Total Knee replacement

[H Richard]

Had a new knee done on Thursday. Surgery at 7:45, 9:30 to recovery, 10:30 to room, 1:30 p, to home. Just a little over 6 hours. This was a total replacement. Everyone told me this Doc was good so I guess he was.
Day2: On a combination of pain meds to gradually reduce the potent ones and gradually slack off the others. It should take 7-10 days to be completely off drugs, the last few days just aspirin. Due ankle pumps and butt squeezes every time I get up, and walk 5 minutes every time.
Ice 30 minutes off and on first two days, then stretch out to longer periods of each.
Day 3: Took shower with minimal help from wife, putting socks on took more help. Being sure to take the Colace (stool softener) as most of the pain drugs will stop me up good. So far so good 3X p/day on the Colace.
I start PT of Day 4. And continue Ice and some drugs.

Lot of time watching TV and reading. Day time TV is ****, so I try and record a few shows I like to watch when there is nothing on. Getting a little bored, don't want to try and go downstairs to the loading room and gun vault, that will take some time with PT before I want to attempt that. In a couple weeks when they let me drive, I might try a round of trap. I can do that with my walker.

Isn't as bad as some let me to believe, so if you are in need and putting it off, they have lots of new ways and tools, don't stay in pain.

 

[Bozz10mm]

I'm so glad it has gone well for you. It hasn't worked out so well for my wife tho. She had TKR back in October last year. First 10 days were fine. She was up walking around, went to physical therapy a couple of times. On day 10 is when her patella (knee cap) spontaneously broke while she was in the process of sitting down.

Another surgery and two weeks in a rehab hospital for that. She has still not recovered from the surgery. 8 months later, she still has pain and can barely get around the house with her wheel walker. We have home health care come twice a week, but something is wrong. Tomorrow we are going in for X rays. Hopefully that will tell us something. Either it will be repairable, or she is destined to spend the rest of her life mostly bedridden and homebound.

Prior to the TKR, we had always heard how it was a smooth process and mostly 100% successful.

 

[SMSgt]

I have both knees replaced the same week, not the best decision. Week in the hospital and a week in rehab facility. Two done is more than twice as hard without a good knee to support you. Still, 10 weeks after I was taking mile-long hikes around the neighborhood without pain. Now 3-1/2 years later, the numbness form the nerves being cut is the major gripe.

 

[Marshwheeling]

I had my right knee replaced in 2020, the left in April. The left still stiffens up, but I am looking forward to walking normally again.

 

[Onomea]

Good to hear it is going well for you, H Richard. Keep it up!

I have had three knee replacement ops. So far. First was a partial left knee replacement in Japan in October of 2018. That spontaneously dislocated itself at 0400 in April of 2019 over here, so I had another knee op to repair it.

Then I had a full right knee replacement over here in July of 2021. After a few months I felt great! No knee pain at all. It was wonderful!

Then last spring, the partially repaired knee started acting up, the unrepaired side, after I took an epic, for me anyway, 8.6 mile walk while in Japan. I had trouble getting into cars, going up or down stairs, etc. So in March I scheduled a fourth op, also over here in Oregon, to remove the partial knee and insert a full replacement in my left leg.

That's scheduled for the 17th of July.

Meanwhile, my left knee has improved amazingly... I've been using a custom brace I had made prior to my first op in 2018. I'm currently walking two or three miles pretty much daily. Up and down stairs one foot after the other.

I do question having the left knee replaced as it has been doing so much better, but... On the x-rays last spring it showed bone on bone. I've known the unreplaced part of my left knee is iffy since my first surgeon back in 2018 in Japan told me it, too, looked questionable, and my second surgeon, here in Oregon, who repaired the dislocated knee, and later replaced my right, told me he was surprised I had not had a full left knee replacement, given my left knees deteriorating condition.

I had a year, 18 months, of pain free walking! It was great. I want that forever!

While right now my left knee feels pretty good, I know that longer term it will cause problems. So my plan is to proceed with the left knee total replacement in two weeks despite the left knee performing pretty well right now.

My hope is that rehab will be quicker since the muscles in my left leg have not atrophied, as they do with disuse due to knee pain, yet.

My knees hurt for years. I hobbled when I walked. The knee replacements fixed this. It was a revelation to me.

The recovery from knee surgery, and the unavoidable PT if you want the replacement to be a success, is painful. But the result, for most people, and for me with three operations so far, pain free walking, is worth it.

 

[jaguargolf]

Good for you. My first knee replacement had to be revised because it became loose.
It became loose because I had to jump off an exterior staircase on a party boat to avoid getting pushed over the side into Lake Ontario at night. (Drunken crowd, 4th of July)
Before that it felt great I was back to hiking soon after surgery, but I heard that CRACK when I landed and I knew I did something bad.
I had the other knee and both hips replaced also. The PT for the knee was definitely tougher, more painful. You have to work on stretching every day no matter what, hamstrings, quads and butt muscles.
Avoid jumping. Don't be tempted to run/jog, those days are over.
Hit the weight room, or figure out how to do leg weight training at home.
Exercising in pool with short swim fins will make your legs strong very quickly. Walking in waist deep water helps also.
Best of luck and health.

