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Scar tissue after knee replacement

Posted by leithlane @leithlane, Jan 31, 2017

I had knee replacement surgery 6 weeks ago . Through PT I have been working on breaking up the scar tissue only for it to regrow by the time I get back to PT two days later. I have been massaging at home, using a hand held massager and roller. It is painful and swollen. I am getting very disheartened. Any suggestions as to what else I can do. Has anyone had laser treatments to break up scar tissue? Were they effective?

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perks | @perks | Oct 20, 2022
In reply to @heyjoe415 "I'm pretty sure you should have been advised to have pt. Check with your surgeon. You..." + (show)
@heyjoe415

I'm pretty sure you should have been advised to have pt. Check with your surgeon. You also should have had a visit at two weeks post-op with your surgeon. Did this come up?

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No I had no follow up except for the DN to remove my stiches and to ask if I need anything more.
I am going to phone my GP and ask them what to do.
Thank you for you response. I do appreciate that very much.

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1 reply
dmk | @dmk | Oct 20, 2022
In reply to @perks "How is it that everyone seems to be having physio except me. I have been given..." + (show)
@perks

How is it that everyone seems to be having physio except me. I have been given exercises to do after the op but that is it. Im still doing those leg raises and stretches and bending of the knee. I had a total knee replacement 6 weeks ago. Im Walking with one crutch now and sometimes without crutches around the house. I have be er been told to do anything about scar tissue. What am I missing here.can someone explain it to me please.

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Personally I find that physician unacceptable that you were not sent to physical therapy. By two weeks I was walking on my own no walker no cane. I owe that not only to my awesome surgeon who sent me to my therapist preop to strengthen my leg but for my excellent therapist. Of course I had to work hard too and still keep up regimen my therapist has provided. If you ask surgeon for pt referral and he doesn’t give you one go to your primary care and ask for one.
Find out from your insurance company if you need a referral
All therapists are not the same so if you do go check them out first.
Best of luck!

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hashra1 | @hashra1 | Oct 20, 2022
In reply to @mpirruccel "I am in the same situation, 14 months out and still have chronic pain, worse with..." + (show)
@mpirruccel

I am in the same situation, 14 months out and still have chronic pain, worse with stair’s, walking, biking and some even with swimming. Pretty much is the same level of pain as before surgery.
! Bone scan done but showed no infection tried nerve ablation but little effect. To try another in 6 months. To get second opinion soon I hope. Meanwhile tried shockwave therapy, acupuncture both did little or nothing. Want to see if focused shockwave will help if scar tissue is the problem. Pain doctor said could be “hardware “ problem which implies that another surgery would be done to try to correct but again no guarantee and could end up worse with more scar tissue. Get second opinion!

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My second opinion suggested manipulation then therapy or surgery to go in and release the tendon IT band and maybe replace a piece of plastic but no guarantee that it will be better. He said keep stretching and icing. I go to the gym 4 days a week to pedal the elyptical bike and to use the other machine for knee strengthening. Still hurts most of the time and can’t walk down steps without pain to knee and lower back! Sucks!!

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hashra1 | @hashra1 | Oct 20, 2022
In reply to @perks "How is it that everyone seems to be having physio except me. I have been given..." + (show)
@perks

How is it that everyone seems to be having physio except me. I have been given exercises to do after the op but that is it. Im still doing those leg raises and stretches and bending of the knee. I had a total knee replacement 6 weeks ago. Im Walking with one crutch now and sometimes without crutches around the house. I have be er been told to do anything about scar tissue. What am I missing here.can someone explain it to me please.

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Your doctor should have given you a list of therapy places to go to. I was in therapy for 4 months and still have issues. You need to go to therapy!!

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1 reply
perks | @perks | Oct 20, 2022
In reply to @hashra1 "Your doctor should have given you a list of therapy places to go to. I was..." + (show)
@hashra1

Your doctor should have given you a list of therapy places to go to. I was in therapy for 4 months and still have issues. You need to go to therapy!!

