Anyone with lymphedema have a knee replacement?

Welcome @dclevenger1959, I know the feeling. I also was a little out of sorts when I had my right knee replaced. I was dealing with lymphedema in both legs but my right was a little worse than the left one so when I finally had to schedule the surgery I was a little worried about the outcome. I had a great care team and surgeon at Mayo Clinic Rochester and they gave me some home exercises to do daily to help build up my leg strength prior to the surgery which helped a lot. I also had to keep doing the exercises after the knee replacement which helped with the recovery. The one thing that helped my recovery was large flexible reusable ice packs to help control the swelling. I wished I would have got one of those ice machines instead which I think work much better when you have a knee replacement.

My biggest issue was not elevating and icing my leg enough following the surgery which I found out at my follow up meeting after the surgery when my surgeon told me I wasn't doing it enough. My 2 or 3 times daily vs what he wanted me to do - when I wasn't walking or doing the exercises, I needed to be elevating my leg.

How to you treat your lymphedema now? Did you get any suggestions for preparing for your surgery from the surgeon?

Hello John,
Thank you for sharing how you have dealt with surgery and Lymphedema. Really appreciate this. Currently I wear compression stockings, which really help.
I haven't really relayed my fear to my surgeon yet. There is a pre-op set for next week, and I am planning on trying to let them know about this. Nervous about letting them know also. They have said I will be most likely flat on my back for a couple of weeks, other than for the exercises, meal time, and restroom. Sounds like I will have an ice machine.
I've just been doing lots of praying.

@dclevenger1959 You might find it helpful to make a list of all the questions you have and take them with you to your pre-op next week so you can discuss them with your surgeon. It helped me to address some of my concerns prior to the surgery.

I have had lymphedema for several years with my left leg worse than my right. I had a left TKR three months ago and am recovering well, but do have more swelling than expected around the left knee. I am still wearing thigh-high compression stockings which keep it under control. I also ice and try to lie down with my legs above my heart for an hour or so each day. My surgeon was fully aware and had no real concern going forward, and keeps reminding me that full recovery can take up to a year. Don’t let the lymphedema stop you if you really need a TKR.

@prestol
Thank you for responding. Also, for all the support and encouragement. Do you need to have TKR on the other knee too? If so, how long are they recommending between each knee? I need to have both done. Both are bone on bone and pretty painful even with the highest dose of pain meds. TKR is the only step left for me.

@dclevenger1959 The other (right) knee is also bone on bone, but not especially painful. I had a severe deformity of the operated knee, which caused the knee to bow in and the lower leg to tilt out, making it difficult to walk. This is, I believe, called a valgus deformity. I will only replace the right knee if it becomes painful or deformed. My surgeon never mentioned a time frame, leaving it up to me.