Knee Surgery Update !!

RSKY · Apr 11, 2016

Well!!

The new surgery did NOT help my problem. Doctor had high hopes but told me at the beginning that there was only a 25-35 percent chance that it would help. Sooooo I went in for a checkup two weeks ago and asked the doctor what my options were. He started with going to a pain management center and having nerves deadened every two or three months. I told him no. Then he talked about a partial replacement. I told him no because I would someday still need a full replacement. He just looked at me and I finally said that I wanted him to replace my left knee. That is what he knew I was going to say when I walked into the office. I know because he brought his "joint replacement coordinator lady" when he came in. Then he started the same pitch he does with every patient. He said he was not a 'knife happy' doctor. Said a quarter of his work was fixing other doctor's mistakes. Said one of his biggest problems was 'knife happy' patients. Said he never told a patient they needed a joint replaced, the patient had to tell him. I finally said, "Okay Doc, I am not a knife happy patient. I really don't want this done. But will you please replace my knee", and he said, "Okay, but only because I like you".

And you wonder why the guy stays four months behind on surgeries. And that is doing surgery three days a week with two days office visits.

Anyway......I told him I wanted it done between Christmas and New Years. He said he was on vacation then. I told him he could take a day off from vacation. He said he would be out of town and I asked him if he was going to India or would he be in the states. That finally broke him down. He said, "Dammnn, I'm not driving back from Minnesota to do one surgery."

I love this guy.

By this time my wife was getting ticked at me for stalling. So we decided to replace my knee on December 5th, 2016. That way I will be mobile for all the family festivities during the holidays.

Don't know of anybody who has had bad luck with this guy. But the idea of having this critical joint removed from my leg and a mechanical contraption put in scares the crap out of me. But I have reached the limit on what I can and will endure. I am afraid if I do not do something about this knee that it is going to affect my health and life in other ways. For one thing I am not walking as much as before and I am gaining weight. I am much less mobile. And I do not do things I used to enjoy because of the knee pain.

I am putting it off because we have so much going on this summer and fall. Three trips planned, new grandbaby due, lots of work around the house and at my daughter's homes. I will grin and bear the pain, with the help of Naproxen Sodium, until December.

RSKY

txdon · Apr 11, 2016

RSKY said:
I am putting it off because we have so much going on this summer and fall. Three trips planned, new grandbaby due, lots of work around the house and at my daughter's homes. I will grin and bear the pain, with the help of Naproxen Sodium, until December.

RSKY

You have a lot to do but you should put yourself first when it comes to your health and pain. Your planed activities will not be very enjoyable.

k0ua · Apr 11, 2016

txdon said:
You have a lot to do but you should put yourself first when it comes to your health and pain. Your planed activities will not be very enjoyable.

That is what I was thinking. It's not my business, but If I had made the decisions to have my knee replaced, I would want the surgery to be scheduled ASAP. I would not let anything else get in the way.

TripleR · Apr 11, 2016

What they said, my father in law had both hips replaced and it improved the quality of life more than any of us imagined. I know several who have done the knee replacement and no one regrets it. I like to get this sort of stuff over and done with myself, but we're all different, so good luck with your surgery whenever you have it done.

Budweiser John · Apr 11, 2016

I simply do not know what the hang up is on having knee replacement.
I've watched people screw around with shots and other temporary fixes that only kick the can further down the road and provide no long term relief.
I currently am sporting replacement knees on both sides, the first side done in 2011 and the second side in 2015. Both were done with an overnight hospital stay and faithful attention to post op therapy.

The post op pain is easily managed by today's pain killers and the surgical wound covered with a " tire patch" bandage allows plenty of time to relax in a hot shower with no fear of infection.
Six weeks after surgery I was back at it kneeling, bending climbing ladders and enjoying a pain free life again.
Just "git her done"

B. John

chuck172 · Apr 11, 2016

Only an overnight stay John? I had to stay 3 or 4 nights.

RandyT · Apr 11, 2016

I think the reason people mess around with the shots and other stuff is due to insurance requirements. Some won't pay for replacement until you have had cortisone shots and other things before they will approve payment for surgery.

fordmantpw · Apr 11, 2016

My dad had both knees replaced at the same time years ago. I think he was in the hospital 2 days, but mostly due to complications from anesthesia (he's always had a problem with it).

His only regret: not getting it done sooner.

Best of luck to you RSKY!

dickfoster · Apr 11, 2016

RSKY said:
Well!!

The new surgery did NOT help my problem. Doctor had high hopes but told me at the beginning that there was only a 25-35 percent chance that it would help. Sooooo I went in for a checkup two weeks ago and asked the doctor what my options were. He started with going to a pain management center and having nerves deadened every two or three months. I told him no. Then he talked about a partial replacement. I told him no because I would someday still need a full replacement. He just looked at me and I finally said that I wanted him to replace my left knee. That is what he knew I was going to say when I walked into the office. I know because he brought his "joint replacement coordinator lady" when he came in. Then he started the same pitch he does with every patient. He said he was not a 'knife happy' doctor. Said a quarter of his work was fixing other doctor's mistakes. Said one of his biggest problems was 'knife happy' patients. Said he never told a patient they needed a joint replaced, the patient had to tell him. I finally said, "Okay Doc, I am not a knife happy patient. I really don't want this done. But will you please replace my knee", and he said, "Okay, but only because I like you".

And you wonder why the guy stays four months behind on surgeries. And that is doing surgery three days a week with two days office visits.

Anyway......I told him I wanted it done between Christmas and New Years. He said he was on vacation then. I told him he could take a day off from vacation. He said he would be out of town and I asked him if he was going to India or would he be in the states. That finally broke him down. He said, "Dammnn, I'm not driving back from Minnesota to do one surgery."

I love this guy.

By this time my wife was getting ticked at me for stalling. So we decided to replace my knee on December 5th, 2016. That way I will be mobile for all the family festivities during the holidays.

Don't know of anybody who has had bad luck with this guy. But the idea of having this critical joint removed from my leg and a mechanical contraption put in scares the crap out of me. But I have reached the limit on what I can and will endure. I am afraid if I do not do something about this knee that it is going to affect my health and life in other ways. For one thing I am not walking as much as before and I am gaining weight. I am much less mobile. And I do not do things I used to enjoy because of the knee pain.

I am putting it off because we have so much going on this summer and fall. Three trips planned, new grandbaby due, lots of work around the house and at my daughter's homes. I will grin and bear the pain, with the help of Naproxen Sodium, until December.

RSKY

For what it's worth my wife has had knee replacement on both knees. The first one was a partial and the second pass on the other leg was a full replacement. The partial is starting to act up again after only a few years, maybe four so it looks like a encore with a full is in the cards.

When you get it done, and you probably will, don't mess around with a partial, get the whole nine yards and be done with it.

Turbys_1700 · Apr 11, 2016

Best of luck to you RSKY. I am in month 3 of reducing my weight to have a right hip and then a left knee replaced. My target date is August 1st on the hip and November 1st on the knee. Right now my BMI is very close to the magical 40 number but I will be lower than that by the August 1st date. I have talked to lots of folks that have had the surgery and none have regretted it. Very few have had complications and there is very minimal risk now with the newer procedures. My surgeon has performed over 1,000 hip and knee replacements. He is very good and I have a lot of confidence in him. He had performed six the week that I spoke with him. I am sure that you will do fine. Keep us updated on your progress.