It's become rather routine, they have been doing them for 40+ years. My surgery was a long time coming. People generally get knee replacements because of prior damage to the knee (as in my case) that involves cartilage loss, and once that gets bad enough it's your only option. Or your knees can just wear out. But considering the progress they have made it's a great procedure, a few weeks of pain, then some tough rehab, but generally you're back to pretty normal for a lot of stuff (like cycling) within a few months.

They essentially implant one of these:



I'm amazed at how fast it's coming around. I'm 7 weeks out, by 4-5 months out this will feel like my healthy, natural knee. Hell, I can already ride a bicycle, that's amazing.