Knee Replacement Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have a knee replacement, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Infection
• Blood clots
• Excessive swelling or bleeding
• Injury to nearby nerves or blood vessels
• Anesthesia-related problems

Some factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Pre-existing medical conditions
• Obesity
• Current infection
• Diabetes
• Taking steroid medicine

Be sure to discuss these risks with your doctor before the surgery.

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision site
• Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given
• Nausea and/or vomiting that you cannot control with the medicines you were given after surgery, or which persist for more than two days after discharge from the hospital
• Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
• Your leg, foot, or toes appear chalky white, blue, or black
• Numbness or tingling in your leg, foot, or toes
• Pain, burning, urgency, frequency of urination, or persistent bleeding in the urine
• Swelling, redness, or pain in your legs, calves, or feet

In case of an emergency, CALL 911.