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Recovering from knee replacement
Hello are any of you familiar with knee replacements? Watching videos online saying recovery takes 3months!
I’m 78-live alone-family nearby but full time working or in school so would like to do the healing on my own
Advice welcome
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Good evening @molly7234, Yes @molly7234, I am pretty familiar with knee replacements. I had my first TKR on the left side, 13 years ago. My right side TKR was done 2 years ago. The second one was so much easier than the first one. Here are a few of the differences.
1. The 2nd TKR was a Robotic, conducted in a same-day surgical center. I had a nerve block to help with the 1st 3 days post-surgery. That was after I took part in several weeks of pre-surgery strength training which was very helpful and reduced my recovery time considerably.
2. The center did require an "attendant" family member or hired professional for three days to ensure that your needs were met and you were helped with supportive caregiving. It also may be possible to spend the first three days in a care center near your home.
3. It will be helpful to have a walker or rollator so that you can begin to practice moving around.
4. You will need someone to assist with the preparation of your ice packs. You can purchase one online designed for the knee that lets you or your assistant refill iy with frozen sheets of ice.
5. You will also find it helpful to have someone bring your medication in every few hours.
6. Then, I don't know which knee you will be "fixing", but you will need to have someone drive you to the surgeon's facility/office for post-surgery care.
7. You will also need a ride to your post-surgery PT several times a week wherever that may be. Those sessions last about an hour.
8. And.....of course you will need someone to prepare and serve your meals or perhaps you would prefer a delivery service. That can work also.
You may find that Medicare can help with post-surgery care as well as your PT.
If I left anything out......please respond with the request for pertinent information. By the end of week three, I was able to walk around with just a cane or trekking poles. I began to drive as soon as my stitches and bandages were removed. And finally, I learned how to walk up and down stairs. My partner made signs for the front and back of the doors indicating which foot goes first.
May you be safe, protected, and free from inner and outer harm.
By the way....I was 79 for this second TKR.
Good luck to you. Let me know if I left anything out. I will be thinking about you and wishing you well.
Chris
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8 ReactionsVery helpful. I am 69 and scheduled for L TKR on May 23rd at UCSF. My heart condition/new heart med/anesthesia are my main concerns. Strongly considering how to get as strong as possible in my pre surgery days. I am a swimmer and it really hurts to walk any distance. That said I am very motivated. What was your presurgery exercise strengthening routine? Thank you very much for sharing!! P.S. I do have access to a wonderful P.T. If he can fit me in.
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3 ReactionsThat was very informative
Thank you
For steps did your note say:
“Down with the bad
Up with the good” ??
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3 ReactionsI was 68 when I had both knees replaced in March and July of 2022. Work with your PT for strengthening exercises prior to surgery. That helped speed my recovery as well. You can start simple. Just sit in a straight-backed chair and extend your foot out in front of you. Squeeze the quad and hold for, say 30 seconds, or as long as you can. Repeat with other leg. Simple, painless way to build quad strength.
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2 ReactionsHi, Chris -
Two questions. Any thoughts on robotic vs non-robotic? Also, was your robotic “minimally invasive” by any chance?
Thanks!
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2 ReactionsHey Zack I can answer for my own TKRs. Both were done using the Stryker/Mako robotic assistant. A CT scan creates a 3D model of your knee pre surgery and identifies what needs to be cut to make room for the implants. The surgeon then uses a cutting tool that is guided by that information. The surgeon can only cut what has been programmed, so it is extremely accurate. My surgeon used it on both of my TKRs.
It is not minimally invasive surgery. In fact TKRs require about an 8" incision. A tourniquet is placed on the thigh to control bleeding during surgery. A small incision is also made into the quad muscle to loosen the patella and move it aside for surgery.
TKRs have become quite routine, but they are invasive, traumatic procedures. Don't let that scare you though. I'd also find a surgeon between his/her late 30s and late 40s, with a solid pedigree from a medical college and residency. They will have performed thousands of procedures and are current on best practices.
All the best. FWIW the surgeries were the best thing to happen to me. The bone-on-bone pain is gone and I'm in the gym every day.
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5 ReactionsGood evening @newtosohcm -- it is great to hear from you. I admire you for being a swimmer. One of my best friends is also a swimmer. My pre-surgery routine included 1 super yoga class. I followed that up with daily stretch yoga exercises. I also walked along the river when possible on my moss-covered meditation trail that my life partner created for me.
In addition, I had two sessions of MFR (myofascial release therapy) every week. Because of that work on my legs and feet, I was able to keep up with the rest of my program. I was also doing balance exercises with help from my PT from the Mayo Clinic which included stair climbing, balance walking, and other forms of movement.
At home, I completed some stair sessions so I would be ready for the post-surgery stair exercises.
It all paid off. I was driving within a few weeks as soon as the stitches were removed and used my trek poles when I began walking.
Good luck to you. You have plenty of time before May 23rd. Let me know how it goes.
May you be safe, protected, and free of inner and outer harm.
Chris
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2 ReactionsGood evening @zacklucy, Two questions. Sorry, I forgot these items. First, yes the robotic surgery was minimally invasive. I am quite an advocate for "Care that Fits".
And the robotic process improves the surgical accuracy. Because of the multitude of images used to create the 3D image, the surgery automatically stops when a line is crossed by the surgeon. This means that there are no surgical "accidents" that might show up during recovery. My surgeon spent a great bit of pre-surgery time showing me videos of the process. It was quite fascinating.
May you be safe, protected, and free of inner and outer harm.
Chris
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1 ReactionHey Chris, Joe here. I have to disagree that robotic TKRs are "minimally invasive". When I think of minimally invasive, I think of an arthroscope with very small incisions.
A TKR requires about an 8" incision, the quad is cut to release the patella, and surgical hammers are used to place the femoral and tibial prostheses. Full recovery can take up to a year, but with a motivated patient, normal movement is restored as quickly as 6 to 8 weeks. It's a great procedure with or without the assistant, but it is a traumatic procedure.
Anyway, just curious why you affirmed a robot-assisted TKR as minimally invasive. Thanks!
Hi there @heyjoe415. I sure appreciate your concern. I try so hard to remember these kinds of issues. So.... I could have missed something. However, the scar on this knee is 4 inches long. The one on my left knee which was done 10 years ago is 8 inches long. I met with my surgeon to watch the video of the surgery and discuss the process that he would be using. I remember being very impressed. I chose this surgeon because of his youth and current training.
I have a video of my surgery and as soon as I can find it in the pile of items to be filed I will pop it in and see what it shows. I do know I was home by noon on the surgery day and started PT the following day. My completion test was when I woke up in the morning and walked to the bathroom without thinking about my knee. The first TKR took almost one year. The recent TKR was performed well within weeks.
One of my medical heroes is Dr. Montori at Mayo Clinic who is an advocate for and author of The Patient Revolution which includes "shared decision making" and "minimally invasive" procedures. I was on his patient advisory group for a couple of years and spent a great deal of time discussing contemporary issues.
I will let you know as soon as I find the video.
May you have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Chris
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