Knee Osteotomy in Iran: All you need to know

There are certain conditions related to knee joints that can be disturbing to live with. Many of these problems can be fixed through procedures such as knee osteotomy. Read on to learn more about this procedure and how AriaMedTour can facilitate the trip for you.

What is knee osteotomy?

Knee Osteotomy is an orthopedics surgery that is recommended when a part of one or both knees is damaged. It is a surgical operation and is usually performed to treat arthritis. It can also be done in conjunction with other surgical procedures related to the knee joints when the patient complains about another condition such as cartilage problems, or bowed/ knock-kneed legs.

How is knee osteotomy surgery performed?

During the Knee osteotomy, the surgeon adds or removes a wedge of bone from the tibia or the femur bones in the leg. This helps with removing the pressure of your body weight on the damaged area.  First off, you will be put under general or spinal anesthesia. Then, the surgeon will cut the bone across your thighbone or shinbone. The entire surgery typically takes about one to two hours. Knee osteotomy procedure can be performed in two ways. One method is called closing wedge osteotomy and is the most common way to perform knee osteotomy. The other technique is opening wedge osteotomy which involves using bone grafts.

When is knee osteotomy needed?

Knee osteotomy is often needed when one part of the joint is damaged and the pressure on that side should be relieved. By shifting the weight off the damaged side, knee osteotomy procedure improves the painful symptoms as well as the function of the knee. There are several occasions in which a part of the knee joint might be damaged, including:

• Bow Legs: People with bowlegs can benefit from knee osteotomy to both relieve the pain and discomfort and avoid the need to go through knee replacement surgery in the future.

• Arthritis: Probably the main reason for people to opt for knee osteotomy is the arthritis condition. Knee osteotomy can help eliminate the negative complications of arthritis.

• Patellar tracking: When the patellar tracking disorder is caused by a problem with the alignment or structure of the knee, an osteotomy can be beneficial.

Knee osteotomy candidates

In order to be considered a candidate for osteotomy for knee surgery, the individual should be an active and thin person who is 60 years old or less. He or she should also experience pain only on the side of the knees and no pain under the kneecap. This pain should also be exacerbated by activity and standing for a long time. Generally, surgeons contraindicate this procedure for people who are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. It is important to seek professional advice when you are in doubt. So, contact our specialists for free to learn about your candidacy for the surgery. 

What are the advantages of Knee osteotomy?

Knee osteotomy is a suitable surgery for those who are young, because the procedure frees them from the need to have a knee replacement surgery in the future. Although knee joint replacement is a very effective procedure, it won’t be as good as the persons’s own knees. In other words, one of the main advantages of knee osteotomy is the fact that it can prolong the knee joint lifespan, delaying knee replacement surgery.  Another significant advantage of this procedure is that it is followed by minimal restrictions in terms of physical activity, Thus, the patient can pursue his or her exercises as previously done.  Finally, many people find that knee osteotomy is the perfect method to correct poor knee alignment.

Knee osteotomy vs. Knee replacement

As mentioned above, knee osteotomy does not involve constraining any physical activity after the surgery. It is also a more natural way to correct conditions related to the knee compared to knee replacement surgery. Furthermore, the recovery time after knee replacement surgery is usually longer and more difficult. Yet, it also has some disadvantages that knee replacement surgery doesn’t have.  In case knee replacement surgery is needed in the future, it might turn out to be a more challenging procedure if the patient had previously undergone knee osteotomy. 

Cost of knee osteotomy in Iran

Although knee osteotomy is performed in Iran at a high level of proficiency by one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the country, some economic factors relating to the low rates of the national currency against foreign currencies make this surgery very affordable in Iran. The cost of knee osteotomy in Iran ranges between $1,200 and $2,500 while the same surgery costs a very much higher sum in the USA and other western countries.

Preparing to have knee osteotomy in Iran

If you are considering having knee osteotomy surgery in Iran, you should choose a proficient specialist with ample experience ahead of the time. This can be easily done through AriaMedTour’s online consultation sessions. Once this is done, you can book an all-inclusive package customized to meet your needs as an international patient. With AriaMedTour, all the process of preparing to have surgery in Iran will be as easily done as it is said.

Recovery after knee osteotomy

After the surgery, one to two days of hospital stay is usually necessary. The most important thing to do after the knee osteotomy surgery is pain management that will be taken care of by the doctor and nurses. For several weeks after the surgery, you should use crutches while your knees are most likely to be put in brace or cast. There are also rehabilitation exercises that you should do for at least 3 to 4 months after the surgery.