Occasionally, a patient and surgeon may decide that having both knees replaced at the same time is an acceptable option. This patient would have two equally weak, damaged and painful knees. Bilateral total knee replacement allows the patient to come into the hospital one time, have one surgery and one recovery time.
The surgery lasts longer than a singular knee replacement surgery, generally two and a half to three hours. The hospital stay is usually a day or two longer and the patient may be a candidate for inpatient rehabilitation. Bilateral total knee replacement requires a commitment to work twice as hard for a successful outcome.