Feedback from fellow members who've had knee replacements

[41 mag fan]

Just wondering if having a knee replacement was a good or bad experience for you.
I had knee surgery last Nov 11, now I'm now looking at needing a partial maybe a full knee replacement.

43 yrs old and needing a knee replacement, I'm not too happy about and kind of apprehensive. Wife keeps telling me to get out of the coal mines before I can't walk.
Hard to give up the money I make, even though if obama gets reelected i might not have to worry about keeping my job, he'll shut us down.
But my job underground as an examiner, I put more miles on my feet in one week than most do in a 3-6 month period.

Was it a good or bad thing getting a knee replacement for you?

[Jim]

I can't speak from personal experience, only what I saw Mom go through. She had both knees replaced over the course of a coupla' years and it didn't make a bit of difference in her mobility, ability to climb stairs, etc...

I just spoke to Janet about this. She's in the medical profession. She says the younger one is and the more rehab you go through, the better are the chances that mobility will improve afterward.

[Moondawg]

My wife had both knees replaced. It has increased her mobility over 100% and decreased her pain by 100%. A lot depends on your surgeon and how faithful you are in doing your post-op exercises and rehab. If you have a good surgeon, go through your rehab and do the range of motion and streghening exercises you will have a good outcome. Recovery period is approximately 6-8 weeks, but early mobility is essential, although it may be painful at first. Grin and bear it because in the end it will be worth the initial discomfort.

[41 mag fan]

I can't speak from personal experience, only what I saw Mom go through. She had both knees replaced over the course of a coupla' years and it didn't make a bit of difference in her mobility, ability to climb stairs, etc...

I just spoke to Janet about this. She's in the medical profession. She says the younger one is and the more rehab you go through, the better are the chances that mobility will improve afterward.

Thanks Jim...not looking forward to a decision I know is inevitable. I can delay, till maybe after the 1st of the year, but I'm in for shots every month to month and a 1/2 it seems. this time I got the chicken snot shot, have 2 more injections over the next 2 weeks.
Ortho Dr recommended I get it done. Just a matter of when I say when now.
It's amazing how when I came to visit you I was off due to my knee for the week, now i'm facing surgery again. it's deteriorated that fast over the last few months.


My wife had both knees replaced. It has increased her mobility over 100% and decreased her pain by 100%. A lot depends on your surgeon and how faithful you are in doing your post-op exercises and rehab. If you have a good surgeon, go through your rehab and do the range of motion and streghening exercises you will have a good outcome. Recovery period is approximately 6-8 weeks, but early mobility is essential, although it may be painful at first. Grin and bear it because in the end it will be worth the initial discomfort.

I grin and bear it everyday it seems. I walk on uneven, rocky ground a normal 5-7 mi a day within a 2 hr period, depending on my belt route for the preshift. Tuesdays and wednesdays I'll do an avg of 13mi during the shift.
Due to the job I have, my knee surgery last year, I was off a total of 7 weeks, have been off 2 more weeks over this year due to my knee.
Just really tired of living with the pain, was off last night due to getting it drained and shots.

Tonight I'll go back and walk my 13 mi and will probably be up half the night due to the pain.
Just really am beside myself on whats the best route to take. It's inevitable that someday i'll need the replacement, just wonder if members who've had one have had a good outcome.

Does your wife have any problems at all with the replacements? Even on just occassionally, like with weather changes ect ect?

[Beau Cassidy]

The first thing to remember when looking at a knee replacement... Is the Dr. TELLING you that is what you need or is it a decision for you to make? He has serious financial gain to do a surgery and I have seen way too many docs try to cram what I felt was an necessary surgery down somebody's throat.

Things to remember when considering surgery..
YOU make the decision on when it is time for surgery.
A wonderful personality in the office doesn't necessarily carry over to the operating room. I have seen docs seriously compromise quality and outcomes when trying to hurry.

