How did your knee replacement go?

[John White]

Any one who has had a knee replacement, how did it go? Any complications? Can you still get around all right. Pain? I have a couple of posts on here about a year ago about my knee. Has gotten worse. I tried all the potions and lotions suggested by you fellows, and pain pill are out because of my condition. Had a blood clot in my legs about 12 years ago and have a very rare disease which about killed me. No one found it till it did a lot of damage to my body. Went into Cleveland Clinic almost dead, within a few hours they found out what I had and took care of me the best they could in the condition I was in. "Churg Straus" After being turned down by two doctors ,(said I was a walking time bomb) Ohio State University has agreed to give me a new knee later this month. Hope all goes well, or someone else will sure own a nice tractor.

 

[RSKY]

I hope it all turns out good for you. I had mine replaced five years ago. The doctor who did the replacement has an excellent reputation. It takes more than four months to get in to see him. I was taking an Aleve or Naproxen Sodium every morning and another at lunch or was not able to function because of the pain. So after doing all the usual treatments that didn't work I got my knee replaced. This doctor does not believe in the extensive physical therapy that others do. He says it takes longer to get over the surgery and resume normal activity his way BUT he has one of the lowest rates of infection, second surgery, and other problems in the country.

The group that my doctor belongs to requires everybody to go thru a "Boot Camp" before surgery where they tell you all the things to do and not to do before and after. They went over some of the things people had done because of misinformation and pure stupidity. Doctor said this had cut after surgery problems in half. My advice is to be sure you have a folding walker and a sturdy cane and USE THEM until healed. Also do not hesitate using one of the battery powered carts at stores. Being macho about the surgery has caused more second surgeries than anything else.

Five years after the surgery I never think about it and do everything I did before but now with no pain. The few exceptions to this are jumping off things and hanging upside down by my knees. Yes, I am 67 but I have grandkids.

Good luck.

RSKY

 

[EddieWalker]

My moms first knee replacement went perfectly. Her second knee didn't. She complained of pain from the beginning and was told that she needed to do more therapy. That didn't help, and it just got worse for her. After a couple of months, her doctor finally admitted that he might of made a mistake and he called in a specialist that fixed bad knee replacements. That's all this guy does. He agreed to do the surgery and since then, it all healed properly and she's been great.

 

[Deere Dude]

Knee replaced March 3. 6'2" and 265" and pretty active and good shape except for bad knees.

Started therapy a week later and every thing was going very nice for the next 4 weeks. I could walk nice and straight but I just needed to restrain myself and not overdo activity. No walker, crutches or cane past the 2nd or 3rd week after surgery. Then around week 6 at therapy they upped the reps by a third.

I got to stepping up and down a 8" step 30 times. After raising my body weight 12-15 times I could feel uncomfortable pain so I quit. Everything turned to crap 5 minutes later. The subsequent visits had the knee seem unattached. The next Monday I cancelled all my appts/ and called the surgeon. He set me up for an x-ray the next day and went back to surgery the day after for a torn tendon.

Basically I had to start all over, but this time the surgeon locked me down in a leg immobilizer and brace for another 4 weeks. A follow up visit is May 17th and he will tell me what I can do after that. He was very worried about infection and any activity with that leg. Needless to say he was teed off as I was .

Note to self; If any exercise begins to hurt, quit. Don't tear it again or I will probably be getting a prosthetic leg, which would suck. The surgeon started throwing some very negative scenarios that really got my attention. The surgeon didn't have much good to say about therapists. He told me they seem to overdo it sometimes to which I agree. This time when I begin therapy the surgeon said he well send a note limiting my therapy so he doesn't see me again.

Wish me luck over the next 6 weeks.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

I just had mine replaced on Feb 12th. I was amazed that I was able to walk unassisted within about 3-4 days. I didn't start PT until week 3. They WILL try and push you.... don't do it if it starts to hurt!

At my 6 week follow up with the surgeon, he told me everything looked good, I had 'great' range of motion. He said I could stop PT, just continue daily routine to build strength. I told him, "let's continue with therapy a little longer", so he wrote the referral for once a week. I thought the little extra 'push' at PT would help with recovery.

NOPE! 2 weeks later, pulled some muscles and maybe some minor tears, just some minor increase in pain, and limiting some range of motion.

