The use of a tourniquet during total knee replacement surgery is quite common. However, many patients don’t know or fully understand the risks of using a tourniquet during surgery. Traditionally, a tourniquet is used during surgery to create a bloodless surgical area and reduce intraoperative bleeding, which can reduce surgical time. There are adverse side effects to using a tourniquet that many people don’t know about, including an increase in pain. So, as a patient, it is important to understand your surgical plan and ask questions.
Risk of using a tourniquet during knee replacement surgery
- Increased pain
- Nerve damage
- Ischemia (shortage of blood and oxygen to the heart)
- Soft tissue damage
- Blood clot
- Poor wound healing
- Longer recovery
- Temporary reduction in muscle strength
- Reduced range of motion in knee
Many of the potential side effects of a tourniquet arise post-operatively during recovery.
During knee replacement surgery, some surgeons only use a tourniquet for a brief period to control the bleeding during surgery. Since the tourniquet is not used the entire time, patients often see a reduction in swelling and bleeding around the surgical site, as well as the following benefits:
- Reduced pain
- Quicker recovery
- Ability to begin physical therapy and rehabilitation quicker
- Shorter hospital stay
- Up and walking same day as surgery
