Replacing the Knee

[kenmac]

well, Dr. called with MRI report . I went to his office to discuss what the options are

He he discussed what the issues are and said, you've got two options. One is repair the torn meniscus and clean up arthritis.

Now to do this, he wants to do stem cell injection while he's in there, that Insurance doesn't pay for (just my luck LOL)
But the price isn't as bad as it really sounded. $1500.00

If I don't want to do the stem cell injection, he says total replacement .

Since I really don't want total replacement at this time (perhaps it's coming in the future) I said I would agree to pay for the stem cell injection at the time of the arthroscopic repair

They will order the materials for retracting stem cells and injecting them.
So, on Nov 10th I'll have the arthroscopic surgery with stem cell injection, in hopes of putting off total replacement for ?????? months, years,

 

[MossRoad]

Good luck!

 

[WM75Guy]

Good luck, I hope you get the relief you want from it. If it doesn't work, don't put off replacement. After I had mine replaced, I realized I had made a mistake putting it off from stubbornness and dealing with the pain on a daily basis.

 

[RSKY]

Good luck, I hope you get the relief you want from it. If it doesn't work, don't put off replacement. After I had mine replaced, I realized I had made a mistake putting it off from stubbornness and dealing with the pain on a daily basis.

I agree with WM75Guy. I put my replacement off for years taking one or two Naproxen Sodium pills a day. That can be worse for your body than the surgery.

Youngest daughter's mother in law started some type of gel injections this week but scheduled replacement surgery for February in case they do not help. Can always cancel the surgery!

Good luck to you.

RSKY

 

[Tinhack]

I had a procedure done on my right knee. It was badly swollen, and I could barely walk. The doctor sprayed some type of coolant/freon to numb the area then stuck a 1/8" needle under my knee cap. She drained about two basters full of fluid out of my knee. With the needle still in, she switched over to some kind of gel and injected that in. After about 15-20 minutes, I was able to walk out of the office with no pain. That was about five years ago and haven't had any problems with the knee since. I do still have other RA/AA problems though.

 

[kenmac]

Good luck, I hope you get the relief you want from it. If it doesn't work, don't put off replacement. After I had mine replaced, I realized I had made a mistake putting it off from stubbornness and dealing with the pain on a daily basis.

well if this stem cell treatment doesn't work, I'll have no issues having it replaced.
I'm not one to continue to suffer through pain because I don't want replacement.

I know we have discussed robotic surgery here, and I discussed it with him.
He said that robotics have their place, and he uses them in other surgeries, he doesn't recommend robot surgery for Knee replacement. States something about the board of orthopedic of surgeons (something to that effect) doesn't recommend robot surgery for the Knee.

I'm about to the point now of being like John Eubanks that, Jerry Clower talked about.
''Just shoot up here amongs us, one of us got to have some relief'' !

 

[Oaktree]

Now to do this, he wants to do stem cell injection while he's in there, that Insurance doesn't pay for (just my luck LOL)
But the price isn't as bad as it really sounded. $1500.00

If I don't want to do the stem cell injection, he says total replacement .

Since I really don't want total replacement at this time (perhaps it's coming in the future) I said I would agree to pay for the stem cell injection at the time of the arthroscopic repair

They will order the materials for retracting stem cells and injecting them.

Curiously, what does the stem cell injection do? Grow new cartilidge?

 

[kenmac]

Curiously, what does the stem cell injection do? Grow new cartilidge?

That's what I'm told. Of course insurance considers it ''experimental'' so they won't pay.
Some how they will take the cells from my body somewhere and inject it into the knee area

 

[Yander]

If insurance won't pay for it, there's a good chance it will work great. I believe insurance companies are corrupt.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Saw my surgeon today. He agreed with everyone else that I have been working with on the knee which is to replace it. He sent the scheduling person into my room to pick a date. He asked how Dec 12th would work and I said fine but if you get a cancellation, please consider me. He then said would Monday work? Whoa! I jumped on it but then he said that we needed clearance from my cardiologist. I have some blockages but they are not getting any worse and I take meds for my BP but that is well controlled also. I had not thought about an issue there and I wished that it had been brought up before but o'well. Turned out that my heart doctor is on vacation so I have to wait until he comes back to the office. The staff felt that I would not need to come in as it has not been that long since my last visit but now it's back to Dec 12th.