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Infection after TKR
I had a TKR revision last October and three weeks later came down with staph infection. IV antibiotics then oral antibiotics were working, after a reopen and clean out, until I got a stomach bug in Feb 2019 and antibiotics couldn't stay in my system. Staph came raging back and now am facing removal and antibiotic spacers put in. I have a lot of questions for anyone else who has gone through this. First of all, I'm 56, healthy - other than my stupid knee - and an executive running a large department. I only missed a week with the revision, I did great and felt like a million bucks. I didn't drive for about three weeks, but could walk just fine. With the mobility spacer, can you walk? Can you drive at some point? I am really struggling with putting my life on hold for this and want to know if there is anyone out there who has had this done, is about my age and what your experience was. I can't stand being "taken care of" although my husband will do it, if I let him. 🙂 thank you!
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My experience is not as severe as yours
1st tkr redone because of wrong size spacer. So that is surgery #2.
#3 was because appliance was not adhering to bone
These 3 were within 10 months.
More than a year later #4 was done in hope of less pain and more mobility. 6 years later, I was still using an ice pack and had a very uneven gait. Then I had back surgery and 5 weeks later developed staph infection in tkr and had to have poly swap. Is it possible to tell if infection was "simmering" for 6 years or from infection from back surgery?
I’ve had a chronic infection after a TKR for 10 years now and countless surgeries. All that’s left down the road for me is amputation. That will happen as the pain can no longer be managed. I’m almost there but I’m still hoping for a miracle. That’s the only way I’ll survive this. Sorry to be so bleak but I’m being honest. At 71, I’m not giving up just yet.
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1 Reactiongood luck I am only 54 i have been going through moderate to chronic pain and 6 surgeries and the last year pain is chronic constantly without a knee joint waiting on being healthy enough for surgery but I keep getting infections or reactions, they want to fuse it straight but i was way more active than i will be IDK I think i might be better with amputation below knee and a prosthetic. you will be in my prayers. i am not giving up either.
I am 54 I have had my spacer and steel rod since october 19th i am 6'2" i cannot ride in the seat of a car i cannot bend my knee i ride laying in the back of an suv as you i was very active golf, boating, hunting all on hold in constant severe pain meds won't hardly give relief but i am an extreme case. i am getting tested for allergies to metal and bone cement this week. the surgeon will not put a new implant in until I heal and I am not making any progress. hopefully i will get answers this week but the doctors will not even acknowledge the possibility of allergies I am doing this on my own then I will try and find a surgeon who will put in an alternative cementless implant.
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2 ReactionsI had tkr on Nov 30. All went well for 4 weeks then infection raised its ugly head. Dr did debridement and replaced the plastic part. Also put antibiotic needs in place. They insert a pic line for antibiotics for 6 weeks. On my last 2 weeks now and I feel great! No pain. I’m still concerned for the longevity of the antibiotics but we’ll see what the infectious disease Dr says about that, best of luck. If I can help just reach out.
Geez I'm so sorry you went through that. The risk of infection is very low, like 1%, but if you're in the 1% it doesn't matter.
I broke the tip of my ring finger years ago. I developed an infection in the bone, had a debridement surgery and did antibiotics via pic line for a month. It cleared up and hasn't returned. It also wasn't staph but some other weird bacteria. I'm pretty sure I picked it up at the ER when I broke it. It was a compound fracture and they reset it until I could have surgery. I don't remember them irrigating it in the ER or applying something like betadine.
I'm sure an infection in the knee can be more serious. Catching it early is key so all patients should simply look for unusual redness and swelling that spreads. Don't confuse it with the normal bruising fro the surgery and the tourniquet used on the thigh.
Anyway I'm glad you recovered. I'm pretty sure the infection has been killed but it's still best to be vigilant for a few months. The antibiotics have to kill all of the bacteria or it will come back. That said, I trust the infectious disease Drs to know when that point is reached.
All the best!