Bilateral knee replacement

Yes, for sure difficult decision and an individual one. I will say my surgeon had bilateral knee replacement both done at the same time and that was one of the things that convinced me to do the same. He said "you will not want to go through this pain twice" and for me that was true. And I was in the hospital for I think three days and when I got home, had someone with me for a week I needed a lot of help.

I know many people who have had total knee replacements. None of them advise me to do a bilateral. The only people advising me to do the bilateral are surgeons. So when I see the ortho, I will tell him I am doing one at a time. I know the recuperation is not fun and I need my other leg 💟 I do want to thank everyone on this forum for their input. I am going to be 69 years old and they tell me I am in such good shape blah blah blah well to me that’s old ha ha. Trying to find a sense of humor is the most important thing.

can I ask how old you are? I will be 69. He scheduled me for November 24 because I have things going on. I can’t cancel. I have been on bones for 15 years just living with shots of Cortizone in jail. I am pretty active.

yep in 63 but had them done when i was 55 and was and still am very active. You are making the right decision for you.
Tell your surgeon what you decided on and I wish you a speedy recovery. All the best!

Thank you☺️

My sister who wasn't in the best physical condition excelled after bilateral knee replacement surgery ten years ago (even without robotic assist). Immediately after surgery she had considerably less pain--imagine that. I've had knee pain for years and am finally ready to do something about it--I'm going to pursue bilateral--IF my surgeon feels it's safe for me to do. I'm 68, not slim and trim, and not as active as I should be. I wish you luck in your decision and recovery!

Thank you for your reply. I am so torn as to what to do. I have even moved my day until January so I won’t ruin the holidays. Today I go for my last gel injection and they are draining the baker cyst behind my knee because it is over 7 cm. I continue with pt and Pilates. I am in pain in the knee area but arthritis Tylenol does help. I try to limit it as much as possible. When I go to the surgeon on September 4 I will know more. I’m hoping for another round of gel before the holidays to get me through. I know it is time to get this done. I am now leaning toward one at a time. I’m just afraid not to have the use of the other leg I will defer to the surgeon when I talk to him. Thank you for all the help on this website. It means so much. I am indeed anxious over this whole thing. Trying to stay positive and grateful for my life. I have never had surgery except.c sections 40 years ago. Take care💟

I had bilateral knee replacements done 13 years ago. Went through physical therapy afterwards. Unfortunately I had a side effect at 3 months which happens in 1-2% of people. I ruptured my left quadriceps tendon. It was attempted to surgically repair it twice & didn't take well. I'm left with permanent weakness in left leg. I've recently seen a few Dr's to see if anything can be done now & was told that after 2 attempted repairs that didn't work that there is nothing that can be done now. It's frustrating but I deal with it. I had them done at the same time as I had heard that once you get one done, you don't want to get the other one done. I tried to make the best decision I could at the time but if I had to do over I would of done one at a time. Unfortunately life is a gamble and we try for the best odds with the information we have at the time!! Wish you best of luck as you go through this process.

I agree it is a very hard decision. It was for me too. I am 85 and have had bone on bone for about 8 years. But, I am one of those few people who have no pain with it. Which is a good thing, but it's still arthritic and bone on bone and was just going to get worse. What I did have was the bones wearing down and causing the knees to be out of alighnment, knock kneed. So my balance and gait were getting worse over time. It was a hard decision because of no pain. I finally decided to do it, so on July 1 of this year I had a bilateral. I have and am still working hard. The first 2 weeks were probably the worst for me. But again, I had no real pain per se, but a ton of numbness and tightness. My legs are straight and I am learning to walk correctly with gait training. I am 2 months out and for me, getting both done at once was a good choice. Having said that, thank goodness, I don't have to do it again. I had never had major surgery before either, so everything was a surprise. But I don't regret doing it. If you do decide to do it, try to find a surgeon who has done many surgeries, both single and double, and has a good medical reputation. Ask as many questions as you can. Do your research and get as much information as you can. This forum is excellent. Try to do PT before the surgery to build your strength. I rented a recumbent bike to build strength in my legs. Stay in the hospital at least 3 days and have help after you leave the hospital. And the last and most important thing is to keep a positive attitude. And be prepared to do all the work required to heal. Another benefit is I am 1/2" taller and my posture has improved.

I completely endorse getting both done at once and I’ll tell you why .

Using the “ good knee” afterwards can cause more damage and an awkward gait . I found by getting both done at once I walked better , taller and more correctly . I am 7 weeks out and use my walker at home outside on the farm , a cane in town and no support in my house . I am 50 , healthy and I’d say strong from chores not the gym !

If you can’t talk to your Dr and get an honest opinion ? You will have to decide . Don’t let one horror story scare you as we are all so different .

I encourage you if you have two weeks of help , all the tools to set you up for success ( walker , raised toilet w/handles, comfy chair , ice machine , heating pad, audio books , (crackers , 7 up for tummy upset

Take your drugs faithfully 🥰)