 

[OFT II]

Atta Boy! I've had both knees and one hip replaced. Wife says that when I kick the bucket she will have me recycled.

 

[tlawler]

I had partials put in both knees almost 10 years ago…Dec. of 2013. So far so good, but I know they have a lifespan of x years, so I’ll be looking at fulls at some point in the future, I just don’t know when. As others have said, most important aspect is pushing through PT even when it hurts. Best of luck to you.

 

[sceva]

Doing the Physical Therapy for range of motion is essential. It may be uncomfortable but do it and the exercises. Right knee in March 2021, left knee in Jan 2022 so I speak from experience.

 

[dave1918a2]

Only suggestion I give has to do with therapy. Don't rush it. Stay within the program set for You. Too fast can do more harm than good.

 

[NYlakesider]

Good for you. My first knee replacement had to be revised because it became loose.
It became loose because I had to jump off an exterior staircase on a party boat to avoid getting pushed over the side into Lake Ontario at night. (Drunken crowd, 4th of July)
Before that it felt great I was back to hiking soon after surgery, but I heard that CRACK when I landed and I knew I did something bad.
I had the other knee and both hips replaced also. The PT for the knee was definitely tougher, more painful. You have to work on stretching every day no matter what, hamstrings, quads and butt muscles.
Avoid jumping. Don't be tempted to run/jog, those days are over.
Hit the weight room, or figure out how to do leg weight training at home.
Exercising in pool with short swim fins will make your legs strong very quickly. Walking in waist deep water helps also.
Best of luck and health.

I had my left done a few years back. The surgeon told me after the surgery was over was that "these knees do not like to kneel down or go down stairs". He was correct on both counts, easier to go up than down and kneeling is not fun. For that reason I'm doing less repair jobs both car and house wise.

Wish he had told me that first, I still would have had the surgery, but I like to be in the loop!-

 

[Roofuss]

Had my left knee totally rebuilt in 1977, and the right knee replaced in 2007 . Do your PT { physical therapy } as instructed and take your time to recover. The older we get the more time recovery may take. I'm sure since mine was done 16 years ago, there has been great strides regarding surgery & procedures. Good luck and hang in there.

 

[H Richard]

Thanks for all the "encouragement". The surgery was on my left knee to replace the "Partial" knee I had done 5 years ago. My current surgeon told me that's why he doesn't do partial knees, they don't last.

I've been down the PT road before, so I know about what I am looking at next week (and 3 or 4 more). I hated to hear about kneeling, I haven't been able to kneel on my left knee for a year now at church. At present it feels better putting weight on the leg walking around. You find out just how small your house is when you go for 5 minute walks inside your house. I've got a pretty good slope down from the front of the house, and I don't want to tackle that with my walker yet. Looking forward to being able to drive in a couple weeks (I hope).

 

[Roofuss]

My surgeon said the same regarding partial replacements...not recommended . With my knees, running, crawling, and softball is no longer in the cards. Have been dealing with left foot surgeries { 4 surgeries in the past 2 1/2 years...but that's another story altogether, lol .

 

[Narragansett]

"""" I might try a round of trap. I can do that with my walker. """"

Back in 1986, I broke my ankle at home on a Saturday playing volleyball. They put a half cast and an ace bandage in it, and told me to find a surgeon, but the next morning, I was on the trap line at my club. I shot 2 rounds. Wife ( who was not happy ) moved the lawn chair, and next station moved my gun. Broke 49/50.

Codeine is good swing oil.

 

[grover99]

I often wonder why some people need knee replacements and others never do. I have been heavy all my life and spent years working on concert floors. However my knees are fine while my x-wife has always been skinny but has had to replace both knees. Of course now my left shoulder is giving me problems and I can see no reason for that.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I am glad you are progressing so well but you lost me at "socks".

 

[walkin jack]

I have had my left knee done 3 times. The mere thought that knee replacement surgery is now done on an "outpatient" basis seems very scary to me. I can't imagine such a brutal thing. I hope I never have to do it again.

 

[SMSgt]

I have had my left knee done 3 times. The mere thought that knee replacement surgery is now done on an "outpatient" basis seems very scary to me. I can't imagine such a brutal thing. I hope I never have to do it again.

After having my first one on a Tuesday, the second scheduled for the following Friday, I cannot imagine "going home" on the same day. No way, no how. Maybe if I were having knee replacement when I was in my 40s, but not when I was 69.

 

[SMSgt]

I often wonder why some people need knee replacements and others never do. I have been heavy all my life and spent years working on concert floors. However my knees are fine while my x-wife has always been skinny but has had to replace both knees. Of course now my left shoulder is giving me problems and I can see no reason for that.

Football, soccer, and skiing were part of the need for mine. That and many miles of running to try to keep the weight in check. Genetics also counts. Dad had double knee replacement, I had double knee replacement, son had double ACL replacements.