A patient who experienced swelling and infection after knee replacement usually has two choices: take penicillin or have another surgery.
Physicians at Ottawa Hospital in Ontario, Canada spoke with CBC News about the rare occurrences of periprosthetic joint infection and the difficulty in treating them.
Here are three key points from the report.
1. There were 1,200 joint-replacements are performed at Ottawa Hospital annually.
2. A primary artificial joint will cost between $8,000 and $10,000, everything included.
3. Infections can be four or five times that cost, according to Paul Beaulé, MD, FRCSC, head of orthopedic surgery at Ottawa Hospital.
4. The hospital is currently conducting analysis on PJI and finds the infection difficult to trace.
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