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Truth about Total Knee Replacements
Your new knee will never feel as good as your original old one
For most people it takes a full year to get most of the benefits of the surgery
Many people experience a clicking sound when walking for years or forever after the surgery
You should do physical therapy for a year after the surgery to get the best range of motion results even though your therapist will discharge you after several months.
There are no studies which will tell you what activities you can do after TKR. Is doubles tennis OK? Golf? What you read online varies. There are no clear answers.
Many surgeons are finished with you after the surgery. If you have issues with the surgery's aftermath, they may not be that helpful.
The scar is big, and no amount of ointment (vitamin E, etc.) will substantially reduce it.
Good news: If you had bad knee problems before the surgery your knee will feel a lot better after the surgery.
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@zaydez
What have you done already to address this issue?
@mphaddican
Dr. Jimmy Chow. He is based in Phoenix and does his procedures out of an outpatient facility attached to the Abrazo Scottsdale Hospital. He used a mini midvastus method and did a plastic surgery close. He has a national/international practice. He replaced my left hip about three years ago and I also had no post surgery pain then.
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1 ReactionI, too, am one of the 25% with continuing pain after 7 months. Having more pain after surgery than before is hard to live with without bitterness. Knee surgeon only says "Each patient is different". He finally 'dismissed' me and referred me to a pain management doctor. Next week I am to get a genicular nerve block. I'm told if that works (I feel no pain), a follow up 'radio frequency ablation of the nerves' will be scheduled. Basically this is killing my nerve cells. I'm told it lasts from 2 months to a year. So this is my future? returning every few months to kill my nerve cells when they grow back. Sad.
I asked the original surgeon for an MRI because I think something is wrong with the apparatus. My knee curves in more than original knee and most of the pain begins at tibial component area. I still have inflammation and the right knee area is visibly larger than left knee area (from inflammation or is apparatus too big?). He told x-rays and says everything is fine!
Well, I'll post again after surgery to see if pain improves.
@steveinarizona
Thank you!!
I agree whole-heartedly on every point except the last. My left knee had a torn ACL that gave me discomfort, but I was still mobil. My Orthopedist explained that the x-rays showed I was almost bone-on-bone we can kill two birds with one stone by doing a TKR. That was eight ago, and I have suffered with pain, limited ROM, and a bad limp requiring a cane to get about. So much for Good news that your knee will feel a lot better.