Knee Replacement in a few weeks

[Derwood]

Welp - it's a little early for me (I'll be 51 in early Nov) but I can't put it off any longer. Scheduled it for the end of Oct. I'll be off work for about month or so they think, and then I'll go back in a limited capacity. I've already got partial replacements which were considered a failed procedure (and I would agree as I'm a 4-5 on the pain scale 24/7/365). I was trying to get to 55 0r 56, but .... I'm looking forward to some relief. Sounds like I'll need a year to get back to 100% or at least to the point where I don't think about it anymore. But I will gladly take a step backwards in terms of short term pain, in order to later take 2 steps forward in the long run.

My dad had his done years ago and says it's perfect. His golf game has been really good!

How have your experiences been?

For some reason my original post was captured until someone here can approve it,..not sure why..
but here is a linkm,, if it will go through you might like to see,

perhaps my original post will be released soon.

try this and maybe you will have to add the prefixes,


.youtube.com/watch?v=PsTyL9s7Hmc&t=36s

[Derwood]

H -

I copied and pasted your link and it worked great. Appreciate it.

I have done all of the lead up treatments. I've done the synvisc injections many times, and the cortisone injections even more (I'd say upwards of 30 in each knee over the years).

I've also done the Geniculate Ablation a couple of times (when they burn the nerves that cause your pain) and it worked for a few days. But eventually went back to square one.

I'm definitely interested in how recovery has gone for individuals in my age range. Dr says I'm "young and healthy" and thinks I'll recover quickly. Testimonies will go further.

Thanks again H

Thats just one DR of about 20 that are talking about it on youtube.Its called genicular artery embolism.
I see a number of total knee replacements that seem to work well, but I also see a number that the pts are not at all happy with the outcome.

It is not done by orthopedists but interventional radiologists, takes less than 2 hours and the recovery is a fraction of the amount of a total knee replacement. It has a very good success record and even if it doesn't work, it doesn't prevent future knee replacement.

It has been said in some knee repair cites say probably don't ask your orthopedists as they can't do this procedure and they are really in competition with it,..

Anyway look at that link and a few more over there,..you might want to consider it,..I know that here there is a Harvard trained Dr that works out of Beth Israel hospital that does it, there are several in NYC but mostly more popular in west coast and Texas practitioners . Original researched in Japan about 7-8 years ago.

Anyway,..good luck

I am a skier and skiers have a lot of knee things to deal with. I have at least a dozen friends with new knees and they all love them. They all came back 100%. Follow the PT and be dedicated to it. Don't over do when it's fresh either...just do everything with conviction and on their schedule. Good luck with it.

[bubba800]

I had a replacement in 2009. Go as hard as you can on the pre-surgery exercise and strengthening and work your tail off at the rehabilitation and you should be very happy after about 6 months. KEEP AHEAD of post-procedure pain with the meds. I know opioids are talked about in the negative a lot but don't try to be a tough guy too soon. (That goes for stool softeners too!)

[Sportdog]

My wife has had both hers replaced. She recovered fine but the early rehab was pretty painful.
I tried, tried, to watch a YouTube video of a knee replacement and couldn’t watch it all. It’s more like a construction job than surgery!!! Call me squeamish I guess!!!

Many never question how long total knee replacements last,for younger active pts they may have to be done again in a decade which the 2nd operation is a much bigger deal.

here is information from an ortho site

You should remember that while some patients may have knee replacements that last several decades, other patients may require a repeat knee replacement just a handful of years after their surgery. Revision knee replacement (a second knee replacement) can be a major undertaking that can have less predictable results than an initial knee replacement.

An older report from 2001 found that only about 2% of knee replacement surgeries required a second surgery within five years of the initial knee replacement. More recent data shows a 10-year revision rate of 6.2% for a total knee replacement and 15.5% for a unicondylar (partial) knee replacement.
Factors Affecting the Longevity

Many studies have been done to determine how long a knee replacement will last. With hundreds of different types of knee replacements and countless different types of patients, there is no rule to how long a knee replacement will last in a particular individual.

Implant manufacturers are constantly striving to create a "better" implant that will last longer. Some of these implants have only been used for a handful of years, and determining whether or not they will last longer is a question only time can answer.

Some of the factors that seem to influence the longevity of knee replacement implants include:

Age of the Patient: Younger patients require more years out of their knee replacement. On top of that, younger patients tend to be more active. Therefore, patients who have knee replacement in their 50s or younger can usually expect to require a revision knee replacement in their lifetime.
Patient Activities: Some activities may not be appropriate for patients with a knee replacement. While these activities may not be painful or difficult, they may be placing excessive stress on the knee replacement, causing the parts to wear out more quickly.
Patient Weight: The more an individual weighs, the more stress that is placed on the joint replacement implant. Maintaining a normal body weight is critically important when trying to make a joint replacement last. Appropriate exercises can be helpful in maintaining a healthy knee replacement.
Avoiding Complications: This may sound obvious, but there are some specific medical conditions that can lead to complications affecting the joint replacement. Patients having invasive medical procedures (including dental work) may require antibiotic treatment to prevent bacteria from getting into the joint replacement.2 Patients with osteoporosis should ensure they are being adequately treated as a fracture in the bone around a joint replacement can affect the functioning of the implant.

[RMBin303]

What made your earlier surgeries a "failure"?

I realize I see the extremes, but I personally would wait until absolutely necessary before you pull the trigger on this (and maybe that is where you are at). I work in the world of prosthetics, and I tell you without exaggerating that a month doesn't go by where I see at least one above knee amputee who ended up that way due to a failed surgery. In all honesty, my father in law isn't far from that - his last knee replacement didn't heal properly, and he is no longer a candidate for surgery.

I'm sure that the risk that I am talking about is low, but it is absolutely real. Just make sure you go in with your eyes open.

[Derwood]

Originally Posted by RMBin303

What made your earlier surgeries a "failure"?

I realize I see the extremes, but I personally would wait until absolutely necessary before you pull the trigger on this (and maybe that is where you are at). I work in the world of prosthetics, and I tell you without exaggerating that a month doesn't go by where I see at least one above knee amputee who ended up that way due to a failed surgery. In all honesty, my father in law isn't far from that - his last knee replacement didn't heal properly, and he is no longer a candidate for surgery.

I'm sure that the risk that I am talking about is low, but it is absolutely real. Just make sure you go in with your eyes open.

Lots of good responses and I appreciate them.

The last surgery was over 10 years ago. It's the one were they remove the cartilage under my knee cap, and put plastic "buttons" on there and then seat them in knee cap "seats" to form the joint. Instead of failed surgery, I should have said something like "poor procedure" as I don't think they do many them anymore. A local Dr said something like, "Now that it's been out for a few years, we're seeing something like a .05% success rate with it." It's not a good procedure and I've been stuck with the results until I can do the total. More than one Orthopede said I had the knees of an 85 year old man, back then. And nobody would do a total replacement with a guy in his late 30's or early 40's. They all said find a way to tough it out until you're old enough to do the totals. That's where I'm at right now.

My work has me on my feet all day. Plus I have the lawn care biz now. I'm not into running anymore. And I won't play sports other than Angling and golf.
I've gotten into walking in the AM's since a recent ticker surgery, and I really really enjoy all the benefits from a 45-60 minute walk in the morning... but as of about 3-4 months ago, I cannot do that anymore with terrible agony. I'm not a sissy... I've been in fairly decent pain for a very long time. I gotta get some relief.

RMB it sounds like you've seen a lot of this stuff. I really appreciate your thoughts here. Thank you!