I had right knee replaced in 2009 and left done in January 2023. Right knee became painful a couple of years ago and has not gotten better, so it hurts to walk up and down stairs with it. Left knee is still somewhat stiff, so going up and down is always a challenge. Both knees hurt a bit when rising from a chair. I do a lot of outdoor activities, like walking, gardening, landscaping, so am kind of active. I have to go up and down steep stairs every am and pm to bedroom; I just put up with it, going up one step at a time, using rail to pull myself up or hang on to go down. Even stepping up and down from a street curb is a bit painful still. I am hoping that over time, things will improve. It is a slow process.

@persia
I started trying the stairs at least once a day after the first couple of resting days at home. It was a slow struggle, but I figured I needed the exercise, and there was cat litter box duty, as well as laundry and freezer food storage down there to get at. I also had three sessions a week of PT to travel to, so had to go up and down our stairs for that. It became easier as the swelling went down.
I remember going in for my ??14?? day removal of staples. I'd just missed the elevator going up to the Ortho office, so I climbed the long staircase which included a switchback landing half way up. The desk nurse was surprised to see me hobble up with my cane, because they had been watching the elevator for me. It wasn't painful, or I wouldn't have done it, just still awkward because of the stiffness. I went to PT faithfully and did my home exercises, and was pretty much back to full function and no pain by 3 months.

@persia I had to walk up stairs when I got home from the hospital. I used a quad cane. I put the cane on the step and then lifted my good right leg up to that stair and followed with putting the left leg on the step . The next step put the quad cane on the step, then put the foot of your good leg on the step, fill by the tar leg. Hold onto the quad cane for balance. I never used a walker. I am 3 weeks post op. My pt recommended when I start to navigate the 14 stairs from the basement start at the bottom. Go up 4 stairs and then turn around and go down. Continue to add stairs as I progress. We have an outside door to the basement. My husband drives me around to the back and I practice from the bottom of the stairs. My pt didn’t want me to start at the top in case I got dizzy looking down them, she didn’t want me to fall.
FYI, Going down the stairs is harder than going up. I hope thus helps.