Total knee replacement surgery information

Good evening @tilliecat13 and welcome to Connect. I think you are in the perfect place to learn quite a lot from our members who have had TKR surgery. The last time I counted there were over 1,400 posts within the previous year. This is a popular surgery and the patients appear to be a lot younger these days. There are also new procedures that ensure more accurate results because of the availability of robotic surgery which ensures a better fit and placement. Technology has advanced considerably and there is more assurance of a positive outcome.

Personally, I have had two TKRs 10 years apart. The first one on the left side was in 2012. The second one was in August of 2021. The post-surgery time for the first one was almost 12 months. I was a "trekker" at the time so the wait for my next adventure seemed like forever. I also had my own retail business which meant I pushed the envelope quite a bit.

What we notice here on Connect is that more posts are about troublesome recoveries. Those who sail right through the post-surgery period seldom share their positive experiences. This is customary and yet I didn't want you to come to the erroneous conclusion that many folks have problems.

One of the keys to a positive recovery is this.........at least 6 weeks of pre-surgery exercises to ensure that your surgery leg will be supportive. So please check in with a Physical Therapist to prepare for the surgery. The second key to success is post-surgery physical therapy. If folks run into trouble it appears that they either overdo the exercises and move too quickly to get back on the golf course or simply fail to follow through with the recommended exercises.

My second TKR was "textbook". I had a great PT and was excited about my new knee. It was great fun to be able to play with the grandchildren again. My surgeon was young and enthusiastic about his ability to help folks return to an active lifestyle. He was also what I call a "shared decision-making" medical practitioner. He took the time to work with me on my preference for medical cannabis as opposed to opioids. I also have trauma-related SFN, "small fiber neuropathy" and control the related symptoms with medical cannabis.

Here are some of the posts that came as a result of my attempt to keep on learning and implementing helpful recovery elements.
"tkr-2-lessons-i-am-learning/"https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tkr-2-lessons-i-am-learning/

Please let me know your thoughts after some time to read and review. We can't help but have a sense of wonderment as we give our bodies over to be repaired.

May you be safe, protected and free of inner and outer harm.
Chris

Hello @tilliecat13, I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with Chris @artscaping and others. Have you already had a knee replacement done or are you thinking about having one? In addition to the great discussion Chris share above, here are a couple of other discussions that might be of interest:

--- How should I prepare for my knee replacements?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-should-i-do-prepare-for-my-knee-replacements/
--- What can you do to extend the life of your TKR and mobility?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-can-you-do-to-extend-the-life-of-your-tkr-and-mobility/

Hey tillecat13, I am 11 weeks out of Robotic TKR on my right knee. I am 79 and so pleased with the results that I am looking forward to do my left knee as soon as my surgeon approves. To date I have had zero problems in recovery. If you do exactly what Chris Trout suggests you will do great! Judith