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Five years ago I had a PKR that failed the time they got me up
after the surgery. Dr. gave all kinds of things, wait and see if scar tissue would hold it in place, etc. This was during covid so seeing docs. was somewhat difficult.
Every time I would extend my leg completely it would dislocate at the knee. For three months I dealt with this and the pain when it would dislocate and also the nerve damage. After 3 months he did a TKR to fix the problem he caused.
I still have severe nerve damage from the knee to the foot and cannot feel it being there. This has made it difficult for me to walk as the numbness and muscles have-not really responded even with the original therapy.
Now I get into the nitty gritty of this. Seems the only reason I was made to wait 3 months even though in the Doc. notes it ways he told me a lot earlier (which he did not) was because Medicare considers an operation that fails, like the PKT to be the responsibility of the Doc.
Even after the 2nd operation I was having problems and this guy was pushing me to have the other knee done when I was having problems with the first one, balance, nerves, sleeping, etc. I asked him for additional therapy and he said NO, he would hold off on any additional therapy until AFTER I has the other knee done.
This was in June and the second surgery was done in mid April. That was it for me. I got another, better surgeon. While the TKR is okay, the fact that he did not let me have more therapy etc., and the severe nerve damage of 2 operations 3 months apart in the same area (same incision).
The reason I am posting this is because I have always wanted to write a review on the first surgeon, but I was afraid to.
NOW, I recently looked at his review page and find that around the same time I had my first surgery with him he put in another patient's hip replacement in crooked, leaving him crippled!!
I want to leave a review on what happened to me but don't know what to say.
I also want to point out that while I was in the hospital (I was there 3 days due to his mistake, I had nerve pain so bad I couldn't sleep or touch that leg. The nurse called him, that night, and he said it was another problem. She got some ointment and rubbed it on my leg that helped somewhat.
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Let me add there were some other strange things in dealing with this Doc., like he was keeping an eye on me after the first surgery.
So sorry to hear about your issues. I have had so many misses by well respected surgeons that I have become totally paranoid about seeking medical care.
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2 ReactionsLet me say this, I applaud you for sharing this about a botched surgery from an orthopedic surgeon. They are human and they do make mistakes, but they should admit and take ownership and make things right. I have told my husband that some of these orthopedic surgeons should have a TKR to experience this pain in order for them to truly understand what we are describing our pain to be.
People should speak up against doctors when we trust them to take care of us.
Now, I wouldn't have waited the first 3 months dealing with that pain. I had my TKR in November 2024, and it was totally brutal. I lost 10lbs in the first 10 days from the excruciating pain and nausea. My doctor did a good job, however I waited three years to get this TKR done. By this time, my knee bone was so brittle, he had to scrap and rebuild my leg in order for the apparatus to fit properly. This pain was awful.
Best of luck to you, and keep sharing what you went through at the hands of an orthopedic that only cares about the money.
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2 Reactions@cyndi2013
Thanks Cyndi - I did not want to hurt but I didn't know better and we did what the Doc was telling us.
Even 3 weeks after the 2nd operation he had me walk (more like waddle carefully) he told me that I would get all my range of motion back etc. When I said that to my husband, after returning to the examing room, the Doc. kind of backed out saying that would be up to me.
We didn't know. I only found out about the allege telling me about how my leg wouldn't get better after the first operation when we got a copy of the doc. notes to take to the new surgeon. He kept leading me on.
I want to correct something I said-----the first surgeon was working in Michigan when he put the man's hip replacement in crooked and that was about a year earlier. I guess he then moved out of MI and to IN in a different practice.
Second surgeon was very thorough. He actually came out and said that the first one should never have done a PKR on me because they have a high rate of failure and because of my age - I was 75 then. This new surgeon was Harvard grad and had fellowship training, which I now always look for.
The whole situation scared begesus out of me and I won't have the second knee done because I am scared. It scared my H. too. He needs hip replacement and the first surgeon was pushing him to do it, but after my experience he refuses.