When do YOU decide it is time for a knee replacement. Simple. These are my 3 criteria...
Can you walk as far as you want to?
Can you control your pain?
Can you sleep all night without pain keeping you up?

Don't let anyone tell you you are too young for surgery. I get sick when someone says that. It is about pain and function. I have seen 32 year old people with completely worn out knees and 90 year old people with great knees. Some people are just born with bad genes. If you have had knee steroid injections and visco supplementation (Orthovisc is the strongest, Supartz, etc are some of the best) and still have pain then it is time for you to do some soul searching. In the mining profession you will probably be out 4 months if you have the surgery, maybe less.

At your age you will probably need a revision surgery in about 15 years. Make the doc give you paperwork showing exactly what is in your knee. It may be just a copy of the labels of what is in your knee but it will certainly be in his surgery dictation. Guard that information. You will need it later. Trust me.

See if your doc does a quadriceps sparing procedure. If he doesn't then try to find someone who does. The downfall of knee replacement is having to go thru the quadriceps. Going thru the quadriceps takes a long time to heal and is painful postoperatively. Anytime you go thru the quadriceps you automatically lose about a third of your quadriceps strength forever. The best recoveries I have seen were quadriceps sparing procedures.

Hope that helps.

[41 mag fan]

Beau , I've had 5 steroid injections so far to date since Jan2. One of the visco supplements i had in April I believe, didn't help much. I'm as of yesterday getting the 3 shot injections of the Chicken Snot or whatever it is.

The Dr I seen is a second opinion Dr so to speak. She helps my regular ortho Dr when he's swamped, which seems to be alot. her father was a coal miner so she understands in a way what my work involves.

She and the regular ortho Dr wanted to do these injections first, they recommended when seeing my xrays I will need a partial replacement. But they made it clear it is my decision on how long and when i want it.

they are not piushing the replacement, just letting me know due to the arthritis that has developed since my surgery last year and how rapid my deterioration on my inner knee has been it is inevitable.

On the 3 questions you asked, the answer is no.
I can't walk as far as I want, I have to stop and rest, my knee after about a mile starts hurting, and I'll stop. but the thing is, where i walk and the time I have, I have to push myself to get done in time. I've noticed since last year my speed has slowed to 1/2 of what it used to be.
Controlling the pain is a no. As soon as I went back to work, they put me to walking, and it's not stopped.
It does keep me up at night, esp when I walk weekly air courses, where i do the 13 mi in a 8 hr shift.

I went in yesterday with the mindset i don't care what it takes, fix my knee. But they directed me to the injections again, with replacement as a last resort and only when I say to do it.

if I can make it till spring, then I got good weather to heal in, but it depends on when I say I cant take the pain and popping every time I move my knee.

thanks though on the quadricep sparing procedure and all the help you've all given!

[sparky45]

No one can tell you what your experience WILL BE by discussing it on an open forum, they can only express what they know from their experience(s). I was in the business of administering Anesthesia for the last 35 years and I have witnessed numerous total knee replacement surgeries. I will give you some generic information/advice:
Chose a competent Surgeon either by reputation(word of mouth) or check with local/state medical boards. Also, check out your Drs/Hospitals infection rates.
YOU decide when to have the surgery based on ALL factors including your medical insurance. Most insurance plans renew annually on a certain date.
Choose the type of Anesthesia you prefer. I'll interject a personal preference here; Spinal anesthesia + a longer acting Femoral or Poplital block for post-op pain management if your Surgeon doesn't require you to be up on the new Knee that same day.
Follow rehab directions completely.
Above all read and understand the pro's and con's of the procedure as well as the possible complications of the procedure, including the Anesthesia.
With everything equal, the outcome should be a positive life changing experience for you. It's probably not going to restore you to your youth, but the pain and swelling should be dramatically reduced.
With your own words, it's sounds like it's not a matter of if you have the Surgery, but when.
Good Luck with your decision.

