Partial Knee Replacement

[BigBoy99]

My wife is going through hell with her full knee replacement. She's one month out, going to therapy 3 times a week. (age 78)

I wish you all the best.

Tell her to hang in there and DO WHAT THE PT PERSON SAYS. I had both of mine done with a total on each one. I was in my early 70's and have not had any problems with them. Make sure to do all of the exercise.

 

[misswired]

Tell her to hang in there and DO WHAT THE PT PERSON SAYS. I had both of mine done with a total on each one. I was in my early 70's and have not had any problems with them. Make sure to do all of the exercise.

I used a clicker' to count the repetitions instead of keeping a mental count.....the PT ladies thought it was great at first, they could hear me exercising while they tended to other patients.
A therapist from out of town filled in a few days.... after hearing all that clicking she came over and asked how many reps I had done. I was over 500 reps at that time and close to a thousand by the end of that therapy session.
I had suffered the terrible triad at the age of 17 playing football. After 35 years of more sports and standing on concrete while machining, the surgeon said it was the worst replacement he'd ever done....I had no choice but to rehab like life depended on it. NO pain and No problems since!

 

[Onomea]

You guys are really inspirational. Thanks so much for your stories and experiences learned.

Pmanton, best wishes for your wife’s complete and fast recovery. Surely it is but a matter of time until she is fully recovered.

 

[H Richard]

The only unfortunate thing is the older you are at the time of surgery the slower you tend to heal/recover. My wife (73) is still grumbling about her total knee replacement done in July, and that the other knee (done 11 years ago) didn't take this long to get better.

 

[Onomea]

I hear ya, Iggy. My doc told my to slow down yesterday. I am doing great! Walking, gingerly, with a cane already, as advised by rehab guys.

I am liking this partial knee thing very much so far.

 

[allthumbs]

I had a TKR on Oct 9th, I thought I was going to die the 1st 48 hours, nothing could touch that leg from the knee to the tips of my toes without causing me pain that I can't describe. They were supposed to keep me 1 night and because of the pain it was 2 and they didn't want me leaving then but I gave them no choice. My Dr never came to check on me, his PA did which I believe was 12 years old came in and was useless, the PT at the hospital was 1 brutal lady, she made me do the exercises and the pain I was and sounds I made, made 1 lady pass out and the others leave PT.

I was up and around the 1st day and exercised as much as possible but it was horrible, I'm very pain tolerant yet not 1 person would check anything, I begged the nurses, I've had a broken neck and a spinal fusion so I'm no sissy.

5 days after leaving the hospital I go to PT by my house and the girl looks at my leg and says OMG, (it was 3 times it's normal size and red as a beet) I can't tell you what to do but I believe those compression stocking are pressing on a nerve. I g home after some light therapy and took them socks off and started feeling immediate relief, every hour has felt better, now it's still a little tender but I'm walking without a cane and doing great in therapy.

I see the Dr next week and hope I don't leave his office in cuffs !

I brought my PT girl a big box of deluxe chocolate candy.

Sorry for the long post, maybe it'll help if anyone runs into the same problem.

 

[Onomea]

Damn, Allthumbs! That sounds bloody awful! Very glad you figured it out.

I say shoot the doc and make like Raylon Givens: “It was justified!” (Surely, no jury of your peers would convict.)

 

[allthumbs]

Damn, Allthumbs! That sounds bloody awful! Very glad you figured it out.

I say shoot the doc and make like Raylon Givens: “It was justified!” (Surely, no jury of your peers would convict.)

I'm glad to hear of the happy stories, but mine was not, hopefully it ends up being just fine.

The nurses were not very helpful or nice in the least bit, my instructions said I should try walking on it every hour and when I would use the call button to get up and go to the restroom they were very aggravated, I also had to call them every time I was due for medicine, I would wait 45 min after the time I was due figuring they would show up, which also made them angry.

I tell you I knew something was not right and I actually was pleading and begging for anyone to check it out but my pleas fell on deaf ears.

I thank the good Lord for my PT girl, but I think that should have been caught a lot sooner.

Thanks for the thread, maybe someone going through this in the future will find some helpful information here.

 

[Onomea]

Wail hail, guys. Last Friday 0400 I am turning over in bed and suddenly... what the hell?!! I felt something out of place in my knee. Could not straighten my leg. Long story short, the floating plastic insert between the upper and lower cobalt chrome implants slipped out of its proper place. Dislocation it is called.

@#$!!%@#!!!

After some searching, found a doc in my area certified to work on my implant. Was hoping he could whack it with a rubber mallet or something and get it back in place, but only way to fix it is to go in there with a knife, retrieve it, and put a new one in the proper place.

My surgery was yesterday. Went well, which is the good news.

