I am a 70-year-old man and had a knee replacement in 2010. I heard that after knee surgery you have an increased risk of heart problems. Is that true? I got heart problems in 2011 and 2012.
male (70)
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
Joint replacement surgery increases the risk of a heart attack, but especially in the weeks after surgery. This is largely caused by the fact that the body activates blood clotting in large wounds. And a heart attack is the result of the ‘clotting’ of a coronary artery. A Danish study shows that the risk of a heart attack after knee surgery remains clearly increased for two weeks, after hip surgery for six weeks. It is therefore not very obvious that your heart problems are related to the knee surgery.
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