Knee replacement questions

[Photojeep]

At the risk of turning this forum into "The Old Geezers Club" I was hoping to get some feedback from those who have had knee replacements.

Due to swimming back in high school*, I will probably be facing a knee replacement (or two) and I've been wondering what it's REALLY like and how long recovery ACTUALLY takes from those who have personally undergone the procedure(s).

I've heard people speak about their friend/mother/spouse having the procedure but very little from those who have personally gone through it.

Good, bad, or indifferent, I'm interested in hearing it.

Thank you,
PJ



* In the 70s, the breaststroke kick was a true frog-type kick that made a swimmer's knees bend outwards then was whipped hard together. That is, a way the human knee wasn't designed to move repeatedly under great force. As a result, both of my knees' meniscus (meniscuses?) are worn about paper thin on the inner side of my knees.

[offkey]

I had my right knee replaced November of 2017 so a year and a half ago. Bone had been working on bone for quite awhile and it had gotten so it was always swollen and very troublesome. My surgery and recovery was as trouble free as one could hope for. I had good stretch to it right away, and my therapist said I was the perfect patient. She also said it really is a shake of the dice and next time might be very different. I was in pretty good shape for a 62 year old, working outside, on my feet within 2 months. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and probably will in the next couple years.
As lucky as I have been, my knee always feels weird. I cannot kneel on it, and when I walk a couple miles a day it still swells and needs iced. In the scope of things I consider it a small blip, and am grateful it was available to me.

[offkey]

It will take over your life for quite awhile when you do it, so prepare for that.
" I would love to help honey but I can't, my knee needs ice! Can you bring me a beer and hand me my guitar?" Kinda deal for a couple months. Boo hoo. LOL.

[bedu]

Originally Posted by offkey

I had my right knee replaced November of 2017 so a year and a half ago. Bone had been working on bone for quite awhile and it had gotten so it was always swollen and very troublesome. My surgery and recovery was as trouble free as one could hope for. I had good stretch to it right away, and my therapist said I was the perfect patient. She also said it really is a shake of the dice and next time might be very different. I was in pretty good shape for a 62 year old, working outside, on my feet within 2 months. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and probably will in the next couple years.

As lucky as I have been, my knee always feels weird. I cannot kneel on it, and when I walk a couple miles a day it still swells and needs iced. In the scope of things I consider it a small blip, and am grateful it was available to me.

Very similar story to mine but it was my left knee that was replaced and I was only 49.

[Brucebubs]

I had what is known as a 'half knee' replacement in 2013 - pictured below on right.



Faster recovery and slightly less invasive than a full knee replacement but will begin to wear around 10 year mark - the step after that is a full knee replacement.

I feel I have about 90% movement but don't like kneeling on it.

[Bikewer]

A bit over two years for me. Compared to some folks I know, I had essentially no problems and a quick recovery.
I did the rehab exercises religiously, and when I went back to work I continued same for the first year using our university’s excellent gym facilities.

At the completion of the first year my doc cleared me to do both squats and deadlifts, and again... No problem.
I had been at that bone-on-bone point where I could only stand for a few minutes.

My doc has been doing these procedures for some 30 years, so evidently experience helps....

[fazool]

So I will tell you my Mom's story.

She was around 70-ish (maybe mid late 60's, I can't remember).

She had double knee replacement.

She was a hyper active over achiever.

They literally had her up and walking the day after surgery in the hospital. Seriously.

They gave her an exercise regimen and told her it would take about 6 months to get to where she could walk five miles.

She crossed that line in a month and the doctor declared her back to normal.

[Cypress Knee]

My knee has been bothering me for a few years now, and a number of people have suggested a knee replacement. I was considering it, then saw this article in the Wall Street Journal:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-do...lem-1534865358

I contacted a mostly retired orthopedic that I know who used to work on an NFL team's medical staff. He only has two office days a month, so he isn't worried about paying off a yacht or college tuitions at this stage of his life.

