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I need a TKR: Do I do it, or go as long as I can?
I was told in January of this year that I need a TKR as there is bone rubbing on bone, no cartilage in my left knee. I was seen by an Orthopaedic surgeon in a hospital and I saw the x-ray myself. My question is this. I can still walk, although my knee gives out sometimes, I have a throbbing pain constantly and I do have some troubling walking. I can’t walk far. What should I do? Should I book the operation? Should ?I let it go for a while longer? What will be the outcome if wait? I am 78 now and really don’t want to go through with this, but am worried that I may end up in a wheelchair not being able to walk. I am also about 50 lbs. overweight. I have a bad back also. I would appreciate any suggestions.
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Ditto in all that. My husband flew
To another city to get surgery from THE guy. Booked a Homewood suites for 5 days - has bedroom , livingroom with lounge chair, and kitchen with full stove and fridge. ice machine in the hall with perfect ice to feed machine that pumps ice water around your knee. Breakfast in lobby if you want.
Uber for follow up with Doc. Flew home Day 6. So wherever THE guy practices, it can be done.
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1 ReactionThanks Mary. I'm a boomer and have a very different view of Drs and surgeons than my parents. My parents would only trust a male doctor in his 60s. Times change though, and for the better IMO.
That's not to say there aren't very good male Drs and surgeons in their 60s. My PCP is male and 72 y/o but still very involved in the current state of medicine and his practice. I guess my poi t is that we have choices when it comes to our medical care, and there's no reason not to expect the best.
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1 ReactionDear Happy at 76, I think there is such a thing as waiting too long. I waited 2 years to have one of my knees replaced and I permanently lost flexion in it. The quad became too short from the way I was moving to accommodate the bone on bone knee. I recommend to anyone to get the surgery before you cause permanent damage to parts of your body adjacent to the joint. Good luck to you!
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2 ReactionsI was told that I would need a TKR in about 5 years (doctor was eerily accurate) so I got all the recommended things early in the cycle including a knee brace that I wore religiously. One bad episode of pain after a couple of years--primarily due to bad advice to not do lower body strength training and traveling--but afterwards I did fine until I started to have pain after a 4 mile walk I'd been doing daily for several years. I made an appointment with the surgeon I wanted and had the TKR as soon as I could get on his schedule--went great; good recovery and no problems 4 years later. My brother's brother-in-law didn't get diagnosed until bone-on-bone, really didn't want surgery and tried the delaying shots---did not work; just delayed surgery more as he sat around waiting for the minimum 6 weeks after shot. He recovered but never got back to what he was doing before. My recommendation is to go for the surgery once you are bone on bone and having pain BEFORE you restrict your activity or cause permanent damage accomodating the pain
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