A year and a half from TKA, was doing great, sudden changes

I had the pain in the left knee like that but my knee was not only hot with the touch but if someone passed by me they could feel the heat from my knee. My grandson said grandma you need to go to the hospital cause ooowee your knee is so hot I can feel it where I’m at. But I went to the emergency room they did X-rays and MRI but found nothing wrong and sent me home telling me to use ice pack and take medicine and call my orthopedic doctor which I had been calling his office and leaving messages for him but when I went for my appointment he seen first hand what was going on and was mad at the Home Healthcare RN. He said I hope it’s not infected because I was bleeding from the incision sight. He did a pack wrap bandage on my leg and told me long as it’s not soaked leave it on but showed me how to pad it

I hope it heals! Mine healed up fine, and there are no open wounds at all. I’m not concerned about infection, but wondering about scar tissue.

I had the same situation with my knee, very hot to the touch, the doctor drew fluid,and yes an infection.
You may want to request your doctor do the same

DD

Thank you! I was hoping I hadn’t done anything. I have an appt end of May, so hoping it can be treated and not return.

Could be an infection. My first TKR was great for seven months. I had backpacked the Grand Canyon, and been downhill skiing, and then woke up one morning with symptoms that sound similar. It took a couple of months including very painful PT, but it was finally figured out that my knee was infected. Long story, but eventually my surgeon sent me to Mayo. It was a long ordeal involving removal of the original prosthetic, weeks of IV antibiotics, and eventually a new TKR. That was 10 years ago, and thankfully I’ve been backpacking and skiing again.

How did they diagnose infection? I can’t figure mine out, I had no issues with recovery. It’s pretty good most days, except for any impact exercise. I knew it would be different, this was my final answer after 3 prior surgeries from a sports accident a long time ago. But not being able to take a walk is nuts, and I could even 6 months after- on the beach, neighborhood etc. I’m going for a follow up in May, I just don’t want more surgery.

After a couple of months I developed a large “pimple “ which ruptured one night. My doctor brought me into his office right away and within a day I was in surgery to clean my knee out and culture taken which confirmed the infection. Hopefully that’s not what you’re dealing with, but make sure your medical team considers the possibility. It’s rare, but it does happen.

Yikes! I’m so glad you’re doing better. I’ve been pretty bummed about this, I’m on the younger end for this and expected to be able to add activity, not the other way around. Hate feeling so limited, starting to wish I’d never done it. Had several opinions that all led me to it though.

How my infection started was never determined. As another physician friend, unrelated to my care, explained it; you get a little sliver in your finger and it festers because of the little sliver. The TKR is like a GIANT sliver and the body wants to reject it. Fortunately, although it became an almost year long ordeal, all is well now. In 2018 the same surgeon did a TKR on my other knee and I've had no issues there. Hang in there and do whatever you need to do, and don't hesitate to be assertive about seeking answers.

After my first Tkr , I developed an infection it took months to manifest itself as it was a very slow growing bacteria called P-acne, of course the knee was removed, a temporary knee spacer with antibiotics was inserted for5 months, and was I was a home I’ve with vancomycin administered twice a day, and then another tkr.This was about ten years ago—— still have pain.