I’m scheduled for knee replacement but read so many negatives ?

I like to tell people looking for success stories on a website designed for people to find answers to their problems will probably not find that many. The people who have successful surgeries rarely come on to a medical website to look for advice because they are out living their best lives with their new body parts. It makes sense doesn’t it?

I have a patial knee replacement on the inside of my left knee and 2 resurfaced hips. I was running 30 second interval sprints on a treadmill about 6 months ago and got up to 12.5mph. I recently had to stop running though because of my lower back issues. BTW, I just turned 58 years old. I just heard a stat that something like 95% of people over the age of 30 never run again. That seems crazy to me.

The knee rehab was tough, way tougher than the hips, but stick with it and don’t judge it daily. Start with weekly, and then monthly after the first month. You should feel much better after 3 months and great after 6. Just keep strengthening the muscles around it. Good luck!

I had a TKR at Mayo Rochester 10 days ago and never took the Oxy. I did take tramadol day 1 and 2 as a precaution for my five hour drive home. I am only using Tylenol and an edible before bedtime. I ice after any activity for 20 mins. By end of first week I was doing 1800 steps a day. On day 9, I went to Kohl’s and Culver’s. I am only using a cane outside the house. I do the exercises PT gave me before discharge at least three times a day and the three months prior to surgery I religiously did the exercises given to me. I had less pain the day of surgery and since than I have had the last ten years and I am not even sure if I would call it pain that I have had since surgery but more achiness. Words of advice is if your hotel room or house does not have a chair height toilet to invest in a toilet seat riser. If you don’t have grab bars by your toilet turn your walker around and back it up to the toilet tank to use as hand rails. I do need help getting my leg up onto the bed, I do have swelling and tire easily some days but my experience is no where near the horror stories I read. I am 69 , overweight and was never an athlete.

@andoman
Let me ask you a question. How much pain do you have right now? If you didn’t have to take pain medication would you be better off?
If you could walk, dance, or even get up from a chair without pain I would think you could go ahead and have the surgery.
Almost Everything in life has the ability to make us hesitate and be fearful.

I don’t cry because of pain in my knees anymore. I sleep better and am very grateful for the surgery. I’ve had both of my knees replaced.
It’s not an easy surgery to recover from, but when you do, you will be happy.

I had my bilateral knee surgery done. 12 years ago at 66. For me. It was the best thing I could’ve done. It changed my life. I’m back to doing everything. I was able to do before the surgery .Make sure you have a good surgeon and go for it. You should be very happy afterwards.

I had a total right knee replacement syrgery in 2012 at the age of 59. My knee is still performing well. After tolerating years of debilitating pain, I chose total knee replacement, & I consider it to be the most positive decision that I could have made at the time. The recovery was painful & a real challenge, so please be sure to encourage yourself & have encouragers around you. Physical therapy was an essential part of my recovery. It was a challenge but in the end I was able to walk & move without pain. I call the process a success.

Let me reverse the Nike Statement here to say JUST DONT DO IT. And I am not being flippant here. Most definitely worst decision of my life. 14 years of pain much worse than my original condition.
And the docs? They shrug their shoulders and disappear- because they know revisions are even less likely to work. I have seen experts from 5 states and NOBODY wants to go back in there.
Keep your original parts and try to deal with it. You have at best a 50% chance for success regardless of the false promotions from manufacturers and docs.
You will most likely not have results you hope for and the post-op recovery period is extremely long and painful.
For background I am , or was, an excellent athlete, doing tri’s, long distance cycling and tennis and basketball. Since the surgery I cannot walk without pain to the refrigerator - yet I can bike 40 miles- biking puts less stress on my on knee and I can compensate with good leg.
But even on bike it’s painful and I just grit my teeth and deal with it- as I swear at myself for volunteering for this horrible surgery…..

Obviously there is no shortage of experiences and, accordingly, opinions. I’ve had two TKRs (Jan 23 and Jan 24). I sought the best, most experienced surgeon I could find and flew 1/2 way across the country to access him.

The post-op PT is enormously important. Follow all the PT guidelines and, imo, work even harder than they ask. 3+ yrs out from my first TKR and I’m still working to maintain flexibility, etc. The pain is so much better but I’ve found that I cannot ever stop working to help myself. I try to go to yoga class 2x a week and work out with weights and elliptical machines 3x a week. So much for being a couch potato. But, you know what, I feel much better and the exercise routine is great for me (69 yrs old and 2 yrs ago had an Achilles tendon rupture repair as well).

Life is good….different, but good.

@momma2lucy
So, did you get the 3 months of exercise prior from Mayo? We live 3 mi from Mayo Florida and every one of our providers are there. I am trying to determine which surgeon I want presently and I'm hoping to get this done no later than October since we have a cruise the first week of December and another getaway during Christmas. I mean by getting "it done," my hips, first.
I'm hoping to get my knees done in January if possible. So did you approach them for the exercises 3 months before? Because I am like you. 69 this month, overweight and not active. I currently try to do 14 different exercises Monday through Friday. Lately , the pain has been too much to in my knees to do so, to better prepare. I do wear the OneCompress bamboo sleeves bilaterally. And I ice usually once a day now prior because my knees are so swollen. But like I said I heard that I need to do my hips first.

@SusanEllen66
I am hoping to have both of my knees done around January after I get both of my hips done. Did you do both of your knees at the same time by any chance?

@fwintracy
Would you ge willing to share your Surgeons name?