Total Knee replacement

chiclet · ‎03-19-2010

This seems to be a common surgery and I thought I would tell about my husbands surgery just to maybe help someone else. He had it 10/7/21. He went home within a few hours and was walking with a walker. He used that for about 8 days and was driving withing 4 weeks (had right knee done). Scar is about 10 or 12 inches long. He is 75 with diabetes and lung problems and overweight but he went through it fairly easily. The other knee is just as bad so dreading another surgery. The biggest problem is the pain. The doctor said they have to give you half of what they would have done a few years ago. He has been going to rehab and that really gets the pain stirred up and he has very little pain meds now. He does not want to continue rehab because of the pain it causes. He is now looking for some alternative like a brace for his other leg. It infuriates me that people like him have to suffer for the opioid crisis. Senior citizens who have a lot of medical problems and pain will spend their last few years suffering for something they did not cause.

50Mickey · ‎05-21-2010

@chiclet . I would encourage him to continue with physical therapy as long as recommended. They most likely are working on getting his range of motion back. Did they tell him to ice the knee when he gets home? I had surgery for a fractured radial bone on 10/6. Was going to therapy twice a week but now down to once a week. My range of motion with this arm is almost back to 100% of what it should be. I know that this is not a total knee replacement but it did involve bone surgery and putting screws in the bone and my arm still hurts. My surgeon told me that it takes around 3 months for the pain and inflammation to fully go away. One of my neighbors had TKR the same that I had my surgery. She is still going to therapy but I see her walking and even doing a little yard work.

Tell him that the pain will go away. But if he stops with the therapy he may never get back to being able to straighten out his leg and walk correctly. Wish both of you the best with this healing process.

PA Mom-mom · ‎05-27-2015

@chiclet I just finished reading an article on reason dot com about the increasing problem of undertreatment of pain. My best friend just had a knee replacement, and she is early in the recovery process; but, she really does need the pain killers at times.

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

@chiclet,

It is so hard to watch somone in pain and feel like there is nothing you can do.

Doctors don't always let pts know how painful it might be.

I just want to say re the PT, a good physical therapist will in no way make it so painful afterwards that someone doesn't want to return.

I've had good and terrible pt's from broken bones, surgeries etc.

It actually should decrease pain and gently increase range of motion but stop before pain. The best pt I've ever had told me pt should never hurt or cause pain.

So your husbands instincts regarding this are right on.

And yes it is awful that people are left in pain like a suffering animal.

I think doctors are afraid and don't have the courage to prescribe what is needed-afraid for their own career etc etc.

A combination of pain killers is the most effective if he can get that

(from an orthopaedic surgeon).

It all will hopefully get better eventually with or without the doctors help with this. It shouldn't be this way I agree.

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

Meowingkitty · ‎06-19-2010

I had mine done in 2017. Ice is your friend. Ice after any activity. If he doesn't continue therapy he won't get a good range of motion and will be more miserable. I found that every week there are small improvements. Take some kind of pain pill (aspirin or prescription) prior to therapy and come home and ice some more. It's been only 6 weeks but I found every week things got better. I was lucky and got plenty of pain pills but I stopped taking them after maybe 2 weeks.

KailaS · ‎03-09-2010

I had total knee replacement of the right knee on August 16 of this year. I came home alone in an ambulance transport and was alone ( except for my cat) since my return home. ( I do have a stair lift, so handling steps was/is doable.) I am 74 with cancer and diabetes. I was driving at 3.5 weeks. A difference is that I rehabbed at home by myself with something called a RomTech. Medicare paid for 20 days of the device. It was painful, but I pushed myself daily to complete five sessions. Being by myself was a great motivator. My angles for extension and bend back after the RomTech were great. I refused opioids and took only Meloxicam. I elevated and iced my knee every time I could. I really felt I had done everything I could. I was not someone who was " happy" to have the surgery.
I must admit that after at-home rehab, I went to PT for five final sessions. That was painful, but I really was feeling okay-- even though I had more pain than I expected.
After rehab and PT I discovered that sleeping was awful because of pain, getting up and down still is a challenge, getting up and down curbs still hurts, and carrying anything slightly heavy ( like my 11 pound cat) is hard.

I have to keep moving to avoid getting really stiff. Yes, my other knee and right hip are screaming. I just passed three months and I have felt finally a little less pain, but this was a hard surgery for me. I just went back on Meloxicam and have tried to walk every day, but going more than about two blocks still hurts.

I try to avoid pain pills, but that is me. But I feel awful for your husband. We should have what we need to handle pain. Thankfully, your husband has you. But keep him moving and icing. Do not let him give up. Maybe an anti- inflammatory or something else will ease his pain. His doctor should know how he feels.

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

I had a total knee replacement in 2015 and it changed my life. I can now walk, stand for long periods of time, bend, squat, garden, mow, plow snow, and do whatever I want, all pain free. It was one of the best things I ever did for myself.

Before my replacement, my leg didn't straighten more than 120 degrees so I walked with a huge limp, was in constant pain, and couldn't do most of the things I enjoy.

JasoninBoston · ‎02-18-2012

@chiclet wrote:
This seems to be a common surgery and I thought I would tell about my husbands surgery just to maybe help someone else. He had it 10/7/21. He went home within a few hours and was walking with a walker. He used that for about 8 days and was driving withing 4 weeks (had right knee done). Scar is about 10 or 12 inches long. He is 75 with diabetes and lung problems and overweight but he went through it fairly easily. The other knee is just as bad so dreading another surgery. The biggest problem is the pain. The doctor said they have to give you half of what they would have done a few years ago. He has been going to rehab and that really gets the pain stirred up and he has very little pain meds now. He does not want to continue rehab because of the pain it causes. He is now looking for some alternative like a brace for his other leg. It infuriates me that people like him have to suffer for the opioid crisis. Senior citizens who have a lot of medical problems and pain will spend their last few years suffering for something they did not cause.

@chiclet

I too have had a total knee replacement. My dr told me it's one of the most involved and painful surgeries done despite how common it is.

The PT I had after it told me that as part of her PT training she had to observe a knee replacement procedure and she passed out in the middle of it due to how horrible it is!! (If you google what they actually do--it's pretty barbaric sounding--sawing off bones etc).

And believe me it's painful! I had to actually take the pain meds before each PT apt. And found myself screaming in pain when the PT tried to bend the knee past a certain point. (And she would just laugh!)

So I would urge him to tell the DR if he needs more pain meds.

And I just don't understand the stigma about taking these meds!!

Group 5 minus 1 · ‎03-11-2010

Jason: No stigma about taking these meds. It is government interference.

CatsyCline · ‎07-24-2013

The doctors do not want the patients to rely on opiates beyond the ACUTE pain stage.i've had 3 spine surgeries (2 lumbar and one neck) and a Hip replacement.

i know, its harsh, but my Surgeons gave only 20 pain pills post-surgery. 20 pills would last about 10 days. i had to request a refill each time i needed more. After 3 refills they referred me to my Primary. He wrote another two 10 day RX for me but that was it - 5 weeks total

i was given Meloxicam, and told to take Advil and or Tylenol. My neck surgery was agonizing. i used one of those microwave bean bags on my neck 3-4x a day for weeks. muscle relaxers helped a lot especially at night. i used a big gel icepack for my other post-surgeries.

hope your DH begins to feel better and hope he continues with the PT. remember, recovery is process. the physical therapists are not going to be marshmallows - their goal is to get you up and moving and push you. your DH's nerves, muscles, soft tissue all need to "marry" back together with the new joint. the pain could be from muscle spasms too...muscle relaxers really helped me. but no driving on these. a walker helps with stability.