My story is 7 ½ years of TKR pain with my right knee about 90% good and my left knee requiring a revision that failed with a loose implant.
Now at 90 years of age my dilemma is whether to have a second left knee revision.
Not having further surgery I face increased pain, reduced mobility, chronic pain, instability, and potential destruction of surrounding bone and soft tissues.
OR
Undergo a third surgery and face elevated risks for medical complications like blood clots (DVT/PE), infection, anesthesia complications, and potential higher post-operative mortality compared to younger patients. Surgical challenges include bone loss, the need for specialized implants, longer surgery times, increased risk of periprosthetic fractures, and scar tissue formation.
I remember my Ortho advising me prior to my first revision that “revision surgeries are inherently more complex and may have less predictable outcomes than primary replacements. Oh how right he was!