RE: total knee replacement recovery time & outcome

[Guest guest]

Hi to all, my sister in Chicago is considering having knee replacement

done this summer ,she would like to know what other people have

experianced after, such as recovery time , outcome. Also what type of

anesthesia was used. One other question is did any one get told by

their doc that they needed to lose weight before surgery, what was

considered ok weight?

Thanks in advance to all who share their experiances!

Barbara

[Guest guest]

I would recommend this book

" Total Knee Replacement and Recovery "

By Dr. Brugioni MD and Dr. Jeff Falkel Ph.D, PT.

You can buy it on Amazon.

Don

>

> Hi to all, my sister in Chicago is considering having knee replacement

> done this summer ,she would like to know what other people have

> experianced after, such as recovery time , outcome. Also what type of

> anesthesia was used. One other question is did any one get told by

> their doc that they needed to lose weight before surgery, what was

> considered ok weight?

> Thanks in advance to all who share their experiances!

> Barbara

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi to all, my sister in Chicago is considering having knee

replacement

> done this summer ,she would like to know what other people have

> experianced after, such as recovery time , outcome. Also what type

of

> anesthesia was used. One other question is did any one get told by

> their doc that they needed to lose weight before surgery, what was

> considered ok weight?

> Thanks in advance to all who share their experiances!

> Barbara

>

Recovery Times is Different for everyone. I had Two TKR two years

ago.

One in January and then I waited till Nov and had the other one. I

work

Standing on my Legs all day and the recovery was little harder for

me.

I Swelled alot and ached all the time. But now I feel 100 times

better.

It just took me longer to overcome it. I still had problems walkiing

long periods of time and at night ACHED real bad. I think the

overweight problem is a big issue. Iam over weight and I'm sure was

part of the recovery. But the Pain I endured before the surgery I

couldn't take it anymore. I was 52 when I had it done and I really

don't regret it at all. I just hope They last longer then what I'm

hearing 10yrs. I would hate to go thru it again.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info Phyllis! My sister works and needs to get back to

work as soon as possable as she is a single parent. Did you have to

go through physical therapy and if so how much? Did you have a lot of

help when you returned home? She is concerned because she does not

have any reliable help at home, kids are 10 & 15 but 15 year old has

downs syndrome so help from him is limited,10 year old is a very 10

year old boy so his helping is also questionable, I would love to go

help her but I am in Oregon with several health problems and she is

in Chicago, did you have to use crutches, if so for how long? Was

there any other equipment needed to adapt? ie: raised toilet seats

etc.

I want to thank you for sharing your experiance!!!!! Did your doc

tell you they only lasted 10 years? I remember my mom (now dead )

having knee replacement but do not remember if it was more than 1

time,my sister is about your age so that concerns me, to bad she

can't have it done in Oregon where my husband, daughter and I could

help her. I am worried how she is going to do it.

Thank you again!!!

Barbara

>

>

> >

> > Hi to all, my sister in Chicago is considering having knee

> replacement

> > done this summer ,she would like to know what other people have

> > experianced after, such as recovery time , outcome. Also what

type

> of

> > anesthesia was used. One other question is did any one get told

by

> > their doc that they needed to lose weight before surgery, what

was

> > considered ok weight?

> > Thanks in advance to all who share their experiances!

> > Barbara

> >

> Recovery Times is Different for everyone. I had Two TKR two years

> ago.

> One in January and then I waited till Nov and had the other one. I

> work

> Standing on my Legs all day and the recovery was little harder for

> me.

> I Swelled alot and ached all the time. But now I feel 100 times

> better.

> It just took me longer to overcome it. I still had problems

walkiing

> long periods of time and at night ACHED real bad. I think the

> overweight problem is a big issue. Iam over weight and I'm sure was

> part of the recovery. But the Pain I endured before the surgery I

> couldn't take it anymore. I was 52 when I had it done and I really

> don't regret it at all. I just hope They last longer then what I'm

> hearing 10yrs. I would hate to go thru it again.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi , how much help did you need during recovery? Did you use

crutches or cane? How often did you have to have physical therapy?

