1. < Joint Replacements

3rd knee replacement in a year and a half on same knee

Posted by mollymay @mollymay, Feb 20 6:09am

I had a total knee replacement in May 2023, with pain and swelling and was unstable. Surgeon said I had to have a revised knee surgery 6 months after the first in. He told me that he didn't put the cement in the bone for the implant to be stable. After the second replacement I continue to have pain and swelling he told me that all x-rays looked good. I have been to 6 different rehabs for therapy with no results. 4 weeks ago He said that I needed to have the spacer replaced because he put the smallest one in and it needed to be higher. I am still having pain and swelling. Now I don't know what to do. I am a 65 year old female that was active be for the first knee surgery, now it hurts to stand from a setting position and feels like a tight band around my knee. If you have any information that will help I will greatly appreciate it.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Joint Replacements Support Group.

caroleborg | @caroleborg | Apr 10 7:01pm

It sounds like Molly definitely needs to go to another doctor and hospital. He has really messed up your knee. I went to Northwestern in Chicago for my second knee replacement three years ago and it is perfect. The other knee that will need revision TKR was done by a different doctor at a different hospital. It was fine for 8 years until the equipment he used in my knee started falling apart. That is what I am faced with now. No burning but I always know i have a knee with every step. Feels tight. I would never continue to go to the first doctor you went to if he actually forgot to put something in your knee when replacing it. That sounds like a real amateur. Ugh. Good luck.

REPLY
babyjayne5977 | @babyjayne5977 | Apr 11 9:40am
In reply to @svalencia2025 "I had my knee replacement, 2/18/2025. I was feeling good for 5 weeks, now I have..." + (show)
@svalencia2025

I had my knee replacement, 2/18/2025. I was feeling good for 5 weeks, now I have inflammation in my knee, and I feel like I'm on fire when I wake up from sleeping on a recliner chair. I ice, ice, and more ice. I was told this could last for 3 to 6 months. I go for physical therapy and I feel great, but the next day I have pain. I know it will get better. Do anyone else have this problem? Bless all of you. 🙏💙

Jump to this post

Yes, this is normal what you are experiencing. Icing & elevating is imperative to keeping the inflammation down. At 6 months you should feel pretty good and at 1 year I didn't even notice any issues with my knee. I notice though when I don't move periodically, I stiffen up, so I try not to stay too sedentary for long periods of time. Hoping you have a full recovery.

REPLY
tkrfuture | @tkrfuture | Apr 11 9:49am
In reply to @gardeningjunkie "Because of your repeated rejections most suggest scar tissue, but also consider this other cause. I..." + (show)
@gardeningjunkie

Because of your repeated rejections most suggest scar tissue, but also consider this other cause.
I was scheduled for a knee replacement 4 years ago, but I have Allergic Contact Dermatitis, ACD, and although my skin patch tests which I had a decade earlier didn't test positve to metals I was surprised because I know I can't wear pierced earrings with nickel posts. I tested positive to over a dozen other contact allergens which were causing my internal and external inflamation based on the 5 Day Extended Patch Test kit by True Test. Before surgery I insisted on a current allergy test to test all the components. My surgeon said the best test would be a blood test which Medicare will not cover so I forked out $600.00 for a blood draw and my blood was sent to a lab in Illinois. It came back positive for 5 metals allergies , including the nickel allergen my patch test didn't identify, and even though I have several adhesive allergies I didn't test positive to the bone cement which many are allergic to.
Before any more surgery, get this blood test and also as many others have suggested get a second opinion.
I canceled my surgery. Athough I didn't test positive to a titanium allergy the surgeon told me there is no such thing as pure titanium, all mental implants have traces of other metals included some of the five I was allergic to. With wear these metals I am allegic to will seep out and my body will reject the implant. There is a ceramic coated implant on the market but the ortho explained with wear, over time, metals are released.

Jump to this post

I believe there are ceramic options for TKR now, perhaps completely ceramic. I wish you luck (me too) with finding a solution to our nickel allergies.

REPLY
lynnn | @lynnn | Apr 11 2:07pm
In reply to @svalencia2025 "I had my knee replacement, 2/18/2025. I was feeling good for 5 weeks, now I have..." + (show)
@svalencia2025

I had my knee replacement, 2/18/2025. I was feeling good for 5 weeks, now I have inflammation in my knee, and I feel like I'm on fire when I wake up from sleeping on a recliner chair. I ice, ice, and more ice. I was told this could last for 3 to 6 months. I go for physical therapy and I feel great, but the next day I have pain. I know it will get better. Do anyone else have this problem? Bless all of you. 🙏💙

Jump to this post

I had TKR 12/15/24 and like you I still have pain. First it was night pain when I hardly slept. Days were good. Cannot take NSAIDs. Now at 4 months I also have
terrible day pain off and on. And still night pain. Losing so much sleep, can barely function. I guess I should
look forward to 6 months. Good luck. I hope you feel better soon.

