Hello ezas,

No I understand. Just because a good recovery from TKR is possible doesn't mean it will happen. My own three-course recommendation dealing with TKR is:

1) use a PT who knows what you're planning and strengthen your quads and hamstrings and stretching under his or/her guidance BEFORE surgery. Work on this for at least 3 months prior to TKR. If you're in good shape, the time can possible be shortened. Don't do exercises that cause sharp pain. Expect knee bending to be unpleasant, but not sharp-pain inducing. Find a certified therapist who works with TKRs and is knowledgeable about kinesiology.

(Ezas - good for you for staying active with your 3-year old granddaughter. I think that's wonderful and shows what we can do and how quality of life improves when we replace those old, bone-on-none knees with something brand new. It was and is truly life saving for me. I ran 25 or so marathons, but none if the last 23 years. I've just learned to accept it and now find other challenges in the gym. A good trainer will challenge you to grow.

2) immediately after surgery a PT will come by and have you walking the same day as surgery - a short walk with two or three stairs. On subsequent days, you'll have more PT sessions, 2 or 3 a week, 3 to 5 times per day, and homework assignments. Do these faithfully. If you get exhausted and your knee hurts, stop and ice/elevate. I would take a very rare day off when this happened, but never mow than twice, maybe 3 times in the first two months.

3) You've heard it before, ice and elevate your knee above your heart, at least three or more times a day, and always after therapy.

This sounds like a lot, bit it doesn't cause sharp pain, especially the ankle slides and other range of motion exercises. All patients and all knees are different, so be patient.

Don't weigh yourself for at least two months after surgery. Surgery means swelling (water retention) and that adds artificial weight, sometimes up to 10 lbs, maybe more. This gets cut in half in about two weeks, Just wait eight weeks to not get discouraged.

And then going forward, every time you visit your dentist, even for a filling, ask your knee surgeon to fill out an Rx for antibiotics to be taken one hour before dental work. This will help prevent infection in the new joint. I don't think it's as scary as it sounds. Just remember this surgery is very traumatic to the body. The incision will heal, but return to exercise slowly under the guidance of your Dr. and/or PT.

Take narcotics for the first week or so to mange pain. And remember, the pain at the start (about one week) is the worst and then everyday gets a little better. Way better than before the surgery, when the knees continued to break down. After that, use an Rx like Celebrex (I tolerated that well with food), take the pain meds an hour before PT. Get off narcotics asap. A good rule of thumb - if your knee dosen't hurt much or at all when you're still, stop those pills. you can take Tylenol for pain. Celebrex or any NSAID reduces inflammation. And stay away from a lot of sugar. sugar causes inflammation.

Thanks Ezas. You gave me motivation to get all that in one place!

What is your granddaughter's name? You're a lucky guy!

Joe

(Please note, adjust any or all of this for your situation. When in doubt, call your surgeon. No two knees are alike. My right knee took longer to recover than my left knee. Go figure. I wish you all, all the best, and hope you get the same amazing results I did.)

Ezas, I have a totally botched TKR. First my surgeon pinched off the popliteal artery be hind my knee and said the totally numb leg and foot was normal. The foot soon turned purple and cold, he still said normal. My primary is the one who ordered and ABI test and then angiogram that found the blocked artery (but no plaque at least). It was almost 2 months when I had the artery surgery. Foot was pink and warm, but still have some numbness to spots on the bottom of my foot and some of my toes. Then a fractured kneecap (again lack of blood flow to blame). Then I found out he put in too small of a plastic piece between metal parts. That is causing my knee to give out on me.
So long story short...I need to look at a revision to get my leg back to be able to stand on it.
My knee is back to being as big as pain as before TKR in Feb. 2019. Just don't really want to go through it all again if I will be in the same situation again.
I just need to find out if others are happy they did a revision and what results were different from the first go round. (I had my left knee in 2013 and it was a piece of cake! up and going everywhere in 2 weeks with sometimes a cane and was looking forward to the right knee, which ended up being a royal pain in the _ _ _ _.)