It has been 15 months since TKR and it has been swollen like this since day one.And I am getting tired of hearing " It will be better after 6 months", and then "it sometimes takes a year", and now they say "it sometimes takes two years)/ Why do they keep on "Kicking the can on down the road"? I have not yet heard a reasonable explanation as to why I am experiencing more pain than before surgery and swelling and pain has notdiminished one bit. I am 6'1" and at 195 pounds went into this in very good physical shape as an athlete who does downhill skiing, rides a bike to the gym, works out diligently, and walks regularly. I am still in the same physical shape except for a problematic knee.
Dear @georgieb51
Sounds like it's time for some different doctors and therapists to take a fresh look. I appreciate your frustration because I had it in spades when my leg wouldn't heal for ten months. Everyone has different experiences, but hearing about them can give you clues about what questions to ask going forward. In my case it was soft tissue damage caused by a bad therapist early on, compounded later by an overly enthusiastic and optimistic therapist who pushed my leg faster than it could go. I ended up with bursitis and tendinitis all up and down the leg, and the dratted thing would swell if I even stood on two legs for five minutes. The pain and sleeplessness seemed neverending. Now I know that I also had an underlying condition going into the surgery that no one noticed, and it held back my recovery. Just keep getting doctors to look at everything --muscles and tendons can get repetitive strain injuries, and you sound very athletic. So maybe that's the place to begin exploring. Nerves can get compressed or injured in surgery. The changes in your posture from a joint replacement can cause all sorts of pain in muscles because you move and shift weight differently. It can affect your legs or spine. Also, if you have continued daily swelling maybe you will want to have your venous and arterial circulation checked. Or ask if your heart is pumping efficiently. The human body is so complicated that finding answers is a real journey sometimes. I got lucky when I tried two things: sonar shockwave to boost the circulation and speed up healing and posture exercises that changed my walk and helped me stop overstressing the surgical leg. Insomnia also held back healing for me. If you have trouble sleeping that could be an avenue to explore. There's just no telling what could be wrong, but keep trying doctors in different specialties to get fresh opinions. This is not a "suck it up and stop whining" moment. You deserve help to heal. Maybe even look at your exercise regime and consider whether you are overstressing your leg. You can't force it to heal faster by pushing it too hard. It could even be just one form of exercise that is doing damage. I found that the exercises prescribed by my therapist were causing repetitive strain injuries on the one spot where my circulation was weakest. You just never know. Maybe eliminate one exercise at a time to see if there's any improvement. I hope you find some answers and relief really soon. Don't quit looking for help. Best wishes for your recovery!
I am about 8 and 9 years post TKRs and my new knees still seem bigger than my old knees to me, but no pain and they work great. They took a while to heal 100% (year or more?). I don’t remember how long now but I felt better than pre-surgery within no time. I don’t even notice them 99% of the time. I hope that yours resolve as well.
I just want to say that if everyone would read about TKRs thoroughly, you would see that it can take up to 2 years for a total recovery.
Humans are not machines where you replace a part and it's business as usual in 5 seconds.
No, nothing will EVER look exactly the same as before.
Please be realistic and accepting.
@kamama1162 I am over 2 years and it is still not right. They kept telling me to wait with a statement like yours. Now, it is being advised that it should have been taken care of a year ago. Waiting is not always the answer.
Dear @georgieb51
Sounds like it's time for some different doctors and therapists to take a fresh look. I appreciate your frustration because I had it in spades when my leg wouldn't heal for ten months. Everyone has different experiences, but hearing about them can give you clues about what questions to ask going forward. In my case it was soft tissue damage caused by a bad therapist early on, compounded later by an overly enthusiastic and optimistic therapist who pushed my leg faster than it could go. I ended up with bursitis and tendinitis all up and down the leg, and the dratted thing would swell if I even stood on two legs for five minutes. The pain and sleeplessness seemed neverending. Now I know that I also had an underlying condition going into the surgery that no one noticed, and it held back my recovery. Just keep getting doctors to look at everything --muscles and tendons can get repetitive strain injuries, and you sound very athletic. So maybe that's the place to begin exploring. Nerves can get compressed or injured in surgery. The changes in your posture from a joint replacement can cause all sorts of pain in muscles because you move and shift weight differently. It can affect your legs or spine. Also, if you have continued daily swelling maybe you will want to have your venous and arterial circulation checked. Or ask if your heart is pumping efficiently. The human body is so complicated that finding answers is a real journey sometimes. I got lucky when I tried two things: sonar shockwave to boost the circulation and speed up healing and posture exercises that changed my walk and helped me stop overstressing the surgical leg. Insomnia also held back healing for me. If you have trouble sleeping that could be an avenue to explore. There's just no telling what could be wrong, but keep trying doctors in different specialties to get fresh opinions. This is not a "suck it up and stop whining" moment. You deserve help to heal. Maybe even look at your exercise regime and consider whether you are overstressing your leg. You can't force it to heal faster by pushing it too hard. It could even be just one form of exercise that is doing damage. I found that the exercises prescribed by my therapist were causing repetitive strain injuries on the one spot where my circulation was weakest. You just never know. Maybe eliminate one exercise at a time to see if there's any improvement. I hope you find some answers and relief really soon. Don't quit looking for help. Best wishes for your recovery!
