Knee replacement

[Marge]

Well, we've finally got a date for my husband's knee replacement: June 21. This time around it is to be a total knee replacement (TKR). He had a partial knee replacement years ago. My memory is a bit fuzzy about that but I seem to recall he was up and about pretty quickly after the surgery. I remember driving him to physical therapy a few times and after that he managed on his own, including driving.

He seems to think he'll be able to do at least as well this time around, but I am reading some dire things about the recovery process on some of the joint replacement websites. They make it sound almost more traumatic than my recovery from OHS!

If anyone on this board has any experience with TKR (either their own or someone near & dear to them) and has any input on what I, as the support person, can expect, I'd be very appreciative. I'd like to be as supportive of Jay as he was of me during my surgery/recovery but without hovering too much (which he HATES).

Oh, btw it's his RIGHT knee.

 

[Ross]

Marge I can't say much about total knee, but I had a total hip and it took me about 6 weeks before I could do much of anything. The people who had knees done in Physical therapy all seemed to have a really tough time. My rehab nurse told me that knees are much more complicated, so I would expect he'll have some serious down time.

 

[Granbonny]

Hope your hubby will do fine..Just remember, you will only be 4 months post-op so don't go hurt yourself lifting him, ect. Bonnie

 

[csutherland]

Interestingly enough, I just asked my sister-in-law about her experience this past week when she was visiting from out of state. She had BOTH done at the same time, just 2 weeks after her husband had died of a blown aorta. She was 76 years old and already had it scheduled. The dr. thought she should postpone it, but her granddaughter was going to stay with her at home over her Christmas break so she felt she needed to go ahead as planned.

Anyway, she said it was really bad, but she was glad she had them both done at the same time, because she wouldn't have wanted to go through it twice. HOWEVER, now she's so much better and thinks it was all worth it. She'll be 81 in July and is going strong.

 

[Marge]

<< Just remember, you will only be 4 months post-op so don't go hurt yourself lifting him >>

LOL, Bonnie!!!!

At least I HOPE you are joking ..... I don't think he's going to need lifting!


If he does, I'll make sure that he goes somewhere for a while where there are people qualified to lift him .... or we'll get an aide in to help out.

 

[Ross]

Marge you better plan on getting some help in there, Bon isn't joking!

 

[The Bionic Duo]

Hi Marge

Finally a topic I can give you some answers to

I just had a LTKR in December so I'm still in recovery mode. I think your husband will find the newer knee replacements are vastly improved from when he had his last one--at least that's what everyone I meet who had one done before has told me. I do know that my scar is much smaller than usual (about 6 inches), and that the Zimmer Full Flex knee that the Orthopedic Surgeon put is capible of a far greater ROM than I will ever be able to achieve.

As for recovery I went back to work six weeks out (could drive at about 4, but his is a right knee so it may take a little longer) and wish I had waited another couple of weeks. The swelling had not gone down much, and it was still giving me a lot of pain, alsoI was just getting off using a caine so I was walking pretty slow then too. The best tool for recovery is not scimping on the pain meds, being macho is not a good idea, the pain can really interfere with getting a decent Range of Motion (ROM).

Right now at 18 weeks out I my ROM is about 126 degress flex and 5 on extension. I'm having a hard time getting to that 0 degrees extension, walked too long with a bent knee I guess.

Have been on a couple if those knee replacement forums and you're right some of quite scary. The best one I have found is On Your Knees http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/main.asp?webtag=onourfeet&nav=start&prettyurl=/onourfeet
its pretty upbeat and positive.

If you have any question just ask.

Joan

 

[Marge]

Joan ... thanks for the input from your experience. I had found that Delphi Forum -- it is actually called "On Our Feet" -- & it looks pretty good.

He is pretty stoic; he's been in great pain for some time from this darn knee and does not moan or groan -- but I know from past experience that he won't scrimp on the pain meds. I've lived through a bunch of surgeries with him -- from the kidney stone operation of a few years ago to the more recent surgery for Dupuytrens Contraction of the hand. In many ways he's a model patient -- much more than I am.

LIFTING, though? -- meaning somebody having to bodily pick him up? Golly, I couldn't do that even if I hadn't had heart surgery. Nor am I capable of pushing anybody in a wheelchair. His surgeon has promised he will be walking, with crutches or at worst a walker, before they let him out of the hospital. He came home from the partial on crutches, and was quite adept at getting around. I was working full time then, & we did not have any home health aides, & he did OK on his own. He graduated quickly to a cane. But if he needs help this time, we will have someone in.

 

[The Bionic Duo]

Marge

They sent me home with a walker which I only used for about three weeks, then went to a cain, and was off that by six weeks.

Bob didn't have to do any lifting of me (he couldn't anyway) they get you up and moving around pretty fast these days.

Oops your right about the name of that web site, had to retype that message twice, I somehow blitzed it while editing and had brain freeze by the third time.

I too had a LOT of pain before the surgery, but I found out that you need to take some pain medication, espcially when he does physical therapy, the therapist really like to stretch all those tight muscles.

Joan

 

[Missy]

My husband had one total knee replacement and one partial knee replacement.
Several days in the hospital. Lots of pain.
He had to use a passive motion machine for a few weeks. Someone has to lift it and situate it and set it each time. Several times a day.
The wound and sutures have to be cleaned daily. One has to go to rehab daily. The healing time and pain depend on how much and fast one forms scar tissue. My husband formed lots and had to have a manipulation.
He had his done separately. Doctor wouldn't do both at the same time.
Like any surgery one doesn't like it but after the healing it helps and one is glad one did it. My husband is.
Just that he wishes both were total instead of the one partial.
Good luck.

 

[McCln]

A full knee replacement is a lot more work and it will hurt him a bit. You have to make sure he walks as therapy says for him to. My mother had rheumatoid athritis and had a total knee replacement a few years before she passed. She has a hard time because her cartlidge was gone, not known till surgery. But she did get around and got exercise. That is the point, for he to keep being after surgery. That way the new joint won't freeze up. Let us know how he is doing when surgery is done. Take care.

Caroline
09-13-01
Aortic valve replacement
St. Jude's valve