Knee replacements infection

After 12 years of a wonderful result from knee replacement,I had septic arthritis,a bad infection that required 6 days in the hospital,a surgery requiring the plastic part removal with infected tissue and scar tissue removal and antibiotics applied to the area and metal parts. Than a month at home with a pic line for antibiotics and a life time of oral antibiotics. It was so much worse then the actual knee replacement and after 4 months,I’m still having some pain and swelling.
Plus I’m worried about side effects of meds and return of another infection that the surgeon said could return.

So sorry this happened to you. It sounds very difficult. I hope you continue to heal well!

Oh dear! I’m 15 months post TKR and haven’t even considered a possible knee infection now or in the future. I assume the risk of infection is gone. The surgeon does want me to take an antibiotic before any dental procedure forever. Do you have any idea how you got the infect?

I wouldn’t worry. Your chances are slim for infection,about 2%. The risk is never gone because the metal parts can’t fight infection but chances are still slim. After many tests,we don’t know how I got the infection,but after considerable pain and aspiration
I was in surgery. I did take the antiobiotics for dental care and will be taking 1000 mg. Of antibiotics for life as infection could return after you’ve had one. Just hoping it won’t return and I don’t have side effects of meds.

Thank you for your well wishes.
Lots of prayers from friends and family help.

I developed an infection after almost 10 years of TKR. For a variety of reasons it wasn’t diagnosed very quickly. By the time I got to a new surgeon in WA state I had septic arthritis.

A surgery to remove the old implant, a medicated spacer and antibiotic beads were placed in my knee. I had 7 weeks of 2 antibiotics via pic line and follow up of 3 months oral antibiotics.

I have to say recovery from both surgeries in WA went better than any I had previously. I think I was really lucky!

I feel pretty good now but do need to work more on strength, endurance and balance.

Do you know what caused the infection?

No, they have no idea. They said it could have been a scratch or ingrown nail or anything like that.

They do think it has been growing for quite some time before I developed abscesses on both sides of my knee. Eventually nothing helped with the pain - no ice, no heat, no cream or oil and certainly no pain relievers. It was pretty awful, quite frankly. Recovery from the last 2 surgeries was a breeze in comparison. (I had 6 surgeries prior to the removal of the prosthetic, to do “surgical clean out”. They did nothing except zap my energy and cause bigger and bigger incisions which wouldn’t heal.