Per manufacturer, this happens in the first year in about 1% of cases. (Just lucky, I guess.) It generally happens when lying down and leg is fully extended, in a bed or recliner. Nobody seems to know why it happens, which is kinda disconcerting... If it happens again, I think I’ll go for a full knee replacement.

Here’s a view from my hospital window:



Kinda a bummer, as you can imagine, as my rehab was going very well, I was doing all my exercises, and had recently been out for walks of over six miles. I think this recovery should be easier than the first op last October, though, as my bones have not been sawed, chiseled, and drilled, and doc says he did not need to mess much with the soft tissue.

I will say, though, if this floating cushion thing slips out again, I think I will go for a full knee replacement.

Had the original op in Japan at the end of October, and this one here in Oregon. My knee is now bicultural!

 

[Rustyt1953]

Glad you are mending.

Notice how most hospital complexes pretty much look the same?

 

[NYlakesider]

Very interesting thread. Just yesterday I saw the surgeon and going in the hospital in mid May to get a whole knee. I had fix up surgery done on this knee in 02, but now its going for the total package.

Due to very low kidney function my pain meds (and other meds)are limited. Right now I'm taking nothing for the pain as all I can take is Tynanol and only a few for a few days as T is a well know liver eater.

I was sort of awake for the first procedure but I was on a drug like they used for a colonoscopy and they turned up the drip and put me under. Soon as I was back in the recovery room I was awake. Hope that is the way this is as I do not want general, the side effects for me are not something I want.+ I can go home quicker if not general used.

Hard to walk around and get up from a chair as my one leg has lost considerable strength.

They told me I will be getting a walker and that I could have a PT person come to my out in the boonies house for a couple weeks after surgery. After that the nearest PT outfit is at least 20 miles away.

Hope after a couple weeks I can drive, got to ask the Doc that and a few other questions that I did not ask yesterday.

After reading this thread it appears my life is going to be quite interesting for now till mid May and very interesting after the cutting is done. -CAY LA VIE-

 

[Onomea]

NYLakesider, re pain management, the hospitals give you ice machines or ice packs that you strap on your knee for pain management. You might look into that for some relief. Bet you could buy something off Amazon.

Good luck with your upcoming surgery!

Also, walkers are cheap and helpful. You can rent or buy in advance of your surgery for help getting around the house if you need it...

 

[Old TexMex]

Geez Arlo, that’s a kinda bummer. Here’s hoping the recovery is enhanced by your dedicated rehab/ therapy. Up and around soon, amigo.
Jim

 

[Old TexMex]

NYlakesider, I’m a naproxin guy. I stay right away from the dreaded T.

 

[Onomea]

...Notice how most hospital complexes pretty much look the same?

How about this view, Rusty? (From Japan’s national cancer research hospital in Tokyo where I was successfully treated in 2017.) Surely the best hospital room view I have had to date:

 

[tlawler]

Wail hail, guys. Last Friday 0400 I am turning over in bed and suddenly... what the hell?!! I felt something out of place in my knee. Could not straighten my leg. Long story short, the floating plastic insert between the upper and lower cobalt chrome implants slipped out of its proper place. Dislocation it is called.

@#$!!%@#!!!

After some searching, found a doc in my area certified to work on my implant. Was hoping he could whack it with a rubber mallet or something and get it back in place, but only way to fix it is to go in there with a knife, retrieve it, and put a new one in the proper place.

My surgery was yesterday. Went well, which is the good news.

Per manufacturer, this happens in the first year in about 1% of cases. (Just lucky, I guess.) It generally happens when lying down and leg is fully extended, in a bed or recliner. Nobody seems to know why it happens, which is kinda disconcerting... If it happens again, I think I’ll go for a full knee replacement.

Here’s a view from my hospital window:



Kinda a bummer, as you can imagine, as my rehab was going very well, I was doing all my exercises, and had recently been out for walks of over six miles. I think this recovery should be easier than the first op last October, though, as my bones have not been sawed, chiseled, and drilled, and doc says he did not need to mess much with the soft tissue.

I will say, though, if this floating cushion thing slips out again, I think I will go for a full knee replacement.

Had the original op in Japan at the end of October, and this one here in Oregon. My knee is now bicultural!

Wow, Onomea, sorry to hear that. My bi-lateral Oxfords turned 5 years this past December. I must have been one of the lucky ones, as mine have been trouble free. It’s a good product, though, I think. I’ve been pretty hard on mine from the beginning and at this point I almost forget they are there. Here’s wishing you well with some prayers for a speedy recovery.

 

[Onomea]

Tlawler, what happened to me is very unusual — manufacturer says only 1% of cases — and tends to happen early on. I think you will continue to be just fine.

And thanks for the kind words!