Knee replacement

Thanks you for sharing your insight. I am sorry that your experience was not a good one. It’s a very hard and scary decision. I wish that I could truly say that I am not a little bit scared. I am someone who is at the gym about 5 times a week. Plus, I live in a very walkable part of the city. Two months ago, I was able to walk about 3 miles in the mornings. Now, I can barely complete 2 miles. I could feel that I am adjusting my legs to ease the pain. Not good for the gait. I can still climb the stairs by holding on, going down the stairs is on one foot. I feel that at 72 years and still healthy, I will go ahead and do the surgery. I pray and hope for the best. One day at a time. So many thanks. Best wishes.

‘Osteoarthritis is a progressive and debilitating disease’. Injections are good for short term relief. Long term use create more problems eventually.
Some of the experiences I’m reading are making me nervous. I keep thinking I have some good years left to enjoy my life, so why not do the surgery ? I’m so glad this forum allows us to share our experiences, positive and negative. The newest technique is help from robotic arms . Please share if your surgeon has used the robotic tecnique on your knee replacement surgeon.

IMHO, The older you get, the more difficult is the recovery.
Definitely, don't procrastinate. Your knees will NOT improve.

Your story is very similar for sure!
I can't imagine just OTC meds for that pain I had during physical therapy. I always took 5mg OxyContin 45 minutes before my sessions. 2 therapists would pound on that knee 3x/wk trying to get my flexion and extension better. The numbers looked good, but I couldn't retain them until I had the MUA. At least a month and a half of wasted PT, as you start all over again after...daily!
I wished that there had been communication between the PT group and my surgeon. I didn't know what was normal, and I tried as best as I could to communicate my concerns to the surgeon group- but atlas that was only through MyChart, as my surgery had been in a big center known for joint replacements, 4 hours away!

I too did physical therapy ahead of my surgery to get ready, was in great shape (or so I thought) before.
Since the MUA, I have not needed narcotics, but still take Ibuprofen and sometimes Tylenol. The troubles I had with the first one were very concerning, but if I do work up the courage to do the second one I'd have to consider that same group as the pain control was top notch. I never took as much as prescribed, but it was re-ordered several times as they knew I needed it for PT. I hear so many horror stories of folks not getting pain relief after their surgery and subsequent rehab.

I also recommend an upright stationary bicycle for home therapy, and to buy and ice machine as those definitely helped in my comfort and recovery.

Injections may be temporary relief, but there are studies showing they also further deteriorate the joint. And, you can not have surgery for 3 months after an injection. I had a steroid injection (Kenalog) with my MUA. I was one of the few to have major systemic lasting side effects. Do be aware.

Robotic does not necessarily mean better. Pros and cons to all approaches.
I wanted my surgery as I thought I would do better with the rehab at my earlier age... the therapy after is work for sure. Had great therapists who encouraged me.

Every person is different. Ask a million questions. Ask about their follow-up care. Ask about their pain and medication relief after.
My anesthesia team were awesome. Something for anxiety in my IV first thing. Spinal, nerve block... perfect.

I had staged bilateral knee replacements( 2 weeks apart) 5 months ago. I was very afraid to have the surgery as I’d read about all the possible complications.
Unfortunately, my quality of life had deteriorated as I was an avid runner and hiker for 40 years and was now limited to walking for 10 minutes and needed to sit down due to the pain. My knee replacement surgery went very well. I now have my life back. I’m able to hike about 10 km and use a stationary bike daily.
I thought I would share my perspective as the surgery can be very successful.

So grateful for all the responses!

Dr only did an X-ray is alarming. A CT scan is what your dr should use to determine Knee Replacement is needed.

Robotic TKR surgeries have been around since the early 2000's and is used by most surgeons today. There are many other variables, e.g., prosthetic model, procedure technique, etc. with no one better than the other, it's the surgeons preference. Some procedures do the incision from the side eliminating cutting the muscle and claiming a shorter recovery. As a layperson I make no recommendations and it could just be a lot of hype since it's not the overwhelming procedure used. Since my first of three TKR surgeries seven years ago, all were robotic, one was a revision. One knee is satisfactory, although not 100%, and the other including the revision is unsatisfactory.
I have read all I can on this subject leaving me with the opinion that the risk is greater than reported. This forum will attest to that!
There will come a day when the pain is unbearable and you will put the risk aside and have the surgery. Be positive and think of all the successful surgeries others have had. Best wishes.

I'm happy for you. I am not as fortunate. I like you was very active prior to my first surgery, having just completed building a deck on my house. Now I have one good knee and the other with just 108 degrees ROM with a lot of pain. Congrats on your success and happy hiking.