[gandydancer]

I had my left one done in 2008 and the right one done in 2009 and that's the only part of me that has no pain at all and they work great. I get around just fine. find out about all you can on the doctor who will do the work. I went out of state to find mine in Bristol Tenn. and he is the best around. good luck. GD/Tom

[41 mag fan]

No one can tell you what your experience WILL BE by discussing it on an open forum, they can only express what they know from their experience(s). I was in the business of administering Anesthesia for the last 35 years and I have witnessed numerous total knee replacement surgeries. I will give you some generic information/advice:
Chose a competent Surgeon either by reputation(word of mouth) or check with local/state medical boards. Also, check out your Drs/Hospitals infection rates.
YOU decide when to have the surgery based on ALL factors including your medical insurance. Most insurance plans renew annually on a certain date.
Choose the type of Anesthesia you prefer. I'll interject a personal preference here; Spinal anesthesia + a longer acting Femoral or Poplital block for post-op pain management if your Surgeon doesn't require you to be up on the new Knee that same day.
Follow rehab directions completely.
Above all read and understand the pro's and con's of the procedure as well as the possible complications of the procedure, including the Anesthesia.
With everything equal, the outcome should be a positive life changing experience for you. It's probably not going to restore you to your youth, but the pain and swelling should be dramatically reduced.
With your own words, it's sounds like it's not a matter of if you have the Surgery, but when.
Good Luck with your decision.

My wifes Dr, a good friend of ours, told us he was a good dr. My wife asked since I was having so much trouble from day 1 after my surgery.
Her dr's a good and caring person, does alot for the nursing home he visits and has always been upfront with us on issues.
The surgery would be done at Deaconess hosptial, i haven't heard anything bad about it. I've been in this area for 23 yrs now.
My biggest problem is what my wife calls my obstinate hard headedness. i wont tell work the walking is killing my knee, due to I might have to go back to a unit and that would be worse than the walking.

my insurance is good, Peabody has good ins, thru Blue Cross Blue Shield. My knee surgery last yr cost me $350 and that was for the deductible.
It should be the same after the first of the year.

You're right on the when part of my surgery. The damage is done. My inner part of my knee is almost bone on bone. I went back after being released back in April to walking and it took from then till now, to bring it down to bone on bone.

What i'm wondering is if the members on here who have had replacement surgery was it a good thing to do or did they have complications afterwards?
I don't want to jump into a surgery that might backlash on me or complicate things further.

[Beau Cassidy]

You can try worker's comp but barring any documented trauma, there is a high chance of the claim being denied, especially since he has a history of surgery on the knee. I have seen instances where cases were covered by private insurance. The second worker's comp is mentioned (not necessarily paid or approved by worker's comp) the private insurance carrier drops the claim leaving the individual NO coverage on said complaint.

[crabo]

The damage is done. My inner part of my knee is almost bone on bone. I went back after being released back in April to walking and it took from then till now, to bring it down to bone on bone.
.

Bone on bone will get you to the point where you cannot walk. I had both knees replaced and would do it again in a heartbeat.

[starbits]

I had both knees replaced 3 days apart in Jan 2010. The other day I played racquetball and realized afterward I never thought about my knees once while on the court. It was hard to take a couple steps with out thinking about my knees pre-surgery. Would I do it again - absolutely!

As far as the complications go my right knee still bothered me a year after the surgery and I had to go back in for more physical therapy. The problem wasn't the surgery, it was my knee was so bad for so long that the soft tissues around the knee had to overcompensate and that damaged their ability to work right in a functioning knee. After the additional therapy my left knee is great and my right knee is about 90%, but both are pain free.

I figured knee replacement fixed your knee, but it doesn't. It fixes the joint which is the major problem but doesn't, or didn't in my case, address soft tissue problems. I recommend you ask the surgeon before surgery to talk to you about that issue.

