Total knee replacement

First, I am an 80 YO male who had a right TKR on October 1st. Unrelated to my knee, my internist had detected a slight hear murmur and he sent me to a cardiologist. The cardiologist gave me a stress test using the medicine instead of a treadmill (with my non functioning knee a treadmill was never a possibility). I can't remember if I had a radioactive dye as well but it went fine.

But there are risk factors and apparently your cardiologist thinks that the test is necessary.

There are steps short of a TKR that are not only possible but may be necessary for your insurance company to cover the costs of a TKR. Medicare requires that at least two alternative treatments have been tried and are unsuccessful before it will consider the surgery "medically necessary". There are custom braces (I had one but it wouldn't stay up on my leg), steroid shots (didn't work for me) and PT as alternative treatments. If you haven't tried these, you can.

To add to steve's great list.
Gel injections and a supplement called CartigenixHP which has one research paper behind it.
THis link shows the xrays....there are other links found easily on google:
https://acupuncturetoday.com/sponsored/39644-calroy-health-2025-06
Hopefully, research which was halted at Northwestern will resume; they have lots of sheep with great newly grown carligage up there, just waiting for the renewal of funds to try in humans.
https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2024/august/new-biomaterial-regrows-damaged-cartilage-in-joints

I had a nuclear stress test 5 years ago. I cannot do traditional stress tests. The procedure was not painful and they carefully monitored my heart during the test. I never felt breathless or heart palpitations. If the cardiologist doesn’t want to clear you for surgery without the test, by all means have it done. Not sure how bad your knee is and if you have exhausted most of the non surgical procedures, but there comes a time when replacing seems to be the only option. Good luck in whatever you decide.

I just had a stress test. It wasn’t painful and it was the injection type. I have had both knees replaced and have had no complications but I have severe arthritis in both shoulders. I can no longer have cortisone shots due to length of time on them. I am 80 yrs old and have I kidney. Since I can’t use nsaids only acetaminophen, and am unwilling to have shoulder surgery I decided to try low dose radiation to alleviate the pain. There is information on line that explains the process better than I can. So far I am pleased. Please look into this procedure for your pain. Take care.

@kathleen1314 yesterday i had a PRP injection in left knee. Do it every year. Takes care of arthritis and i have been bone on bone for 15 years but after a botched TKR i opted to go this route. One day of walking slowly and then off to the races. I am 84 now and will never opt for TKR. My choice.

@cobweb thank you - what is a PRP - very interested.

@cobweb I am so glad that the PRP is working for you. That is on my list to try. I did recently spend seveal hours with copilot AI looking for a surgeon similar to Dr. Chow, but who takes insurance and is closer to me.
I finally found one; so will try to see him to line up my options.

@steveinarizona
I had a problem with the brace slipping. The PA added some foam prosthetic cushions that don’t slip fixing the problem

@cobweb What type of doctor gave you this injection?

Make sure you have the best cardiologist, surgeon and physical therapist for a complete recovery. The stress tests I experienced was more stressful and painful than the surgery, I actually had it stopped.