Total Knee Replacement - Your Experience

[kimmar067]

Had my left knee replaced yesterday. I as home last night, all went well. Two things that surprised me, my surgeon dues not believe in icing or elevating. I was all set with an ice machine and got my self a wedge pillow to go under my knees, to elevate above my heart. Nope, he wants nothing under my knees, a recliner is fine. No icing as he believes it shrinks the blood vessels and harder to get blood into the knee. We have already sent the ice machine back.
I am tired today but doing my exercises and walking. So far, so good.

Best wishes for a SPEEDY recovery!

 

[kimmar067]

....BTW, didn't read through all the posts, but has anyone had BOTH KNEES done at the same time?

 

[maxaroni]

Yes, very interesting! My DH loved the ice machine. We did all kinds of conflicting info about how long/often to use it, but never NOT to. He felt like it gave him the most relief from pain to be honest. Did the Dr say you could use ice packs on it occasionally?

My DH had his 6 month appt last week and was clear about his discomfort and pain/pinching on the outside of his knee. The Dr thinks it's IT Band irritation. I'm not sure why it took this many appointments for him to go from "it's due to the clamp during surgery" to this. We asked if he should go to PT to help with that and he said just to look at Youtube for stretching. Thinks it'll eventually go away. Not sure how I feel about this, I think the PT was very helpful for him early on and since we've met our OOP for the year (did so on 1/18, day of surgery), it would make sense to work with someone to evaluate how things help or don't. Oh well.

No ice at all. I had the same surgeon for my hip replacement and I iced that. This was back in 2017. I trust him, he’s highly regarded as is the whole practice.

 

[PolyRob]

Had my left knee replaced yesterday. I as home last night, all went well. Two things that surprised me, my surgeon dues not believe in icing or elevating. I was all set with an ice machine and got my self a wedge pillow to go under my knees, to elevate above my heart. Nope, he wants nothing under my knees, a recliner is fine. No icing as he believes it shrinks the blood vessels and harder to get blood into the knee. We have already sent the ice machine back.
I am tired today but doing my exercises and walking. So far, so good.

Fascinating. My mom recently had her knee replaced in April and she was told absolutely nothing underneath it when elevating (flat on a couch or recliner was ok), but her surgeon still encouraged ice. After reading your experience I found this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6739721/

So interesting that each surgeon does something different. My mom compares stories with other TKR patients in physical therapy. Did the surgeon use a robotic arm? Some take baby Aspirin and some don't. Some wear TED stockings and others never have them on. My mom slept at night in a splint for 6-weeks while no one else at PT did.

Good luck in your recovery!

 

[maxaroni]

Fascinating. My mom recently had her knee replaced in April and she was told absolutely nothing underneath it when elevating (flat on a couch or recliner was ok), but her surgeon still encouraged ice. After reading your experience I found this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6739721/

So interesting that each surgeon does something different. My mom compares stories with other TKR patients in physical therapy. Did the surgeon use a robotic arm? Some take baby Aspirin and some don't. Some wear TED stockings and others never have them on. My mom slept at night in a splint for 6-weeks while no one else at PT did.

Good luck in your recovery!

Thank you! Agree with you, all surgeons have their own beliefs. The practice I am using has many many orthopedic surgeons and they each have their own protocols. Also, each patient is different.

 

[PolyRob]

Thank you! Agree with you, all surgeons have their own beliefs. The practice I am using has many many orthopedic surgeons and they each have their own protocols. Also, each patient is different.

Both excellent points! I know some patients go home same day or only stay 1 night. My mom actually had to stay 3 nights. Not because of the joint itself, but extreme nausea due to the medication. It had to be regulated before they would discharge her. We're all different!

 

[leebee]

@maxaroni Good luck with your knee! I am 4 weeks post-surgery and it's been a heck of a month. I used the icing machine for the first few days but by day 5 my PT said only to use it briefly, for about 10 mins after doing therapy or walking. Yes, it helps with the swelling but it also reduces blood flow. Also, I bought a wedge for my knee but it's useless with my surgeon's recommendations. I'm to keep the leg elevated with the ankle higher than the knee- so basically with the knee suspended- to help with getting the leg straight. I had trouble with that at first as I had the support pillow under my Achilles tendon- NOT a good plan. My PT showed me how to prop it so the tendon doesn't bear the weight of the leg.