As far as recovery goes they had me on my feet the day of the surgery and walking the next day. I stopped taking the narcotic pain pills the day after I got home, but had to take sleeping pills for the next month or so to be able to sleep at night. Three weeks after surgery I was walking without a walker or cane and was driving the car, gingerly, but driving.

I've done the 800mg of Motrin for breakfast, lunch and dinner to keep moving before my replacement. I am much better off now. As far as surgery goes, the only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

Starbits

[Glassman66]

I am 46 years old and had a partial replacement of my right knee when I was 41. I had a Jouney Deuce put in, the inside on my right knee was trash and they redid the knee cap as well. The Doc said my knee looked like 10 miles of bad road.

My ligaments were stretched bad but intact. The partial will allow a full later if needed.

I am very glad I did it, I was to the point of not being able to walk and effecting my job. I was very dedicated to my rehab and have more movement now than I had for 20 years.

My knee started in football in highschool and only got worse from there. I had 2 orthorscopic (spelling?) before the replacement. I have a card that I carry that has the lot #'s of the parts they put in me in case of problems later.

I would be willing to answer any questions you have. Just make sure you trust the doctor doing the surgery.




Randy

[Hardcast416taylor]

I shattered my left knee back in `85. It was rebuilt and 4 screws were left in the rebuild job. I retired as an industrial steamfitter/pipefitter/plumber in `03. I had the knee replaced 7 days after I retired as a gift to myself. The knee was worn down to bone on bone when the replacement job was done. It took a while after the surgery to do a lot of things again through therapy. It`s still going strong with no problems, kinda wish I had done it many years before now.Robert

[theperfessor]

Dude, sorry to hear of your condition, I knew you were off work for a while but didn't know your knees we so bad. Do what you gotta do to get healthy again. We're all plugging for you.

Virtually everyone I've talked to says what the guys here are saying: it's painful, do what your therapist says to do, and in a few weeks you'll feel a lot better and get around easier. Lucky you've got a great lady to support you.

[Wal']

Just coming at it from another angle.........careful with all the pain killing drugs & injections they use to hold you over until the operation without much thought to the potential damage to your body.

I woke up after my knee replacement & three years of drugs use to be told by my nurse that I was diabetic..........never ever had any symptoms but checking out the websites after, to find out one of the side affects of the drugs I was prescribed .......... DIABETES.

The replacement knee.........best thing that could have happened, not as good as the original.....maybe 80%, but no pain. :bigsmyl2:


:cbpour:

[41 mag fan]

You can try worker's comp but barring any documented trauma, there is a high chance of the claim being denied, especially since he has a history of surgery on the knee. I have seen instances where cases were covered by private insurance. The second worker's comp is mentioned (not necessarily paid or approved by worker's comp) the private insurance carrier drops the claim leaving the individual NO coverage on said complaint.

No when this started, Oct 5th last yr to be exact, I woke in middle of night my knee and right leg killing me. Kept me up from 2am on. I went to work on it for 3 weeks, doing my weekly and daily exams, literally hobbling when i'd walk. Finally 3 week later i fell getting up out of bed, said thats it, and went to the dr.

Did an xray, I had a fracture from the knob part of my lower leg bone that ran about 6" down it. Did an mri, and had torn meniscus, my tendons and ligaments looked like spaghettin strands, all shredded.

I couldn't prove I did it at work, so i turned it in on my ins, of course they and short term diasability questioned me thoroughly, trying to get me to say it was done at work. I told them the truth, I couldn't say i did it at work, or home, it just woke me up in the middle of the night.

Plus the way workers comp is set up thru peabody, you have to use your vacation, then FMLA, before they kick in their disability time. Thats one thing Peabodys workers comp puts the screws to you on.

Last night I talked to my boss about getting off at least the weekly air course walking. Got a blank stare out of him. he could care less in the least, and looks like he wont move me off walking to delay me having surgery.