All of which led to weakening of the knee, which would now "give out" while walking. So, back to using a cane. Unfortunately, this led to having a part in a fall.... now I definitely stretched some tendons and causing other muscles to cramp / contract. Ended up taking 3 steps back..... Even the therapist said "no exercises... need to give some more time to heal".

Would I do it over again? Yep, sure would! I had 2 previous "repair" surgeries on the same knee which didn't work. The knee was starting to cause other problems with the hips and opposite knee. The full replacement was by far better, putting things back in alignment, relieving the stresses put on other joints.
Prior to surgery, the knee was 'bone on bone'. I wore grooves into the real knee bones rubbing together.... talk about pain and one leg being a 1/2" shorter. That caused all sorts of other pain.

It takes a while to heal. Just remember.... YOU know your limits...YOU feel the pain... NOT the PT people. DON'T push it too far!

Good luck!

 

[oosik]

My friend had knee replacement surgery( right knee ) three years ago. He is a very muscular rancher. Stronger than a bull ox. The Dr knew he would have trouble with Kyle damaging it while in recovery. So... Kyle got a type of leg/knee restraint brace. Allowed limited knee movement and provided support. It took five months until the restraint was removed. However - no rips, tears, infection or other complications. He is good as ever now. He went to therapy for a week - didn't like it and quit. He found that normal chores around his ranch provided sufficient therapy.

 

[dmccarty]

Search TBN for previous discussions over the years. There have been some long conversations that might be helpful.

Members of my family have had knee replacements starting back in the 1990's. I would not call any of them successful. Best that can be said is maybe less pain. Walking was not improved, if anything, it was worse after surgery. I think one family member was messed up by the physical therapist.

I think it is a crap shoot regarding successful outcome. Flip side is, if one is in pain and/or struggles to walk, what does one have to loose?

Later,
Dan

 

[Deere Dude]

My friend had knee replacement surgery( right knee ) three years ago. He is a very muscular rancher. Stronger than a bull ox. The Dr knew he would have trouble with Kyle damaging it while in recovery. So... Kyle got a type of leg/knee restraint brace. Allowed limited knee movement and provided support. It took five months until the restraint was removed. However - no rips, tears, infection or other complications. He is good as ever now. He went to therapy for a week - didn't like it and quit. He found that normal chores around his ranch provided sufficient therapy.

I have a feeling that is what may happen to me. The doc already suggested a limited movement brace. A pain, but it might work. Sure don't want to start over again.

 

[NorTracNY]

I know two people close to me that had replacements. Both had similar outcomes. They are doing well and glad they had them. BUT be aware that you will have pain after the surgery. This will cause you to take pain medicine. The pain medicine will cause you to have trouble sleeping, but so would the pain. In other words, you will go through a bad period of time where pain and lack of sleep will kick your butt. After about 3 weeks things started to get better.

 

[bigtiller]

I had the right knee replaced 3.5 years ago. My Dr. didn't offer "boot camp" but he does now. It's a good idea for you and wife/caregiver to go to it because there are important things to learn beforehand.

I make it a point to do some squats and take a 30 minute powerwalk nearly every day to keep everything moving freely.
The only downside is kneeling on that knee is no fun.

 

[oosik]

It also helped that Kyle's wife is a surgical nurse. Although neither ever showed it - I'll just bet she watched him like a hawk. Neither of them wanted to go thru this again. Kyle is the type of guy that seldom ever takes an aspirin. So I know he went thru post operation pain without any pain meds.

 

[Oaktree]

Members of my family have had knee replacements starting back in the 1990's. I would not call any of them successful. Best that can be said is maybe less pain. Walking was not improved, if anything, it was worse after surgery. I think one family member was messed up by the physical therapist.

You seem to be the exception, I know several people (father, sister, 2 brothers in law and a neighbor) who've had them, and except for my sister (who developed a pretty serious infection) all went well. Eventually, hers was better, but it took a stay in the hospital and a rehab center. My father was in his early 80s when he had his done. I was very surprised to see him up and walking around unassisted only a couple weeks after the surgery.

I'm sure I'll need it myself someday, but I'm in no hurry.

 

[3gunr]

Had my right knee done 5 rs ago , went back to work laying floors and general contracting about 6 weeks after, That knee has been okay, Going in in a month to do the other knee.