@genie15 This is an excellent answer that essentially say "no doctor will look at everything or knows everything". Sadly, almost pathetically, I've found that doctors who are in business to do surgery will do surgery. It's how they make a living. Jaded? Really? What other professions act differently? I'm going on 7 months of having one knee and surrounding areas continuously swollen (1.5-2" larger in circumfernce) with absolutely no medical professional able to tell me why other than the area was traumatized by the surgery AND "be patient". 12+ months is what I'm told that it might take. In English: "we don't have a clue what the problem is and have no idea how long it will remain like that." Had my Mayo orthopaedic surgeon even remotely mentioned this could be an outcome, I would have never had this surgery...and certainly looked for other opinions. Hang in there!
Hi Phil @dover1036, My knee was a little larger compared to my other one for a month or so following my TKR due to the swelling. When you say huge I'm thinking much bigger than normal and probably causing some discomfort. Are you still icing and elevating the knee/leg? Have you discussed the swelling with your surgeon or care team?
@johnbishop
That is an old comment. I had total knee done in August of 2024. It's still bigger than the other knee but I've done well with it. Hardly even notice it.
Bend isn't the greatest but other than that great.
I'm embarrassed to say I never did ask the surgeon. He saw it so I assumed it was normal for it to be bigger.
In my case it wasn't any swelling.
@johnbishop
That is an old comment. I had total knee done in August of 2024. It's still bigger than the other knee but I've done well with it. Hardly even notice it.
Bend isn't the greatest but other than that great.
I'm embarrassed to say I never did ask the surgeon. He saw it so I assumed it was normal for it to be bigger.
In my case it wasn't any swelling.
I've had both knees replaced and my right knee looks a lot smaller than my left. I had the replacements in 2023, so not quite sure what's going on.
In my case, it looks like the quad muscles in my left leg look smaller than the right. That's weird because I spin for 40 minutes/day and that should be good for my quads, both of them.
I don't have any pain, flexion and extension are very good, no pain walking or going up and down stairs.
If it ain't broke don't fix it. I'm sharing because sometimes we see things that appear off but don't have any affects on the body, or joint in this case.
@genie15 This is an excellent answer that essentially say "no doctor will look at everything or knows everything". Sadly, almost pathetically, I've found that doctors who are in business to do surgery will do surgery. It's how they make a living. Jaded? Really? What other professions act differently? I'm going on 7 months of having one knee and surrounding areas continuously swollen (1.5-2" larger in circumfernce) with absolutely no medical professional able to tell me why other than the area was traumatized by the surgery AND "be patient". 12+ months is what I'm told that it might take. In English: "we don't have a clue what the problem is and have no idea how long it will remain like that." Had my Mayo orthopaedic surgeon even remotely mentioned this could be an outcome, I would have never had this surgery...and certainly looked for other opinions. Hang in there!
