New Knee Replacement Procedure Provides Benefit to Patients

A Cookeville surgeon provides a new method for total knee replacement surgery without the use of a tourniquet.

Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. John Turnbull presented the new procedure during the Cookeville Regional Medical Center’s Board of Directors meeting Thursday. He said the new method has provided a great benefit to his patients compared to 15 years ago.

“Back then there was nobody doing knee replacements without a tourniquet, it’s just the way we always did it,” Turnbull said. “As you guys know, when people sort of think outside the box and look at things you’ve always done just because that’s the way you’ve done them… if you look outside the box you’ll figure out there’s probably a better way to do something.”

Turnbull said many patients unaware of the new procedure have either dealt with the pain of the tourniquet method or forgone surgery altogether.

“It’s because osteoarthritis of the knee hurts. It’s very painful and really limits the quality of life for these patients,” Turnbull said. “Up to 720,000 people in the United States undergo total knee replacement every year. There’s an estimate that there are about 10 million people walking around the U.S. with a functioning knee replacement in place as we speak.”

Turnbull said the tourniquet-less method allows for less blood loss during surgery and patients experience better use of their knee quicker than the traditional procedure.

“The motion is better. After a big surgery and [the patient] can move their knee without pain, they get it in their mind. It’s a psychological issue,” Turnbull said. “If they say ‘hey, my knee is better already,’ if they feel that within a few hours of having their knee replacement done, then that just starts the whole process off well.”

Turnbull notes the procedure also leads to a shorter stay for patients, reducing costs for both them and CRMC, while allowing doctors to prescribe fewer opioid pain killers during recovery.