I need a TKR: Do I do it, or go as long as I can?

I could not agree with you more….
Doctors talk as if it is the thing to do, without much discussion on what happens after it is done….
Brescher…

I went through what you are going through now.
8 years ago I had the shots and my knees felt like I was 20 years old again!
9 mo ago it suddenly came back. Every week it seemed to worsen.
I had the shots again but with no effect. X-rays- severe osteoarthritis.
Every week I was able to do one last chore. I went to pT for a month which helped a little.
2 weeks later – I no longer could walk at all. I've had chronic severe pain before it this is ridiculous! I've been in a recliner 24/7 since then. Now I'm getting contractors in my hip and knees.
What I would think about:
– You could end up in a wheelchair without the surgery.
– You are only going to get older (sigh) and that may mean a higher surgical risk.
– you mentioned a bad back and being overweight. It makes it hard to lose weight before the surgery. You may want to have one knee some at a time. Consider going to a short-term rehab center.
I'm scheduled to go to Mayo in May.
Best wishes to you. Stay positive. I'll text after I have mine done.

I don't understand the comments about "size issues". Are they putting in new knee parts using the wrong size? Or is your physical knee a bad size to replace?

My own experience I had tkr never was able to get rom more than 65 …after 6 months of dr telling me all in my head , went for another opinion…..my knee was 3 sizes too big …. Had revision at 1 year doing so much better…. I spoke to two lawyers turns out dr are within their legal right to put 2-3 sizes larger with no repercussions, they can say adjustments due to arthritis …..so watch your dr your going to , my first dr did not use mako robotics…I made sure my second dr used mako robotics

Once bone on bone, it doesn't get better. My experience included 5 tough years of waiting, had a metal knee brace during that time, which helped. I counted my steps to the front door of the mall judging how many more steps could I handle before exhaustion once in the mall. Looking back, I lost all those years of limited mobility, pain…. AND a very bad back that ultimately caused nerve damage, foot drop. I had two back surgeries to minimize the damage. Why a bad back? It was to due to years of limping! I was 55! Don't wait. Your big job now is to find a GREAT, highly recommended doctor. Once I got my knee, my back miraculously improved! From 55 to 70, I enjoyed pain free mobility. This year, at 70, I had a hip replacement. Years of limping??? My new hip is four months old and I'm back swinging a golf club and doing the gym three times a week. Find a great ortho surgeon. Don't wait.

I was told same thing years ago – thing I didn't think about (and no one told me), as you adapt to your injury, you may loose muscle mass and soft tissue strength; or, they may all adapt to a new knee position (before TKR, my knee was badly bent and I couldn't straighten all the way). I waited for many reasons, had the surgery last August; but because my muscles/soft tissue were so out of wack, it has been very painful strengthening them again to a correct position. Not sure if this makes sense – my 2 cents, I would not wait; talk to different docs (not just surgeon, cause they will say do it now – talk to other orthos, PTs) about what ifs if you do wait. My other knee I just had Xray'd, gonna stay on top of it, will not wait. Good luck.