The primary Risks in a full knee Replacement Surgery

The risks are likely not what you might think at first. The first risk is that you might get an infection from the surgery. This risk is between 20% to 40% depending upon the efficiency of the surgeon and his assistants. Within the first week of your surgery usually the doctor will recommend a sonogram to check for infection. The second risk is becoming addicted to your very strong pain med. A really strong pain med is necessary because this is the most painful operation possible because the pain goes on in ever lessening ways for at least 4 months. So, until you can function and sleep without pain meds (the really strong ones like percocet). The third risk which is potentially fatal is Blood clotting which if a clot formed and lodged in your heart or brain is potentially fatal. So, drugs that prevent blood clotting are usually given during the first week before and  after your surgery like Cumiden.

There actually is not much risk of the operation not being done correctly because of all the very efficient computerized engineering technology used by most physicians today as long as the titanium and plastic add-ons to the top of your bottom bone and the bottom of your thigh bone have been manufactured correctly without any flaws. However, if you check on the recovery times from different surgeons this might be important. 

The bottom of the top bone is shaved to fit the titanium curved piece and the bottom bone is cut with a flat top and drilled into so the doweling effect of the titanium can be glued into place. The two pieces (one on the top bone and the one on the bottom bone can function as your new knee with the plastic as the cushion between the two titanium components being installed (for the next 20 years hopefully in your leg). However, if you weigh too much for the device it can fail in as little as 10 years time. I'm not sure what (failing) looks like. However, I imagine your leg would squeak from the plastic wearing down and the knee then sounding like squeaking or metal to metal between he two titanium components. However, even if it failed likely no pain would be involved like it was before you had this operation. Quality of life returns at about 4 months. So, this is no small thing that you have to deal with. I have heard of people driving again at 3 weeks. However, my wife is now at over 6 weeks and is still taking too much percocet to be able to drive safely. But, by next week she expects to be able to drive once again. The last pain killer her doctor recommended taking was just before bed. So, you eliminate all your major pain meds down to the night time dose so you can sleep at the end of your major pain meds. Then you can move onto something like tylenol or Advil until the pain eventually reduces down to nothing by your 4th month after surgery.

As you can see by the google images displayed here it is possibly completely different than what you first imagined.

To see more images go to "Google Image" and type in "Total Knee Replacement"