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Consultation prior to total knee replacement
Joint Replacements | Last Active: Sep 7, 2023 | Replies (38)Comment receiving replies
I think because everyone recovers differently and at a different pace, the surgeon cannot anticipate every problem that may arise. And they don't want to tell everyone about all the possible complications for fear of worrying them about something that may not happen. Traditionally, my surgeon requires his TKR patients to attend an in-person session called Joint Academy. Since my TKR was done during the time COVID-19 protocols were still in place, my surgeon's office created a video version of the Academy that we were required to watch. The video told us exactly what to expect and how to prepare for surgery. I had a follow-up appointment a few weeks after surgery where I asked questions. About 3 months later I had additional questions and discussed them with my surgeon over the phone. The best thing to do is be assertive. Don't be afraid to ask questions and demand an appointment if you are having serious issues.
Replies to "I think because everyone recovers differently and at a different pace, the surgeon cannot anticipate every..."
I totally agree that you will not know all that might happen after surgery. I had a THR but no one told me that my foot would swell up to the size of a football. Shocker. I had to sleep on the pullout sofa downstairs for 6 weeks because I was strongly advised not to go up the quirky stairs of my 320
Year old house. The bathroom is only 20 feet away or less yet it took me 22 minutes round trip. 8 minutes to just get out of bed. Had I known any of that I might have been afraid to get the surgery. The good news is that 4 months later I feel more stable than I have felt in years.
I totally agree! My surgeon in Boston suggested patients attend a two hour class about knee replacement surgery and what to expect after surgery. My husband and I attended but the info given in that class was not even *close* to the pain after surgery!!! I did all that I could to strengthen my quads before surgery but that did not help me. I was allergic to three pain meds that were given to me, so I was told to “take Extra Strength Tylenol” which did *nothing* for the excruciating pain. When home therapy came in, I couldn’t do the exercises very well because of the pain. The home therapy set me back, for that reason. When I *finally* was able to get to PT on the outside, I began to improve. I had PT twice a week for six months to finally feel recovered! I was fortunate to have a wonderful PT who understood the pain that I was going through. After the surgery, I could not sleep for six weeks, had no appetite and lost weight, and for the first time in my life, I think that I felt what depression was like!!!! I will *never* have my other knee done (and it needs to be done). I will live with it and continue to get cortisone shots every three months. I have had two babies and five surgeries during my lifetime, and *none* of them were as painful, physically, emotionally and mentally, as the knee replacement. When I told my surgeon about all that I felt about it, he said “Well, a TKR surgery is the roughest surgery that you can go through”. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!
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And to the extent people getting a TKR can, they should build up strength in their leg(s) ahead of TKR surgery, and be diligent and have a sense of urgency after the surgery. There is a reason a PT gets TKR patients up and walking in the hospital right after surgery.
Waiting even a week to begin exercises very likely increases the chances of scar tissue and lack of flexion/extension. The surgery is the easy part folks. Can't blame the surgeons for everything when a successful recovery mostly involves the patient's willingness to participate in their recovery.