Anyhow... Looking back, I should have taken my pain pills according to schedule for the first 2 or 3 days. Listening to the doctors/nurses, although they said take them if you need them, they also said don't take them UNLESS you need them. I realize now that I was in unnecessary pain those first two days because I was trying to minimize taking the pain pills. If I have my other knee done, that will NOT be the case.

A friend's PT has two sayings: "Sun and sky therapy is best" and "Motion is lotion." I didn't realize that you really cannot do anything to hurt this new knee (OK, you can, don't twist/tourque it, don't fall). Use it, use it, use it. As soon as you are cleared to be outside, walk outside. It's psychologically and emotionally refreshing to be OUT of the bed, OUT of the bedroom, OUT of the house. Although I am using a cane or hobbling around the house, I always take both crutches when walking outside. I dont' really need them all the time, but ground is uneven, there is sand and slippy stuff, people are unpredictable. I walk about 1/3 of a mile every morning and every evening. I find taking it "in littles" is better than one big long walk. Yes, all the stretches and balancing and stuff is important, but the best thing you can do is just walk, use the knee, bend it. That's my advice from my four weeks of experience!

 

[lovesmurfs]

....BTW, didn't read through all the posts, but has anyone had BOTH KNEES done at the same time?

My SIL did, about 5 years ago. She teaches and planned it during the winter break. Because she lives alone, she had to be in a rehab facility for a week (maybe two?), and then she went to DMIL's (8-hour car ride...) to recover through mid January. It was tough, and I think it was a tough sell for her to the orthopedic surgeon. It was also tough for physical therapy, because sometimes they'd say, "start with your good knee," and there wasn't a good knee.

I had 5 months between mine, and it worked pretty well, but I can see for someone not wanting to take time off twice in a short period of time.

 

[maxaroni]

....BTW, didn't read through all the posts, but has anyone had BOTH KNEES done at the same time?

My surgeon does not advise to to them together. He feels as though it’s too hard on the body, between the surgery and rehab. You have no “good knee”. Now, is it possible? Of course it is. I for one can’t see it but if your surgeon agrees and you are up for it, do it. When I was in pre op, someone was getting double knees, and someone else double hips.

 

[maxaroni]

@maxaroni Good luck with your knee! I am 4 weeks post-surgery and it's been a heck of a month. I used the icing machine for the first few days but by day 5 my PT said only to use it briefly, for about 10 mins after doing therapy or walking. Yes, it helps with the swelling but it also reduces blood flow. Also, I bought a wedge for my knee but it's useless with my surgeon's recommendations. I'm to keep the leg elevated with the ankle higher than the knee- so basically with the knee suspended- to help with getting the leg straight. I had trouble with that at first as I had the support pillow under my Achilles tendon- NOT a good plan. My PT showed me how to prop it so the tendon doesn't bear the weight of the leg.

Anyhow... Looking back, I should have taken my pain pills according to schedule for the first 2 or 3 days. Listening to the doctors/nurses, although they said take them if you need them, they also said don't take them UNLESS you need them. I realize now that I was in unnecessary pain those first two days because I was trying to minimize taking the pain pills. If I have my other knee done, that will NOT be the case.

A friend's PT has two sayings: "Sun and sky therapy is best" and "Motion is lotion." I didn't realize that you really cannot do anything to hurt this new knee (OK, you can, don't twist/tourque it, don't fall). Use it, use it, use it. As soon as you are cleared to be outside, walk outside. It's psychologically and emotionally refreshing to be OUT of the bed, OUT of the bedroom, OUT of the house. Although I am using a cane or hobbling around the house, I always take both crutches when walking outside. I dont' really need them all the time, but ground is uneven, there is sand and slippy stuff, people are unpredictable. I walk about 1/3 of a mile every morning and every evening. I find taking it "in littles" is better than one big long walk. Yes, all the stretches and balancing and stuff is important, but the best thing you can do is just walk, use the knee, bend it. That's my advice from my four weeks of experience!

Sounds like you are doing well. It’s all a learning curve as to what works best for you and following your surgeons advice. I was told the same thing, motion is lotion. I am to use the walker until I see the surgeon at my first post op appointment.

 

[leeniewdw]

....BTW, didn't read through all the posts, but has anyone had BOTH KNEES done at the same time?

