Lateral Approach Total Knee Replacement

My surgeon told me the same thing. “Wait. Wait. Wait.”

I have a friend who her knee replaced in Mammoth, CA by Dr. Karch. He did a Jiffy replacement using the Velys robot and the Attune knee system. Can anybody enlighten me about these system, who uses it, and whether the outcomes were good or bad. I found only one other Velys robot in southern California at Glendale hospital and I could get no information on what surgeons used it and patient outcomes.

Since you mentioned hand issues.. I have arthritis in both hands; have been advised by several surgeons to get carpal tunnel surgery. Never did and turns out I have a pinched nerve at the base of my neck and is causing numbness in both hands, thumb, first and index fingers. No problem but finger joints are knobby and fingers twisting. Lately severe pain in left hand at night; looking for natural options.
I don't know where to post this but I went to a Chinese lady (don't do needles for acupuncture) but she mixed up a concoction in a bowl, cut small strips of gauze and pasted the concoction on the gauze strips and wrapped my right-hand first finger with them.
Waited 1.5 days and came back to have them removed by her and my finger (the ONLY one of 10) is straight as an arrow and has remained that way for 2 years.
I can't get her to do it anymore and wondering if anyone has heard of this. Truly amazing.
Interesting on the dissolving pin ... so far I'm 80 and have avoided injury and surgeries until falling on the ice last March - now everyone wants me to have TKR.
Thanks...

I m five weeks out from a lateral TKR. I was walking normally after 2-3 weeks. The next two weeks showed amazing progress. I expect to be back to playing golf by week 6.

One reason I went the lateral route is that at least five people in my 55+ community went this way and had amazing success. Even people in their 80s were walking well after three weeks.

Best wishes on your successful outcome. The minimally invasive technique of the lateral approach is a relatively more recent development that wasn't considered when I had my first TKR. It's considered an evolution in knee surgery. Wishing you a "Hole in One!"
Not to cry the blues but I had another Ortho visit just last week with another dignoses that I can add to a long seven year list of reasons why I have knee pain. The latest is they want to give me a shot of crotisone in my hip with the theory that hip pain can transfer to the knee - anyone want to buy a bridge? This defies all logic because my hip doesn't hurt, and my knee is swollen and warm. I think I'm done visiting the butcher shop!

I have heard of a few people who have had a Lateral Total Knee Replacement who have had excellent outcomes and much shorter recovery time since the quadriceps muscle and tendon are not cut. Has anyone had this procedure at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester? I checked with the Mayo surgeon who did my firsts TKR the traditional way and it seems he does not do this surgery.

My wife will have this procedure but is presently procrastinating. Her doctor is Dr. Lee Swiderek, 5651 Frist Blvd #200, Hermitage, TN 37076 Phone: (615) 885-0200. There are not many orthopedist that do this procedure.
I have no opinion on this matter other than what I read. This surgery is more difficult that requires an orthopedist trained specially in this procedure. My only experience is attending Dr. Swiderek consultations with my wife. As you stated they claim less pain and quicker recovery. Whatever you decide, best wishes.

I had a bad left hip. While suffering from it, I also had left knee pain. After my surgeon replaced my left hip, the knee pain went away.

Now my right knee needs replacement (I am scheduled for a TKR in late September) and I am having pain in my foot and ankle. I went so far as to have an appointment with a foot and ankle doctor to make sure that there was nothing major there and he confirmed that was the case. He and my knee surgeon both think (one never knows until after) that the pain in the foot and ankle is coming from the bad knee.

So...yes...referred pain is a real thing!

HOWEVER, in my opinion one needs an excellent surgeon and one that the patient can trust. If you don't trust your current doctor, get a new one but check him or her out for reviews, etc.

When talking about a "lateral" approach I believe you are referring to a minimally invasive approach with a ligament/muscle sparing approach. One such approach is called "Jiffy Knee" but that is really a subset of an approach called "subvastus" or "subV". I believe that is the best approach for most people but I also believe that having a surgeon who has done it at least hundreds of times is more important.

That is what I am doing with my TKR next month.

There's no question about referred pain but in the case of the relationship between hip and knee my understanding is; the nerves that transmit pain from the hip to the knee run from the hip to the outboard side of the knee. My doctor never asked where my pain was, which is on the inboard side of the knee.
Best wishes for your TKR next month.