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TKR with lateral release surgery issues

Posted by kaky1450 @kaky1450, Jun 21, 2021

I am just over 6 weeks from surgery on my right knee and from day one I’ve had a golf ball sized lump on the outside of the knee that was replaced. I had to have lateral release done in order to straighten my leg. It is very swollen and all of my pain comes from that area and my knee “locks up” in that area when I try to come out of a knee slide or when I lay on my left side and then try to turn over there is pain in that area and locking is horrible. Is anyone else having issues like these and did they go away??! I pray they will go away.

Basically if I didn’t have the lateral
Procedure done my knee would be 75% healed in my opinion. Now I feel like I’m only 40% healed.

Another issue is my right leg (surgery leg) is a darker color than my left leg after I sit or stand on the leg. I go for my 7 week post op next week. Hoping to get some answers and hope all is normal.

Thanks all.

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Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Jun 21, 2021

Hello @kaky1450, Welcome to Connect. If I understand correctly you are six weeks out from the TKR and had to have lateral release surgery due misalignment of the kneecap on the TKR. I can imagine the frustration you are having with the healing process. I had a total knee replacement of my right knee 2 years ago but had a good recovery once I did more icing and elevating that my surgeon told me to do. While we wait for members who have similar experiences as yourself, I found an article that explains why it's done and also has some recovery tips that might be helpful.

Lateral Release Knee Surgery & Recovery -- https://www.knee-pain-explained.com/lateral-release.html

Have you discussed your questions with your surgeon or care team?

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1 reply
kaky1450 | @kaky1450 | Jun 21, 2021
In reply to @johnbishop "Hello @kaky1450, Welcome to Connect. If I understand correctly you are six weeks out from the..." + (show)
@johnbishop

Hello @kaky1450, Welcome to Connect. If I understand correctly you are six weeks out from the TKR and had to have lateral release surgery due misalignment of the kneecap on the TKR. I can imagine the frustration you are having with the healing process. I had a total knee replacement of my right knee 2 years ago but had a good recovery once I did more icing and elevating that my surgeon told me to do. While we wait for members who have similar experiences as yourself, I found an article that explains why it's done and also has some recovery tips that might be helpful.

Lateral Release Knee Surgery & Recovery -- https://www.knee-pain-explained.com/lateral-release.html

Have you discussed your questions with your surgeon or care team?

Jump to this post

Yes I have spoken with my surgeon and so far he says the swelling will go down - it just is not happening. I ice daily and nightly with an ice machine.

The lateral process was not for the kneecap it was so they could straighten my leg. Wasn’t expecting that to happen.

Thanks for the info.
Kathy

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1 reply
kaky1450 | @kaky1450 | Jun 21, 2021

Also the lateral surgery was done at the same time as the knee replacement surgery. So double whammy! Thanks all.

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Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jun 21, 2021
In reply to @kaky1450 "Yes I have spoken with my surgeon and so far he says the swelling will go..." + (show)
@kaky1450

Yes I have spoken with my surgeon and so far he says the swelling will go down - it just is not happening. I ice daily and nightly with an ice machine.

The lateral process was not for the kneecap it was so they could straighten my leg. Wasn’t expecting that to happen.

Thanks for the info.
Kathy

Jump to this post

One of my walking buddies had TKR in both legs, with lateral leg realignments. She is an RN, so had a better idea what to expect than most of us, but even she was surprised at the length of time it took to heal completely. The second was done in May 2019, and she didn't feel completely OK until about January 2020 - iced intermittently even into the fall of 2019, 6 months post-surgery. She is now glad she had it done, as her feet are giving her less pain with her new gait, and she no longer feels pressure on her hips when we walk.
Sue

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kaky1450 | @kaky1450 | Jun 21, 2021

This is so helpful and does give me some hope. Do you know if most of her pain was in the outside area where the realignment cutting happened? Did she also have locking in that same area? Thanks again!

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1 reply
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jun 21, 2021
In reply to @kaky1450 "This is so helpful and does give me some hope. Do you know if most of..." + (show)
@kaky1450

This is so helpful and does give me some hope. Do you know if most of her pain was in the outside area where the realignment cutting happened? Did she also have locking in that same area? Thanks again!

Jump to this post

I don't know those answers, but maybe someone else here can help.

I just wanted to let you know that when they add other corrections to a usually routine surgery, there are more places that need to heal, and it can all take longer, but it is quite usual to have good results in the end.

And I will tell you, after 5 hip replacement surgeries and a variety of other orthopedic procedures, 6 weeks is a very short time - although it can feel like "forever" when you hurt. Remember that not only have bones been cut/moved/altered, but also muscles, nerves and ligaments. Each one heals on its own timetable, and these can also very from one person to another, or even from one operation to another in the same person.
Sue

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kaky1450 | @kaky1450 | Jun 21, 2021

Thank you Sue. This has helped me tremendously. This is my 2nd knee replacement and the 1st one had its problems (different from this one) but that was 3 years ago and it has healed nicely in the end so I’ll take that as this one will too. Trying to stay positive - it’s hard 🤪
All the best to you.

Kathy

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