A total knee replacement is a very invasive surgery. It requires cutting open the side of the knee with a three- to five-inch incision, and that is just the start. Large portions of the knee may be removed, some which may still be viable, in order to fit the hard plastic and titanium bits that become the new knee. Yet, what would happen if you did not need to get that invasive with surgery? Keyhole surgery on knees has been in use for years now, and you might find it much more appealing. Here are three benefits of keyhole knee surgery. 

Tiny Incisions

Instead of a gaping wound and a long scar on your leg, you get these tiny, less-than-an-inch incisions on the knee. It is rarely more than three incisions, and the most common of knee surgeries only needs two incisions; one for the camera, and one for the instruments to slide through and perform the surgery. Scarring is a remote possibility, but even if you do have scars they are barely noticeable. 

Faster Healing

Because you are not opening up the knee completely, and because you will not need stitches, you will heal much faster. Usually in two weeks or less, patients that opt for keyhole knee surgery do not have any remaining open areas or signs that they even had surgery. They have been walking around and being as active as they wanted to be while other patients opting for the more traditional knee surgery are still working through rehab services. 

Almost Zero Chance of Infection

The smaller a cut into the body, the less chance of infection. With the tiny incisions you get from this surgery, there is very little chance at all of getting an infection in any of the wounds. Compare that to a much higher number of people who opt for the traditional surgery and find that they have an infection in the surgical site a week past surgery. It is usually not the hospital's fault; the infection is often the result of not changing dressings and keeping the area clean. Even so, that does not happen with incisions that only require a butterfly bandage to close. 

Talk to Your Doctor

If you are scheduled to have knee surgery in the coming year, ask your doctor if you are a good candidate for keyhole surgery. If you are, ask your doctor if you can switch to this procedure instead of the other procedure for which you were slated. You might be glad you did.