Can probiotics can improve outcomes in knee replacement surgeries?

Imaging of a knee replacement (Lawson Health Research Institute) New study: can probiotics can improve outcomes in knee replacement surgeries? Researchers are exploring how they can better support knee replacement patients' overall health Researchers at Western and Lawson Health Research Institute are examining whether the use of a daily probiotic can improve outcomes in patients who undergo total knee replacement surgery. There are more than 70,000 knee replacement surgeries in Canada each year, and up to 10 per cent of patients experience complications following the procedure. "One in five patients is dissatisfied after surgery due to pain and discomfort, and some patients need a repeat surgery because there is complication, infection or loosening of the joint," said Matthew Teeter , associate professor at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). Teeter and the research team are focused on improving patient outcomes. Recognizing that knee replacement patients who are considered healthy tend to have better outcomes, they are interested in how they can better support patients' overall health as one way to optimize their results. "The knee replacement patients I see in clinic are very diverse - from young, healthy, active patients to medically complex to socioeconomically disadvantaged," said Dr. Brent Lanting , Schulich Medicine & Dentistry professor, Lawson scientist and orthopaedic surgeon at LHSC.