Both of us have learned a lot from knee replacement surgery. I didn't mean to imply you were wrong, I do apologize.
I was so miserable after mine, I can't remember much of anything during the first 3 months. Other than nausea and pain. I have a blurred out memory from November- January.
I will pray for you and husband. I have seen friends for through hip replacement like a breeze. It is a much easier recovery.
You have been through a lot and you shouldn't have been. I believe that surgeon selection is the most important decision we can make as a patient. Surgeons are professionals and like all professionals their skill and experience varies across a bell curve. There are some outliers on the positive end (extraordinary surgeons), some on the negative end who should have their license questioned and most are somewhere in the middle. The challenge is to find the positive outliers.
If I understand you correctly you had a partial knee replacement done by surgeon #1 and after unhappy results from him had him he did a revision through he same incision as the first. The revision replaced the partial with a full. Did he replace the partial entirely or did he incorporate it into the rest of the TKR? Also, why did the first surgeon say he was doing a PKR instead of a TKR? The usual standard is arthritis in one compartment, do a PKR; arthritis in two or more compartments, do a TKR. Did he use a robot? Both times?
Then you went to another surgeon whom you like. Did the second surgeon do a replacement for you on the other leg? How did he do it (method, robot, type of implant, etc.) and how did it come out? Compare the results for us with the other leg. Most importantly, how are the two working together?
Oh Honey, I was just doing more explaining.
Grr - hit send before I meant to.
This ortho group was known for their specialists, but I didn't know that the one I saw was a new by-in from MI with a history.
Never had surgery before so it was all new to me.
Now my husband, and parents, have both had surgeries and their doctors always came by later in the day to check on them. This jerk I had apparently does not. I asked the nurses if he would be stopping by and they said he never does. THAT tells you a lot about how much he cares about his patients.
If I had known about his other misstep in MI I would never have let him operate on me. IMHO that is why he is now in IN and not MI, word travels.
@Hi Steve - yes I have been through a lot. No surgeon should ever lie to a patient. He so wanted me to let him operate on the other knee that when I had a surgery follow-up he would walk in saying Well, are you ready to have the other knee done.
Pushing me to do it.
The second surgeon made it quite clear that NO ONE should ever TELL you WHEN to have an elective surgery! He didn't like that. He also said that at my age a PKT should not have been done as the arthritis would only continue on the knee resulting in another surgery in my older age. He was not happy.
You know, to add insult and pain to injury, I was actually charged my deductible for the second operation AND the hospital actually tried to charge me for services I did not get.
@kartwk
I do believe that I have the best hip/knee surgeon in the country so my comments should be understood with that in mind.
He met with me a few days before the surgery to review what he would be facing and his remedies. He was pretty sure I needed a RTKR but said he would double check once he had me open. He does partials, fulls and about 20% of his practice is doing revisions of other surgeons' work.
The day of the surgery we met in the pre-op room at the outpatient facility. He again went over what he would be doing. After the procedure I met him in the post-op room. He also provides his patients with a phone number for after hours use that he promises will always be answered by either himself or his primary PA.
I had a one week appointment with his PA who reviewed my status, cleared me to drive and removed my dressing. I had a five week call with my surgeon and an in person checkup at six months (a couple of weeks ago).
There are variants of this but this, with its variants, is how a knee surgeon is supposed to practice.
Surgeons are professionals and all professionals follow the bell curve: there are a few outliers on the positive end for their patients (no pain) and a few outliers on the negative end (lots of pain and other problems) who should probably have their licenses reviewed and most are somewhere in the middle. From your description, he looks like someone who is on the negative end.
The best advice I can give you is to steer as far away from this guy as you can. If there is such a thing (there isn't) as an order of protection from a knee surgeon, get it! If you ever need another hip or knee replaced, do a ton of research on potential surgeons. Look for those unicorn like extraordinary surgeons, find one and don't leave her.