My sister just recently asked her surgeon if he'd do both at the same time...she knew someone who used him and had both done around 6 years ago. This surgeon no longer will do at the same time. I think he mentioned blood loss among other things. She will have her first in late August and her second in November.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

....BTW, didn't read through all the posts, but has anyone had BOTH KNEES done at the same time?

Yes, I had both knees done at the same time in July 2020. I was 55 years old, active and healthy. As a school teacher, I was trying to miss as little school as possible. I had 12 weeks off for recovery and PT. It was SO HARD! My PT people thought I was a rock star. I did everything I was supposed to do. I didn’t feel recovered when I went back to school at the end of September, but felt much better by November. But then my right leg started to go down hill.

Turns out, I’d contracted a very slow growing infection in the hole they drilled into my tibia bone for the implant stem. The bone turned to mush and the implant came loose. I had to have it taken out, a temporary antibiotic filled cement spacer put in, a week in the hospital, a pic line for 10 weeks, home nursing, home PT. The first IV antibioti killed off all my white blood cells, and they were worried about sepsis, so I spent another week at the hospital in isolation. Once they were sure the infection was gone, I had the final knee replacement done in June 2021, followed by 8 weeks of PT. The whole process put me out of work for 6 months. So far, so good now.

Having had both knees done at the same time followed by just a single knee done, I can tell you that it makes it 10000% easier when you have a “good” leg to stand on. If you want both done in the same calendar year for insurance purposes, I would get one done in January and the other done in June. However, if both my knees had healed like they should have, I might have felt like doing them at the same time was worth it. But I’ll never know.

At 3 years post op, the left knee feels great now. The right knee is still a work in progress. It doesn’t have nearly the bend as the left due to all the scar tissue, but I’m still working on it. And it is slooooowly improving.

 

[texaslover]

Got my first knee done 11/22 and my second 12/23. I was 56 and had the Mako. Back to back that quickly was tough but I'm a teacher and it was the best way to take less days off work. The first surgery seemed easy with little pain after (on hydrocodone) but the PT was brutal. I was ahead of schedule on everything and maybe pushed too hard which made the pain while doing exercises bad. I was very diligent about doing them right and 3 times per day as well as walking around the house with the walker everytime I got up. After the second surgery they gave me less of a epidural and the pain was intense, the PT wanted to go home since my surgery was late so made me get up and walk while my pain was not in control. I basically did it bc I was pissed and determined just to get it over with. The ongoing PT on the second wasn't as bad bc it was my "good" knee .

I'm 6 months out from the second and just went to San Fran and walked bt 3-7 miles everyday up and down hills. I do the elliptical for 30 min and the rowing machine some days. I still have pinching or popping uncomfortable feelings at times. I also have ankle and foot pain. They believe it's because my knees were bad for so long, were not straight, and my ankles/feet are adjusting. The knees feel like I can walk as long as I want, just this stupid burning ankle and foot pain after a few miles or standing for a long time. Hoping it will get lesser and lesser with time. It is life changing, I could barely make it around the school without sitting down before. Even if I have this other pain the rest of my life it was totally worth it.

 

[leebee]

@texaslover I do not know how you did it, four weeks apart. I had my TKR 4 weeks ago and I can't imagine having had the other knee done today! I understand what you mean about ankles and feet adjusting. My hips naturally turn out (I have >180degree turn out, standing I could put my heels together and rotate my feet so my toes pointed backwards), have no arch in my right foot, and my knee bowed inward towards my other leg. Four weeks TKR, I have just over 95degrees of bend in my knee and my leg is much straighter. There's pain from trying to bend/flex more and more each day, but that's not my real pain issue. I have terrible ankle/shin pain as well as pain in my upper thigh and hip. My PT says it's because everything was so out of alignment, due to the flat foot and then the degraded knee. Now that my knee is "fixed" everything else is bearing the brunt of being forced into alignment, and my muscles don't like it, not one little bit!

 

[sk!mom]

Following along as this is in my near future. I’d love to have both done at the same time just because I have so much fear and anxiety surrounding it. I don’t think any doctors here will, plus I know it is a bad idea, so I’m looking at just getting them both done in the same calendar year to save money on deductibles.

I’m a teacher so I’m thinking one next summer and then the other in November. November to winter break is a slower time at work- students are settled in routines but testing season is still way off. Plus there are 3 weeks time off built in which would Minimize my time out of class.