I had my X-rays sent to him, and he told me not worry about a knee replacement. I have a torn meniscus and arthritis, but he said I would be much better off going to a gym and concentrating on quadriceps strengthening with weight machines and doing cardio on non-impact elliptical trainers and cycling machines.

It has been working so far. The daily pain is far less than it used to be.

Everyone is different, but that is a view from a different angle.

YMMV,

CK

[rokdog49]

Couldn't read the whole article because I'm not a subscriber to the WallStreet Journal. I'm assuming that they were saying that a lot of times, these surgeries aren't necessary.
If I'm wrong, ignore the rest of this commentary.
If, as in your case, you can opt for therapeutic alternatives as your situation is not dire, that's great. In my case, my hip had finally gotten to the point where I could no longer live with the pain and there wasn't anything else to do.
If the article is also indicating this has become a big business, that's very true.
Everything in America is about big business and medicine is no different.
The actual "cost" of anything in medicine has been blurred by all the people with their hands in the pie.

[Cypress Knee]

That is a long article, but some key take-aways include:

A) Nobody in administration knew the true cost of a knee replacement in the profiled hospital which did over 400 procedures a year. They launched an 18 month study and followed everybody around during that time documenting costs,

B) Administrators were basing pricing on what the perceived to be market forces and profit opportunities.

C) The average list price of the procedure is over $50,000.

D) The actual cost in the hospital, including nurses securing personal items, doctors, anesthesia, physical therapy, and even waiting room time was $10,551 dollars. The study identified ways to decrease the costs by a few thousand dollars just from improving various steps in the process.

E) Hospitals which have merged and are the dominant provider in a geographical area charge much higher prices than those in competitive market places.

F) Patients, especially those covered by insurance, had no idea of the costs.

CK

[Pura Vida]

Somebody has to offer up a more sobering version, so I guess that's me.

In my 20s, I had a nasty car accident: black ice, head-on with a pickup truck, jaws of life, broken femur, and detached ACL (it's a big reason I moved to CA!). I had a few surgeries: 8" titanium rod, screws, replaced the ACL, etc. But years of compensation and being overweight took their toll, and at 40yo, I was faced with needing a total knee replacement (no cartilage in all three knee compartments). This was seven years ago, and although the surgery was apparently textbook, my recovery has been unexpectedly problematic. I can't bend my knee past 90-100º, and in many ways, it's been just as limiting as my pre-TKR existence. I've put on more weight, and it's affecting my health in other ways. There are times that I feel that my knee replacement is killing me faster, and it's one of my few true regrets in life.

I don't say this as a pity party for me, but rather as a caution to anyone considering a TKR. Be absolutely sure that there are no other alternatives. My surgeon completely downplayed how my weight and previous trauma would impact my recovery, and even after years of aggressive PT sessions, they've never gotten past 105º bend. My two alternatives are: aggressively diet and drop weight (which I need to do anyway) or have an additional surgery, where they will go up into my leg and scrape out all the old scar tissue. I'm not eager to go under the knife again, and the recovery is similar to the TKR, so I'm going to try to work harder at getting in shape.

I'll leave you with two piece of advice: (1.) pre-surgery: ask a lot of questions and exhaust every other possibility and (2.) post-surgery: keep your leg moving --- bend, put weight on it, make PT your BFF!

Good luck!

[Photojeep]

Thank you all very much for sharing your experiences. I know several people who have had TKR, and their experiences seem to mirror many of yours. A couple have had both replaced with varied results. I guess, like acoustic guitars, no two are really alike.

I do sincerely appreciate your insights and advice. I don't know when I will be a candidate for this but I suspect it will eventually happen. It seems I find myself wondering when it will happen on days my knee(s) bother me when I'm walking.

Generally speaking, I'm healthy and I'm only carrying around 15-20 lbs of "extra" weight and I'm working to drop that. I'm hoping that will help hold off any major surgery like this. I'm fortunate that I don't take any prescription meds or have any health issues so I'm really in no hurry to rush into this.

Thank you again for telling your stories and offering your advice. I do appreciate it very much.

PJ