[41 mag fan]

Just coming at it from another angle.........careful with all the pain killing drugs & injections they use to hold you over until the operation without much thought to the potential damage to your body.

I woke up after my knee replacement & three years of drugs use to be told by my nurse that I was diabetic..........never ever had any symptoms but checking out the websites after, to find out one of the side affects of the drugs I was prescribed .......... DIABETES.

The replacement knee.........best thing that could have happened, not as good as the original.....maybe 80%, but no pain. :bigsmyl2:


:cbpour:

I'm not on any meds for it. Just the injections about every 1 1/2 mo. I don't like taking pills unless I have to.

[Echo]

I had a new left knee installed August 13 this year. In hospital and rehab for about 2 1/2 weeks, am driving my car, and truck w/standard tranny, and am on the way to full recovery. With me, it was bone on bone, and no question about should I or shouldn't I.
I had a cortisone injection earlier that was totally ineffective. With a bone on bone situation, the cortisone does nothing - no material to rebuild. No rooster-comb injections - my surgeon (who had done a meniscus on me a few years ago) didn't even give me the choice, and I trust him - he is well-respected in the community.
Have faith and press on...

[Shiloh]

Mine was bone on bone and just pounded and throbbed at the end of the day.
Tomorrow will be two weeks since my right knee was totally replaced.
It is still sore. I can make it just over a 90 degree bend now. There is no knee pain, just the pain associated from the surgery and that is still noticeable but will fade.

Shiloh

[41 mag fan]

Tibial plateau fracture, but the question is, what caused it. Obviously you had something going on for some time prior to falling, and maybe it was already detached and caused the fall. Obviously you don't remeber falling or bumping it prior, but it sounds like it was coming undone(the bone) and that the tendons and ligaments were holding you as long as they could. Regardless, it sounds like you need to have it done because it isn't going to get better.

Even if you do get the knee replaced, your doctor may tell you to find another vocation that doesn't require walking 13 miles/8 hours.

Thats a good question, my family dr has asked, then the ortho dr asked, then FMLA and short term asked.
i'd like to know what i'd done to cause the fracture. One thing that really throws me for a loop, is I was on vacation the week before. The most I did was walk out on the dock and get in my FIL's boat and take off across leech Lake fishing. There was what I call "no sweating or hard work" while I'm on vacation. I do that plenty while at work.

2nd opinion Dr already told me to find a new job, but I don't need a Dr to recommend that.
I'm married to an evil eyed woman, she told me tuesday when I found out about the replacement, that while I'm leave I'm to start looking for a job.
When she speaks, I start shuddering, dribble down my leg, and I definitley don't look her in the eyes, for fear of turning to stone!!.
But it's hard to find a job in this economy, let alone one that pays comparable to what i make now, for the uneducated.


I had a new left knee installed August 13 this year. In hospital and rehab for about 2 1/2 weeks, am driving my car, and truck w/standard tranny, and am on the way to full recovery. With me, it was bone on bone, and no question about should I or shouldn't I.
I had a cortisone injection earlier that was totally ineffective. With a bone on bone situation, the cortisone does nothing - no material to rebuild. No rooster-comb injections - my surgeon (who had done a meniscus on me a few years ago) didn't even give me the choice, and I trust him - he is well-respected in the community.
Have faith and press on...

All the 5 cortizones I've had this year lasted for 2 weeks then slowly started going back to hurting till one month later it was normal as in the normal pain.
They are giving me the rooster comb injections now as a last resort, trying to help stave off me getting my knee replaced till next yr.

[Wal']

Mine was bone on bone and just pounded and throbbed at the end of the day.
Tomorrow will be two weeks since my right knee was totally replaced.
It is still sore. I can make it just over a 90 degree bend now. There is no knee pain, just the pain associated from the surgery and that is still noticeable but will fade.

Shiloh


Good to hear, each day will be just be that little bit better until you get up one day & not even think about it. :drinks:


:castmine: