total knee replacement

Posted by Susie2 @susie2, Nov 16, 2011

I had a failed knee replacement elsewhere, and went to Mayo for a second opinion. I am considering having a knee revision and would appreciate hearing the experiences of those who have had a revision.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Joint Replacements Support Group.

I am also considering a knee revision. Was the consult at Mayo helpful?

REPLY

I am also considering knee revision. Was the trip to Mayo helpful?

REPLY

Has anyone had a knee revision?

REPLY
@melslim

Has anyone had a knee revision?

Jump to this post

Hi, @melslim - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. So that you can talk to the most members who'd have experience and insights to contribute to your question, I'd suggest posting your question and any background that might be helpful for other members in this ongoing discussion about after knee replacement: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/after-knee-replacement-surgery/?pg=18#comment-121209

REPLY
@melslim

Has anyone had a knee revision?

Jump to this post

I had mine 2 months ago, still painful

REPLY
@franciesusan

I had mine 2 months ago, still painful

Jump to this post

Hi @franciesusan - Welcome to Connect! Sorry about your pain. I have not had a revision, but I did have a TKR in April 2017. In my experience, 8 weeks is still pretty early. At that point, I was still using tylenol during the day and sometimes something stronger to sleep. By 3 months the pain was very much reduced. Hang in there. Is your pain constant? Or does it vary by time of day and/or activity?

REPLY

I am 6 wks out from bilateral knee replacement. 130 degrees both knees. Pain is tolerable during the day as I am moving well and taking Aleve or ES Tylenol, however, night time is terrible. I can't get any sleep. No matter what I take for pain, I cannot get comfortable, and thus no sleep. My 4 week post op x-rays showed small amount of effusion and demineraliztion--could that be the cause and should I be worried? My surgeon indicated that the effusion will subside and the demineralization will improve with weight bearing.

REPLY
@hellothere

I am 6 wks out from bilateral knee replacement. 130 degrees both knees. Pain is tolerable during the day as I am moving well and taking Aleve or ES Tylenol, however, night time is terrible. I can't get any sleep. No matter what I take for pain, I cannot get comfortable, and thus no sleep. My 4 week post op x-rays showed small amount of effusion and demineraliztion--could that be the cause and should I be worried? My surgeon indicated that the effusion will subside and the demineralization will improve with weight bearing.

Jump to this post

At 6 weeks and 130 ROM, you’re a rock star! I’m exactly a year out and still having some difficulty. I was told because of my age(53) , it may be a result of being on the younger side that my body keeps trying to repair itself by rapidly forming scar tissue. Sleep and PM nerve pain was one of the biggest difficulties for me. It got better after 3 months. I literally went that long before I slept more than 2-3 hours per night. I actually began to hallucinate a couple times with the lack of sleep.
Using a heavy duty massager every night seems to help, as well as taking a nightly bath. I also was prescribed gabapentin for nerve pain which helped a little...

REPLY
@golfshrink

At 6 weeks and 130 ROM, you’re a rock star! I’m exactly a year out and still having some difficulty. I was told because of my age(53) , it may be a result of being on the younger side that my body keeps trying to repair itself by rapidly forming scar tissue. Sleep and PM nerve pain was one of the biggest difficulties for me. It got better after 3 months. I literally went that long before I slept more than 2-3 hours per night. I actually began to hallucinate a couple times with the lack of sleep.
Using a heavy duty massager every night seems to help, as well as taking a nightly bath. I also was prescribed gabapentin for nerve pain which helped a little...

Jump to this post

@golfshrink - I’m 54 and 8.5 months out and have been told the same regarding age, difficulty in recovery and scar tissue. Although counterintuitive, the younger you are the harder a TKR recovery seems to be.

In the course of the docs trying to figure out why I still have so much pain, a revision was also briefly considered. But again - due to age- was “ruled out”. I was told by a professor that teaches revisions to find a way to deal with the pain for 10 years before he would consider a revision due to my young age

REPLY
@melcpa86

@golfshrink - I’m 54 and 8.5 months out and have been told the same regarding age, difficulty in recovery and scar tissue. Although counterintuitive, the younger you are the harder a TKR recovery seems to be.

In the course of the docs trying to figure out why I still have so much pain, a revision was also briefly considered. But again - due to age- was “ruled out”. I was told by a professor that teaches revisions to find a way to deal with the pain for 10 years before he would consider a revision due to my young age

Jump to this post

Hi Melcpa86, only time being young puts you at a physical disadvantage, right?! I know I was in a lot of pain before my double TKR, but it’s hard to remember. The pain I have now is totally different. I had full ROM before on both knees. I never even thought about this being a problem when I did the surgery.
I know after having had one manipulation where my knees had full ROM immediately after, then daily regression thereafter,revision would produce the same results.
I’ve unfortunately been stymied going back to the gym as I’ve developed planter fasciitis in one foot and a torn Achilles in the other. I went to an Ortho yesterday for the Achilles and he said it’s a result of the TKR replacements. I learned to compensate when my knees were not straight and centered. When they fixed that, it shot my tendons in a bad direction. As you would Suspect, I’m now In a Sophie’s choice predicament . I need to keep exercising for my knees, but somehow wear 2 boots and keep my feet up to take care of my Achilles and plantar fasciitis. Lovely!
I keep checking these posts because I’m looking for hope that people have made gains after the 1 year mark. This is my anniversary week. I’m hoping to still make progress. Most physicians are saying at this point, I should be done gaining any more ROM. I’m finding some antidotal evidence that it’s possible on this posts.

I think I could almost live with a decreased range of motion if upon standing I no longer felt like I was going to pass out . I’m hoping to make this improve by strengthening my quads, but as I previously mentioned, I’m limited with my new afflictions.
Thanks for your reply...

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.