Delaying TKR

The surgery is painful, but if you have an excellent surgeon and hospital, they will keep the pain level manageable. The knee probably won't get any better over time and you might end up having to get a TKR anyway. I am 85 and had bilateral knee replacement on July 1. I had never had surgery before and didn't know what to expect. It's not a walk in the park but the nurses in the hospital were the best. They made sure I was comfortable and kept the pain level down. Two days ago I started walking without a cane. I am so glad I had the surgery. My advice is if you are having the surgery in September, ask quetions, do researcha dna get all the information you can so you are more comfortable doing the surgery. Then go to PT at least a month ahead of the surgery. I rented a recumbent bike a month before the surgery and that helped to build muscle in my legs. It was a very good investment. This group is the place to be if you have questions. I wish you the best and I am sure you will make an informed decision after you gather all your information. Good luck!

There are in my opinion two principal issues in finding a surgeon:

(1) does he use the most current approach; and
(2) Has she done it hundreds if not thousands of times?

Of the two, the second is the most important. I am scheduled for a TKR in late September. My surgeon is the same one who did my left hip (where, incidentally, I had zero pain from the surgery). He invented the most current method of hip replacement (Superpath) and he has been doing a similar approach (SubV or Subvastus) for ten years for knee replacements. Recently I was chatting with him and we had this discussion and even though he is at the cutting edge (pun intended) of current methods, he said the second is the most important.

However, if you are as concerned as you appear to be, in my opinion you need to find someone who meets both criteria. SubV (also called for some surgeons "Jiffy Knee") is a minimally invasive approach which is intended to spare muscles and tendons from being cut. Some surgeons may have just moved to a SubV approach. When addressing criteria #2, you want the hundreds of procedures to be the new procedure; you don't want someone who may have done hundreds of traditional knee replacements and has recently migrated to the new approach but has only done tens of them).

I am not saying this will make the process painless. But it will maximize the chances that you will have a quicker and less painful recovery.

Good advice! In order of importance, 1) I would check the surgeons feedback. 2) Find out how much experience he has doing knee replacements, 3) ask what procedure he uses, 4) make sure he doesn't send you home next day. I had a double TKR and my Dr. used theStryker Titanium on both. I had the surgery on July 1 and at 6 weeks I am walking without a cane. I did all the things above to feel comfortable getting the procedure. Not all Drs will peform a double TKR, so I made sure he had experience. Bottom line, just do what you have to do to feel comfortable with this surgery. Good luck!

There are in my opinion two principal issues in finding a surgeon:

(1) does he use the most current approach; and
(2) Has she done it hundreds if not thousands of times?

Of the two, the second is the most important. I am scheduled for a TKR in late September. My surgeon is the same one who did my left hip (where, incidentally, I had zero pain from the surgery). He invented the most current method of hip replacement (Superpath) and he has been doing a similar approach (SubV or Subvastus) for ten years for knee replacements. Recently I was chatting with him and we had this discussion and even though he is at the cutting edge (pun intended) of current methods, he said the second is the most important.

However, if you are as concerned as you appear to be, in my opinion you need to find someone who meets both criteria. SubV (also called for some surgeons "Jiffy Knee") is a minimally invasive approach which is intended to spare muscles and tendons from being cut. Some surgeons may have just moved to a SubV approach. When addressing criteria #2, you want the hundreds of procedures to be the new procedure; you don't want someone who may have done hundreds of traditional knee replacements and has recently migrated to the new approach but has only done tens of them).

I am not saying this will make the process painless. But it will maximize the chances that you will have a quicker and less painful recovery.

I agree that you should travel if you can't find anyone locally. It might be a little inconvenient. But so is botched knee surgery done by someone who is not experienced or qualified. It's a hard decision. Do you have friends or family in the Dallas, Texas or surrounding area? The physician who did my Bilateral knee surgery is Dr. Paul Peters at Carrell Clinic on Central Expressway in Dallas. He is a man in his 60s and has done many knee replacements for years. The hospital where he peforms the surgeries is a physician owned hospital so they have a vested interest in your hospital experience. They specialize in knee, shoulder and hip replacements. I would suggest contacting him and asking for a possible referrel. Who knows, there might be a chance he can suggest someone closer to you. His assistant, Mary Ellen, is excellent and probably be the one you would be speaking to. Keep us posted on your progress.