You're facing a decision: Is it time to have knee replacement surgery?
Or do you want to keep managing your pain with medicine, exercise, or other treatments?
It really is your choice, and it's important to think about both the medical facts and your own feelings.
The information in this video can help you compare your choices, so you can make a decision that's right for you.
Okay, let's look at your choices.
People usually choose knee replacement surgery only when other treatments no longer control their pain, and the pain is so bad that it hurts to walk or do their everyday activities.
Most people who have had the surgery are glad they did because they usually have much less pain and are able to return to their normal activities.
But any surgery has risks, especially for older adults.
Possible risks include bleeding, problems from anesthesia, and, in rare cases, serious joint infection.
And artificial knee joints can wear out.
So you might have to have the surgery again.
Your other choice is to try different ways to relieve your knee pain.
There are lots of things that can help, like doing exercises that your doctor recommends, losing some weight if you need to, or using a cane or a walker.
You could also ask your doctor about medicines to reduce the pain in your knee.
By not having surgery, you'll avoid the risks of surgery and the long period of rehab after surgery.
But medicines and other treatments may not work well enough, so you might still have discomfort that limits the things you can do.
And pain medicine can cause side effects, like an upset stomach, heartburn, stomach bleeding, and skin rashes.
So, is your pain bad enough that you're willing to accept the risks of surgery?
Or would you rather try to manage your pain without surgery?
When you've answered those questions, your next step is to tell your doctor which way you're leaning.
Now, it can be hard sometimes to talk to doctors, especially if you're not used to it.
But your thoughts and feelings are important, and your doctor wants to hear them, so that by working together, you can decide which choice is best for you.
