Deciding on Surgery
Many people with a painful knee worry that their weight will rule out surgery. It usually doesn’t work that simply. This guide explains why weight matters for knee arthritis, what the research says about BMI and surgical risk, how losing weight can help and how Dr. Kalender looks at it.
Key takeaways
Every step puts load through the knee, and extra body weight adds to it. That is one reason the AAOS guideline recommends sustained weight loss for people with knee arthritis who are overweight. For many people, even a moderate loss makes walking and stairs easier.
Not by itself. BMI (body mass index) is a measure of weight relative to height. A higher BMI is linked to a higher risk of complications, and an AAOS summary for patients notes strong evidence that a BMI of 40 or more and diabetes both increase that risk. That is why surgeons ask about weight and blood sugar before surgery, and may ask you to bring them down first.
At the same time, a study reported by the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons found that patients with obesity gained pain relief and function similar to other patients after joint replacement. Its authors concluded that obesity in itself should not be a deterrent to surgery.
You can work out your BMI with this formula: weight in pounds × 703 ÷ (height in inches)².
If your surgeon recommends losing weight first, a few things tend to help:
Weight loss can also make it easier to walk with support after surgery, which matters in the first days. Knee replacement alternatives →
Body weight (BMI) is one of the things Dr. Kalender looks at, together with your symptoms, your X-rays or MRI, checks for infection and your general health. No single number decides on its own. If your weight raises the risk of surgery for you, he tells you honestly and explains what would make it safer.
If you are worried about how you would cope after surgery, this is where his approach helps. If surgery is right for you, his own pain-free approach is designed to keep pain low from the first hours, get you walking the day after surgery and, for most patients, mean one night in the hospital. He developed it himself over about ten years.
There is no single limit used everywhere. A BMI of 40 or more is linked to a clearly higher risk of complications, so many surgeons ask patients to lower their weight first. Dr. Kalender looks at BMI together with your overall health.
It often does. The AAOS guideline recommends sustained weight loss for people with knee arthritis who are overweight.
Research reported by the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons found that patients with obesity gained pain relief and function similar to other patients, even though their risk of early complications was higher.
It depends on your starting point and your health. Ask your surgeon for a target that applies to you.
Free online consultation
Dr. Kalender reviews your X-rays or MRI and your health, and tells you whether surgery makes sense now and what would make it safer. Free, with no obligation.
Pain-free knee replacement in Istanbul for patients traveling from the USA. Orthopedic & trauma surgeon at Dora Hospital.
Dora Hospital · Fulya Mah. Yavuz Sk. No:7, 34394 Şişli / Istanbul, Türkiye
The information on this website is for general guidance and does not replace a medical consultation. © Dr. Mahmut Kalender