@jsg12206 I've avoided my left Knee being done after the terrible 2nd knee surgery. It has been 10 months on the replacement & still some pain which has affected the hips & back problems. My new knee is much larger than my original, probably because my left was already going to be done several months after. I am trying to avoid it being done like you, looking for other options. May healing help us through< 3
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Dear @georgieb51
Sounds like it's time for some different doctors and therapists to take a fresh look. I appreciate your frustration because I had it in spades when my leg wouldn't heal for ten months. Everyone has different experiences, but hearing about them can give you clues about what questions to ask going forward. In my case it was soft tissue damage caused by a bad therapist early on, compounded later by an overly enthusiastic and optimistic therapist who pushed my leg faster than it could go. I ended up with bursitis and tendinitis all up and down the leg, and the dratted thing would swell if I even stood on two legs for five minutes. The pain and sleeplessness seemed neverending. Now I know that I also had an underlying condition going into the surgery that no one noticed, and it held back my recovery. Just keep getting doctors to look at everything --muscles and tendons can get repetitive strain injuries, and you sound very athletic. So maybe that's the place to begin exploring. Nerves can get compressed or injured in surgery. The changes in your posture from a joint replacement can cause all sorts of pain in muscles because you move and shift weight differently. It can affect your legs or spine. Also, if you have continued daily swelling maybe you will want to have your venous and arterial circulation checked. Or ask if your heart is pumping efficiently. The human body is so complicated that finding answers is a real journey sometimes. I got lucky when I tried two things: sonar shockwave to boost the circulation and speed up healing and posture exercises that changed my walk and helped me stop overstressing the surgical leg. Insomnia also held back healing for me. If you have trouble sleeping that could be an avenue to explore. There's just no telling what could be wrong, but keep trying doctors in different specialties to get fresh opinions. This is not a "suck it up and stop whining" moment. You deserve help to heal. Maybe even look at your exercise regime and consider whether you are overstressing your leg. You can't force it to heal faster by pushing it too hard. It could even be just one form of exercise that is doing damage. I found that the exercises prescribed by my therapist were causing repetitive strain injuries on the one spot where my circulation was weakest. You just never know. Maybe eliminate one exercise at a time to see if there's any improvement. I hope you find some answers and relief really soon. Don't quit looking for help. Best wishes for your recovery!
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4 ReactionsI am about 8 and 9 years post TKRs and my new knees still seem bigger than my old knees to me, but no pain and they work great. They took a while to heal 100% (year or more?). I don’t remember how long now but I felt better than pre-surgery within no time. I don’t even notice them 99% of the time. I hope that yours resolve as well.
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5 ReactionsThank u. It's been 12 months and mine is doing great. Like u most of the time I don't even realize I have I new one.
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2 Reactions@kamama1162 I am over 2 years and it is still not right. They kept telling me to wait with a statement like yours. Now, it is being advised that it should have been taken care of a year ago. Waiting is not always the answer.
@genie15 This is an excellent answer that essentially say "no doctor will look at everything or knows everything". Sadly, almost pathetically, I've found that doctors who are in business to do surgery will do surgery. It's how they make a living. Jaded? Really? What other professions act differently? I'm going on 7 months of having one knee and surrounding areas continuously swollen (1.5-2" larger in circumfernce) with absolutely no medical professional able to tell me why other than the area was traumatized by the surgery AND "be patient". 12+ months is what I'm told that it might take. In English: "we don't have a clue what the problem is and have no idea how long it will remain like that." Had my Mayo orthopaedic surgeon even remotely mentioned this could be an outcome, I would have never had this surgery...and certainly looked for other opinions. Hang in there!
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Hug
3 Reactions@johnbishop
That is an old comment. I had total knee done in August of 2024. It's still bigger than the other knee but I've done well with it. Hardly even notice it.
Bend isn't the greatest but other than that great.
I'm embarrassed to say I never did ask the surgeon. He saw it so I assumed it was normal for it to be bigger.
In my case it wasn't any swelling.
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1 ReactionI am 8 months after TKR on right knee. It is larger than my left and feels heavier.
@dover1036 possible different brands of prosthetic? My first replacement is round, my second knee is pointy.
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1 ReactionHi Phil,
I've had both knees replaced and my right knee looks a lot smaller than my left. I had the replacements in 2023, so not quite sure what's going on.
In my case, it looks like the quad muscles in my left leg look smaller than the right. That's weird because I spin for 40 minutes/day and that should be good for my quads, both of them.
I don't have any pain, flexion and extension are very good, no pain walking or going up and down stairs.
If it ain't broke don't fix it. I'm sharing because sometimes we see things that appear off but don't have any affects on the body, or joint in this case.
Joe
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2 Reactions@jsg12206 I've avoided my left Knee being done after the terrible 2nd knee surgery. It has been 10 months on the replacement & still some pain which has affected the hips & back problems. My new knee is much larger than my original, probably because my left was already going to be done several months after. I am trying to avoid it being done like you, looking for other options. May healing help us through< 3