REPLY
1 reply
svalencia2025 | @svalencia2025 | Apr 11 6:19pm
In reply to @lynnn "I had TKR 12/15/24 and like you I still have pain. First it was night pain..." + (show)
@lynnn

I had TKR 12/15/24 and like you I still have pain. First it was night pain when I hardly slept. Days were good. Cannot take NSAIDs. Now at 4 months I also have
terrible day pain off and on. And still night pain. Losing so much sleep, can barely function. I guess I should
look forward to 6 months. Good luck. I hope you feel better soon.

Jump to this post

Thank you for caring and I pray that we get through this. I will be happy to be able to sleep at night and on my side, this sleeping straight is for the birds. Bless you! 🙏💙

REPLY
1 reply
tkrfail21 | @tkrfail21 | Apr 11 7:34pm
In reply to @mollymay "(Up date) I had a second opinion, He told that my implant was fine. He then..." + (show)
@mollymay

(Up date)
I had a second opinion,
He told that my implant was fine. He then wanted to take an x-ray of my back. After have the x-rays done he came back to show them to me . He said that my back is all messed up and that might were my pain in my knee is coming from. I told him that I did not want back surgery. He told me that he would talk to other doctors and get back to me, haven't heard anything yet. That was a week ago. His field is with hip and knees, I feel that they are just pulling straws and just tell me other things. Now I am waiting for a call back. I think I will be crippled for the rest of my life.

Jump to this post

My surgeon said the same thing about my back pain causing my knee pain. So I had an epidural. it helped my back but not my knee. Bottom line- your back isn't the problem. I then had a revision to scrape scar tissue. Helped a great deal.

REPLY
3 replies
mollymay | @mollymay | Apr 11 8:33pm
In reply to @tkrfail21 "My surgeon said the same thing about my back pain causing my knee pain. So I..." + (show)
@tkrfail21

My surgeon said the same thing about my back pain causing my knee pain. So I had an epidural. it helped my back but not my knee. Bottom line- your back isn't the problem. I then had a revision to scrape scar tissue. Helped a great deal.

Jump to this post

Thank you, I go back on the 15th to see what they say.

REPLY
lynnn | @lynnn | Apr 12 7:59am
In reply to @svalencia2025 "Thank you for caring and I pray that we get through this. I will be happy..." + (show)
@svalencia2025

Thank you for caring and I pray that we get through this. I will be happy to be able to sleep at night and on my side, this sleeping straight is for the birds. Bless you! 🙏💙

Jump to this post

I can only sleep on my side. Sometimes turning on my back relieves the pain but can’t sleep that way. But can hardly sleep anyway. This whole thing is for the birds. I guess it will be worth it.
I also have problem with other knee and hips. Sure hope I won’t need more of this. Hang in there. Hope you are better soon.

REPLY
1 reply
gardeningjunkie | @gardeningjunkie | Apr 12 10:15am
In reply to @lynnn "I can only sleep on my side. Sometimes turning on my back relieves the pain but..." + (show)
@lynnn

I can only sleep on my side. Sometimes turning on my back relieves the pain but can’t sleep that way. But can hardly sleep anyway. This whole thing is for the birds. I guess it will be worth it.
I also have problem with other knee and hips. Sure hope I won’t need more of this. Hang in there. Hope you are better soon.

Jump to this post

I'm sure you and others have tried this easy partial solution to help with knee ache or pain. I can only sleep on my side because of back pain and find that a soft pillow between my knees helps the knee ache when sleeping on my side.

REPLY
cherymcb | @cherymcb | Apr 13 10:32am

I feel your pain. I had a TKA in August 2020. It came loose in September 2022 and I had a revision. It was alright at first, but upon use (walking, sitting/standing, etc.) it continued to get more swollen, painful, stiff and disfigured. I was told that I needed another surgery but I won’t go to my original surgeon and no other doctor in our mid-sized town will try to repair another surgeon’s work. I am fairly sure that this is due to my known nickel allergy. At this point, I’m waiting to see a second doctor for a referral to an out of town surgeon. I’m scared.

I will add you to my prayers. I do pray that the medical professionals will come together to figure our questions out and provide clear, successful solutions.

God bless you. Hang in there.

REPLY
1 reply
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.