. That means your joint revision surgery will be performed by a team whose experience is virtually unmatched in Marquette, the surrounding Upper Peninsula, and throughout Northern Michigan.
Most joint replacement surgeries are successful and last the lifetime of the patient. Occasionally, however, a prosthetic knee, hip, or shoulder joint may need to be replaced. This can be due to the joint loosening over time, infection, dislocation, or other patient-related factors. Additionally, most prosthetic joints last between 10 and 20 years. With younger, more active patients increasingly electing to undergo total joint surgery, the likelihood of a joint simply exceeding its intended lifespan is increased.
Joint revision surgery is a complex undertaking that requires a high level of experience on the part of the surgeon and team, as well as specialized tools, and extensive preoperative planning. In fact, depending on the procedure in question and the particular case, revision of joint replacement can be far more complex than the original surgery. This is why not all surgeons who perform total joint replacement also perform joint revision surgery.
Once the procedure is completed successfully and the patient has sufficiently recovered, joint revision surgery can result in less pain, greater stability, and a greater range of motion.
As with total joint arthroplasty, joint revision surgery is a major medical procedure that requires the patient to be under general anesthesia. This means you won’t be awake for your surgery and will therefore feel no pain. Because joint revision surgery typically involves cutting through major muscles to access the joint, the patient typically has to undergo a recuperation process involving follow-up care and physical therapy that may last up to six weeks or more, depending on the joint involved and the patient’s particular situation.
To learn more about what to expect when you undergo joint revision surgery, please visit our surgery prep and recovery page.
Specialty Reference:
Total Joint Replacement & Revision