 

[FTG-05]

Best thing I ever did only excepted by my cataract surgeries.

Left knee July 2019; right knee Oct. 2019. Doc refused to do both at the same time - Thank God!

First went pretty good but I was not prepared for what I call "bone pain". This was the deep pain felt when I tried to sleep. It went away once I moved the knee, but that doesn't work when you're trying to sleep. Percoset and Ambien helped with both. The 2nd/right knee, I was prepared, went a lot better.

Drove my Ford PSD manual the Friday after the left knee. Essentially drove home from the hospital on the 2nd/right knee (about 30 miles one way).

Do your PT!!! The harder you work it during PT the faster you'll heal and get back to normal.

 

[5030]

My wife is about to have her left one done in a few weeks. Far as me, I don't have 'kneezles' yet....

 

[RSKY]

Gonna add to my earlier post. I don't know why doctors want all the extensive therapy. Seems like everybody that I know who had problems blames it on the therapy. When the therapist came to my house she looked at her paperwork and said, "Oops, a Dr Patel patient. No therapy for you." and we sat and talked for an hour. Later she did do some little exercises but as soon as I felt a twinge of pain she would stop me because the doctor would "throw a fit"! And according to a friend who is a medical rep and sells the replacement knees this doctor has one of the best reputations in the U.S..

Take your pain meds. I was gonna be macho, don't need no stinking pain meds, not me! So I didn't take them about the third night I got home. Woke my wife up screaming four hours later. The pain was intense. And after taking the pills it takes about an hour for the pain to go away. After that I set a timer on my phone and it would wake me up at night to take the pills. I started adding thirty minutes to the time every day and slowly weaned myself off of them.

FOLLOW THE INTRUCTIONS THE DOCTOR GIVES YOU. Don't do too much too soon. Don't get off pills too soon. And don't be stupid. And everything will be okay.

RSKY

 

[John White]

I want to give you all a good post. Seems like a different opinion on after the operation . Some say no pain, no gain and others say just take it real easy even if the therapist says different. I really think I could take care of the therapy on I my own with all the chores . i am 80 but still work every day. This bad knee has really affected me with bone on bone and even has made bowlegged on that knee.

 

[grnspot110]

I had my right knee replaced in the spring of 2019, the left one a week before Christmas of 2019. I had more swelling & discoloration on the second one. Mine were worn out, bone on bone with a small hole worn in the left one. Physical therapy is a must as far as I'm concerned, even had the therapist push my left one a little harder than he started.

My right knee is doing very good, left one had a different problem, at 10 weeks after the replacement I fell in the back yard & tore the tendon loose from my left kneecap. The fall was from slick ground, not the replaced knee! I can't stand to kneel on the left one, but can on the right, I'm sure it's due to the fall & not the replacement.

 

[Bird]

My right knee was replaced 11 years ago. It seemed to me like a long time before I was comfortable getting down on my knees in the floor, or in the yard, but I don't recall just how long it was. Anyway, mine was quite successful. But I DID do the exercises the doctor recommended, went for physical therapy, etc. Later, my mother had a knee replaced, but she was in the hospital for something else, too, did NOT do the exercises and was an invalid the rest of her life with a knee that she could not bend.

 

[John White]

Well, I finally got my new knee. 6\26 I have been fighting this for 5 years and tried every potion, lotion and everything else to help it. I was turned down by two other surgeons because I was a high risk. (you can look my other posts) Dr. Greco of Ohio State did it and a wonderful job. I am still pretty sore but walking and driving ok. I thought most of the therapists were a waste of re time so after a couple of weeks let them go. I did pull or tear a ligament some how a it is pretty sore. Don't know what they will do about that. Hopefully it will heal in time. Was sitting in recliner with leg out stretched resting it, moved leg to side of chair on floor to bend it to 90 for awhile and give it rest. (had done it before) when I tried to carefully pick it back up to place it on the chair, it cracked. Therapist said this happens sometimes and will usually heal. Will not see surgeon till 7\11. See what he has to say. Just don't everything at my speed like you fellows said on here and not pushing it. Have not gone into out patient therapy yet. Waiting for a little more pain to go away and worried about them hurting my tendon.