 

[kimmar067]

@texaslover I do not know how you did it, four weeks apart. I had my TKR 4 weeks ago and I can't imagine having had the other knee done today! I understand what you mean about ankles and feet adjusting. My hips naturally turn out (I have >180degree turn out, standing I could put my heels together and rotate my feet so my toes pointed backwards), have no arch in my right foot, and my knee bowed inward towards my other leg. Four weeks TKR, I have just over 95degrees of bend in my knee and my leg is much straighter. There's pain from trying to bend/flex more and more each day, but that's not my real pain issue. I have terrible ankle/shin pain as well as pain in my upper thigh and hip. My PT says it's because everything was so out of alignment, due to the flat foot and then the degraded knee. Now that my knee is "fixed" everything else is bearing the brunt of being forced into alignment, and my muscles don't like it, not one little bit!

...I have the feeling that I've waited so long to get a knee replacement that this will ultimately happen to me too! I already have trouble with my left ankle.

 

[kimmar067]

My sister just recently asked her surgeon if he'd do both at the same time...she knew someone who used him and had both done around 6 years ago. This surgeon no longer will do at the same time. I think he mentioned blood loss among other things. She will have her first in late August and her second in November.

....which is why I still cannot opt for any surgery...at least until my platelet count is stabilized.

 

[lovin'fl]

I helped my mom recover from having both knees replaced about 5 years ago. She was 70 at the time. It was almost a month before she could come home and walk up the 7 steps to her front door. She could not come home until she could do a few steps since her house had steps. She went from hospital to nursing home. Then she slept in a recliner for another 2 weeks before she could walk up the stairs to her bedroom.

Some tips I can remember from all that:

1) don't do both knees at same time especially if you do not have the upper arm strength to lift your whole weight (she did not and it was hard).

2) get an ice machine and ice the heck out of it.

3) have some sort of no steps living set up so you can come home right away as the nursing home care was, um, just not good (that is an entire post for another time).


She also could not take ibuprofen due to being on blood thinner for A Fib. So that was tough. She was in pain and using pain pulls way longer than I thought good....like 2-3 months. Actually she, 5 years later, still has painful knees. She feels like the surgery didn't help at all. Still pain to walk. I think there is scar tissue because she didn't get up and move enough. Laid in her recliner all day...still does. And always parks right up close to doors to any place she goes and grumbles about having to walk. So that leads me to tip...

4) get moving ASAP. And move a lot. Move through the pain. Keep the joint loose and moving. Comply with the PT and really work it. A stationary bike is good too.

Another thing...but may not apply to OP...

5) drop extra weight prior. My mom was very heavy and that did not help with her having to lift and push herself up. Especially bad with her having both knees done. She really had to use her arms and she just didn't have the strength. Her DR should never have done both knees like that. A 70 year old heavy woman out of shape and unable to take ibuprofen....yeah, not the best idea. I am bitter still.

 

[Wis2InTink]

I am having my 2nd knee done next week ( 9 years since the 1st one). Has anyone had Laser treatments to help with healing ?

 

[leebee]

I thought I'd "bump" this thread to see how everyone is doing. I will be 11 weeks post-surgery on Wednesday, but return to work half-time tomorrow, which is good because the semester started last week and I'm already so behind. My knee is... better? I can't seem to get beyond 115 degrees of "bend" and although the PT wants to keep working with me until I get 120 degrees, the insurance is not supporting this. However, I have all the stretches and exercises as well as unlimited access to a state of the art rec center on campus, so I can keep up with the PT even without a therapist. I wasn't prepared for rehab and recovery to take this long. I was told "6 weeks" and that made me think I'd be good as new in 6 weeks. Nope... in 6 weeks I was able to abandon the crutches but still unable to sit for too long, stand for too long, etc. I am always aware of my knee, can always feel it, and it ranges from uncomfortable to painful enough that I can't be full weight-bearing. Further talking with my surgeon's assistant has taught me that it's gonna be about 6 months, not 6 weeks, before I am comfortable doing things again, and about a year before I feel fully "like normal." Sigh. Don't get me wrong- it's improving every week, feeling less like there is a block of cement around my knee, less pain when I do too much, etc. I just didn't realize it'd be this long of a haul. Anyhow, I hope all of you who had surgery this summer are doing well.