Hi Justmeee, I’m 69 yrs old and I’ve had 2 TKRs a year apart performed by a good friend/surgeon. We had many conversations leading up to my first in Jan ‘23. Here are some things he suggested for all of us facing TKRs….

1. Find the best experienced orthopedic surgeon you can find - one that specializes in knees. Most all orthopedic surgeons can perform TKRs but it’s not necessarily their specialty. As an analogy, I’m a CPA but you don’t want me to do your taxes - just not my specialty and I don’t even do my own. We’re all good at something and not so good at others. No shame in that.

If you have any doubts about your surgeon, just stop the process and find another that suits you better! At least get a second opinion from another ortho group. You are worth it and it’s better to wait another few months than to proceed with a less than ideal surgeon for you.

2. Post-op PT is incredibly important. As you know, it hurts like hell, but you MUST soldier through. My surgeon said my body would “attack” his work with scar tissue for up to 12 months after the surgery. I found that to be true. I could feel the scar tissue breaking 9-10 months post-op as I lifted weights on a machine in the gym. To this day, I stretch my knees every night as I head to bed. I have wonderful mostly pain-free range of motion now but, as my friend told me, I’ll always know these are not my God-given knees.

With that, I think an important aspect of any health issue is our own attitude. I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago (between my 2 TKRs) and a Mayo-friend on here figuratively kicked me in the pants when I was expressing doubt/fears. He advised me to lean into my treatment decision and to not look back. Excellent advice! Our attitude is a huge factor in our recovery imo. Be positive and work hard on your own behalf!

I wish you the best of luck.