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I'll he on to them tomorrow morning. Best if all isgthey keep asking me if heard from the physio. I kept telling them no non yet. I have checked bin YouTube and I saw the excercisesgthag I'm roungnig good but my knee feels a bit stiff pulling backwards. My knee cap, I can move from side to side but I can't feel it moving up and down. Understand I fill have prickly feelings In the knee as it is healing Inside. I thank God for the icepack the hospital gave me. That gelos the geatnin the knee a lot at the end of the day. Thank you for your help, u do appreciate your help a lot. x

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maricela | @maricela | Oct 21, 2022
In reply to @perks "How is it that everyone seems to be having physio except me. I have been given..." + (show)
@perks

How is it that everyone seems to be having physio except me. I have been given exercises to do after the op but that is it. Im still doing those leg raises and stretches and bending of the knee. I had a total knee replacement 6 weeks ago. Im Walking with one crutch now and sometimes without crutches around the house. I have be er been told to do anything about scar tissue. What am I missing here.can someone explain it to me please.

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I had knee surgery 12 weeks ago, have been going to PT twice a week. I am very grateful for all the comments I have read as this really helps me dealing with this surgery. Had I known how painful this total knee surgery was going to be I would have done stem cells.
Check with your surgeon as PT is extremely important to get your function to normal.
Wishing you the best, it takes a long time to feel better

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perks | @perks | Oct 21, 2022

Thank you. My pain is not half of what it was before the op.
I will persevere. What is 4years of agony to 1 year of recovery. Thanks for you reply

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heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Oct 21, 2022
In reply to @perks "No I had no follow up except for the DN to remove my stiches and to..." + (show)
@perks

No I had no follow up except for the DN to remove my stiches and to ask if I need anything more.
I am going to phone my GP and ask them what to do.
Thank you for you response. I do appreciate that very much.

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I'm sorry perks,

It's weird to have stitches removed these days. With my TKR, both the knee capsule and the incision were closed with invisible, dissolvable stitches. There was no stitch removal.

If you have to redo this, I'd suggest looking for a surgeon in his or her late 30s, early 40s, with experience using the Mako robotic assistant. That's what I did for my TKRs and they came out very well.

But something is wrong if you 1) had no post-op pt scheduled and 2) the stitches had to be removed.

I wish you the best and I'm truly sorry for what you're going through. Please let me know if you have other questions. (You might check with an attorney as well. PT should have been prescribed and is critical to recovery.)

Joe

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1 reply
perks | @perks | Oct 21, 2022
In reply to @heyjoe415 "I'm sorry perks, It's weird to have stitches removed these days. With my TKR, both the..." + (show)
@heyjoe415

I'm sorry perks,

It's weird to have stitches removed these days. With my TKR, both the knee capsule and the incision were closed with invisible, dissolvable stitches. There was no stitch removal.

If you have to redo this, I'd suggest looking for a surgeon in his or her late 30s, early 40s, with experience using the Mako robotic assistant. That's what I did for my TKRs and they came out very well.

But something is wrong if you 1) had no post-op pt scheduled and 2) the stitches had to be removed.

I wish you the best and I'm truly sorry for what you're going through. Please let me know if you have other questions. (You might check with an attorney as well. PT should have been prescribed and is critical to recovery.)

Joe

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Joe I'm On NHS. Beggars can't be choosers. So i have to accept what is offered to me. I had clips and stiches 30 of them. Are you In the US?

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lawman | @lawman | Oct 21, 2022
In reply to @681 "I didn’t have laser treatment but after 20 months my surgeon went in and removed the..." + (show)
@681

I didn’t have laser treatment but after 20 months my surgeon went in and removed the scar tissue. Knee feels much better now

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May I ask who your surgeon is? And what exactly did the treatment entail? I’m 3 years out and worse than before TKR

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