Having knee replacement: how to prepare and questions about PT

Posted by ronnie3716 @ronnie3716, May 1, 2016

I'm having knee replacement (L) on June 20th.
Any suggestions on how to get ready for it?
How soon does physical therapy start after one gets home?

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ronnie3716 | @ronnie3716 | May 2, 2016

In reply to @dawn_giacabazi "I love they electric ice pad I used. I was able to do recovery with no..." + (show)

Hi @dawn_giacabazi, THANK YOU! for your posts. Electric ice pad? Never heard of it but would love to know more. Ice has always been my best treatment. I broke my ankle (my bad knee gave out on steps and I fell) about a year ago and I too used ice and didn't need meds except for an occasional Advil. Did you get the ice pad from your doc, PT, or ? I'd like to know more about it.

flor | @flor | May 2, 2016

In reply to @niazumbanut "Go to Youtube and search for pre-operative knee replacement exercises. Most important try to lose a..." + (show)

@niazumbanut

Go to Youtube and search for pre-operative knee replacement exercises. Most important try to lose a lot of weight,don't worry if you can't. I also recommend stationary biking before and after. Make sure seat is pulled up high enough so there is not too much bend. Keep resistance low and increase gradually as you recover...spin rather than push. You can probably find on Youtube the correct way to ride stationary bike,i.e.angle of knee bend which is a function of seat height. I have had two knee replacements ,one full one partial and a hip at Mayo.Mayo did not put a lot of emphasis on PT, though they had me walking with assistance the same day and next day taught me how to walk up and down steps...very important to try to avoid steps as you put 3 times your weight on your knees when you use steps. The full knee was very difficult for me,partial easy and hip easy. I went to physical therapy a couple times but quit as the therapy was not good. As an active Iyengar yoga practitioner I knew what they were doing was wrong; I went back to my yoga practice and if interested you will understand better why by searching Iyengar yoga, its not like flow hatha yoga, props are used in Iyengar. PT is in great demand because of the aging baby boomers and because of this after an initial session with a therapist they hand you off to an assistance (usually a young person) who in my opinion lacks the experience that is needed for good PT. That is why Mayo probably doesn't rely heavily on PT...they recommend basic walking and stationary biking and staying OFF steps. Mayo is of course #1 in orthopedics and by searching "knee replacement Mayo" much info will pull up.You can also do same on Youtube for videos After two replacements and hip at Mayo .I'm a very active 70 senior (big guy 6' 225 lbs.) who takes daily Zumba classes yoga and Pilates three times per week...blessed with good genes, except for arthritis and fortunate to being able to go to Mayo, Minnesota...I live in Richmond. p.s. Since your operation is not until June I would make sure your doctor is OK...get two more opinions if you can. All doctors not the same and I encounter people many times who have had problems with knee operations. Remember there is much demand because of baby boomers, many dollars to be made. Two doctors I saw for the total knee replacement in Richmond recommended immediate surgery. At Mayo after getting much better diagnostics the doctor told me to do NOTHING. I could wait and I would KNOW when I needed the surgery (pain,mobility etc.). Mayo doctors are not paid on commission but salary so they have no incentive to "push" operations.So I was able to put off my surgery for another 2 years...the older you are the greater probability you will die before you will need additional surgery...my doctor told me that there is a 1% failure rate after each year of surgery so that means after 25 years a probable 25% failure rate. Don't rely on me discuss with your surgeon and do online research...Credible web sites can help you understand.

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After surgery you are going to have some pain but that is normal, I 
followed my MD orders and did my exercises 3 times a day. and after a month 
no more pain and after 2 months I even used shoes with a very small heel to 
a wedding. So I wish you the best and do whatever they say at the hospital 
. God Bless you

ronnie3716 | @ronnie3716 | May 2, 2016

In reply to @dorsey "I had a knee replaced 1-1/2 years ago. I have always been active walking and exercising..." + (show)

@dorsey That's pretty impressive-no cane or walker. What do you owe that up to? Great PT? what type of exercises did you do?

flor | @flor | May 2, 2016

In reply to @dorsey "I had a knee replaced 1-1/2 years ago. I have always been active walking and exercising..." + (show)

Yes I used a walker for 3 months and a cane for another 3 months .But I 
felt more secure with the walker so I used it till I was sure my knee was 
ok. And I felt well enough to walk without any help.

flor | @flor | May 2, 2016

In reply to @dorsey "I had a knee replaced 1-1/2 years ago. I have always been active walking and exercising..." + (show)

The exercises were walking and sitting in a chair and move your leg front 
and then back at the begining you cant even do much but keep on doing them 
and your knee is going to be wonderful.

niazumbanut | @niazumbanut | May 2, 2016

Well each person's experience with knee surgery is different. My wife had
total replacement and did exponentially better than I did and she is
not athletic. Probably being a woman she can tolerate pain better....women
very strong men can be such babies. Most of my pain came late evening and
night, made sleeping very difficult, I call it the night demons.That
operation was more than 10 years ago but everything is OK now. I went to
Mayo this past fall for a follow up and I was concerned that the prosthesis
was wearing down from Zumba. The doctor said I had no wear and keep doing
what I enjoy...only limitation is running which I never enjoyed.

niazumbanut | @niazumbanut | May 2, 2016

In reply to @dawn_giacabazi "I love they electric ice pad I used. I was able to do recovery with no..." + (show)

Google it and Amazon and others will "pull up"

niazumbanut | @niazumbanut | May 2, 2016

In reply to @flor "I had knee replacement at Mayo Clinic Rochester, i started theraphy the next day after surgery,..." + (show)

Yes that's the Mayo way did you have Dr.P?

cautiousoptimism | @cautiousoptimism | May 2, 2016

I had knee replacement three years ago, and something I wish someone would 
have told me was to start taking probiotics beforehand. The antibiotics 
you get to reduce chance of infection do a number on your gut and it took 
several weeks for my digestive system to return to normal. Other than 
that, follow through with all that's suggested for physical therapy as 
often as you can. It may be uncomfortable at first, but it pays off 
later. I've had no trouble, and so glad I did it!

emmur16 | @emmur16 | May 2, 2016

My eldest daughter had a knee replacement a few years back. Now she thinks that her other knee must have a replacement. For ronnie3716 in Bones and Joints, I will ask her the regime that she had to prepare for the surgery.