Did you need any other things to adapt such as raised toilet seats or

any thing else? Sorry I know this is a lot of questions but the best

info comes from people who have been there and you have such a great

outlook on this , it is very helpfull!!!

Thank you, Barbara

> Barbara,

>

> I am 44 (was 43 when I had surgery in January of this year) and had

a right

> TKR. I am overweight for my height and while my OS mentioned this,

it didn't

> prevent him from performing the surgery as he understood how hard

it is to

> lose weight when so incapacitated with pain. He did add a metal

spike in my

> tibia to handle extra weight and give me more movement at my young

age (for

> this surgery.)

>

> I had an intrathecal injection which is an injection in the spine

but not an

> epidural and some Versed to make me sleepy. I was out for the

surgery but

> woke easily afterwards and was without too much pain for the first

few hours

> then had morphine drip and Vicodin.

>

> I have the Zimmer gender knee with the less invasive surgery.

>

> I am now over four months out and doing great. Almost no pain or

stiffness

> left and walking constantly and working out at the gym. Some people

have

> complications but I have to say this is the best choice I could

have made

> for me and my family. Now we can go to Disney World at the end of

the year

> and I know I can walk the whole thing.

>

>

>

> RE: total knee replacement

recovery

> time & outcome

>

>

> Hi to all, my sister in Chicago is considering having knee

replacement

> done this summer ,she would like to know what other people have

> experianced after, such as recovery time , outcome. Also what

type of

> anesthesia was used. One other question is did any one get told by

> their doc that they needed to lose weight before surgery, what was

> considered ok weight?

> Thanks in advance to all who share their experiances!

> Barbara

>

[Guest guest]

Has anyone here been through the replacement of the " plastic " component

after the 10-15 years' life of the original replacement surgery? Is

the recovery time similar to the original?

Regards,

Robin in NWFLorida

" Phyllis " <justaladyintx@...> wrote:

> <big snip>

>I was 52 when I had it done and I really

> don't regret it at all. I just hope They last longer then what I'm

> hearing 10yrs. I would hate to go thru it again.

>

[Guest guest]

I had my TKR on March 5 of this year. I have a job where I am on my feet all

day long and I must routinely lift and carry upwards of 20 lbs., 6 days a

week. For this reason, I was not able to go back to work till May 29. I've

been back at work 3 days now, and while I was certainly a little stiff and

sore, it's nothing compared to the pain of bone on bone that I had before

the surgery. Doing my job then was exhausting and there were many days it

was all I could do not to utterly break down in tears. I was walking with a

cane and in sheer misery. Now, I take a little ibuprofen before work, again

during the shift, and again in the evening. Much smaller doses than prior to

my surgery.

I am so glad I had this surgery done, and I wouldn't hesitate to have the

other knee done if/when it is time.

in WA

" Our animals shepherd us through certain eras of our lives. When we are

ready to turn the corner and make it on our own…they let us go. "

--author unknown

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit my eBay store:

http://stores.ebay.com/s-Market

[Guest guest]

Robin:

I ask my doctor about that and he told me he has never had to replace

the 'plastic' because of wear. He has done thousands of joints over a

fifteen year period. I have mentioned this before, the plastic is the

same material that skateboard wheels are made of, polyurethane. It is

very very tough and if deformed returns to its original shape. If

this material had not been discovered in the 60's (not sure of the

date) we would not have the joints today that we are all using. The

metal is bullet proof compared to everything else in your bodies.

From an engineering point understanding how the knee works (the most

complicated joint in the body) and making a replacement was the other

half of the problem in getting what we enjoy today.

So to answer you question the materials and design are fine. Other

issues can cause joint failure.

Don

> > <big snip>

> >I was 52 when I had it done and I really

> > don't regret it at all. I just hope They last longer then what I'm

> > hearing 10yrs. I would hate to go thru it again.