Left TKR for me in the near future

[tiredwife]

@Ladyluck I don't think she has ever had her knees done! Without ice and elevation you can't control the swelling! If you swell you can't bend your leg. Yes you need to get up and move around some but you also need to ice and elevate! Without the ice you will feel a lot more pain. The stockings are for preventing bloodclots not for pain control. They will help that part of your leg not to swell as much, but you will swell above the stockings. I can't imagine my husband would have done as well as he has without the ice and elevation.

 

[referee54]

just called my surgeons cordenator about the ice packs and she said you really don't need ice packs because of the compression stockings.

Trust me on this---you will need to ice your knee to keep the swelling down. I used GelPacs that were about 12"X18". I also used Ace Bandages to keep them in place.

you need to be moving around the house.

You can move around gently and a little at first, but the more you move in the early days, the more your knee will stiffen up and swell, and the more discomfort you will be in. In the early days of recovery, you should ice, elevate, rest, and move around very little---just do your exercises in a gentle manner.

 

[Monah]

@Ladyluck

My good friend had TKR with Dr. Kozinn almost two years ago. She agreed that he can be kind of abrupt and hard to talk to, but she is very happy with her new knee. She said he did not have her do the CPM and no ice machine, but she did use those cold gel pads on her own. She also said he had her use some kind of device to straighten the knee, but I don't know what it was. She went to PT regularly and is fine now, the knee doesn't prevent her from doing some things like it used to.

I had a consult with Dr. K last year, and liked him OK. But I just wasn't ready yet, and he said he would probably be dropping my insurance in a few months. So I am going with Dr. Fox in Chandler, July 14 is the day.....

 

[Ladyluck]

Mona,

I'm so glad your your friend is happy with her knee. I couldn't imagine not using ice for the swelling.

Dr. Kozinn said he might be dropping my insurance ( United Health Care ) in 2015. I asked what would happen if I had any complications and Gerry ( Surgery Coordinator ) said he has never left a patient hanging.

It looks like your just about ready for surgery. I'm sure Dr. Fox is a fine surgeon. All my best positive thoughts to you. Please keep us informed about how your doing.

Would you mind asking your friend what the device was that she used?

 

[Ladyluck]

Referee 54,

I'm so glad I found this website. You have all been so helpful. I really appreciate you. I will take your advise.

 

[Ladyluck]

tiredwife,

Like I told Referee 54, you have all been so helpful. I will take your advise. I really appreciate your feedback. Thanks.

 

[Ladyluck]

Good Morning Everyone, Happy Forth of July.
I truly need some advice. I knew I would have to find a Orthopedic Surgeon and have my knee replaced because the pain was so bad and it wasn't just when I walked to much or stood to much it was happening even when I was at rest. I am having stabbing pain all the time even when I barley move my knee. I didn't know how to find a good surgeon so I started looking on the internet. The problem is all of the websites paint great pictures of themselves. I picked one in Scottsdale and made an appointment to see him, but while I was researching for a good surgeon I started reading information about having a TKR. I found over and over again that if you have any major dental work to be done, that you need to have it done before your TKR, because it presents more of a threat of infection. Well this presented a challenge. I knew I was going to have to have dental work so I went to a dentist and found out that I needed oral survey to remove my teeth because I was full of infection. I was going to also have a dental implant. I started the process. I went to my appointment with the Orthopedic Surgeon and scheduled my TKR for Aug 19th, 2014. The oral surgery didn't go as planned. It was supposed to be all done on May 30th, but because of the infection the implant wasn't put in at that time. I am in the process of healing and having my bone grow back so they can do the implant. My dentist knows I am suppose to have TKR but he doesn't want to do the implant until I am completely healed up which he thinks should be about November before everything is complete.
I am having lots of doubt about my Orthopedic Surgeon but I won't go into all of that at this time.

Do you think I should wait until all of my dental work is totally complete before I have my TKR?

I need your recommendations for a good Orthopedic Surgeon in the Phoenix area. One whom is willing to discuss all aspects of the pre-op and post-op details and of course that you were happy with the results of you TKR..........Please Help

 

[Ladyluck]

I don't know if I am getting to everyone or if I need to change the way I am sending my messages.

 

[Monah]

@Ladyluck - I don't know what to say about the dental issue v. the TKR. I had to get a clearance from my dentist for my upcoming TKR, but I have not been having dental problems. Don't you have to get a release from the dentist saying the ortho work is OK? Seems like it would be up to the dentist. Maybe he will let you get the knee done and then do the rest of the implant work - if the dental infection is gone. If it is not, then I would think you can't do the knee yet. Maybe you could get one of those shots to help the knee until you can have it done?

Also, I asked my friend about the board thing I mentioned. She said it was a while after the surgery and both the doctor and the PT felt she was not able to flatten her leg as much as they wanted. So Dr. K ordered the board thing and a medical supply company delivered it. If you are having doubts about your ortho, maybe talk to nurses and physical therapists - they often know who is good. Where in the Valley do you live?

 

[Celle]

I need your recommendations for a good Orthopedic Surgeon in the Phoenix area. One whom is willing to discuss all aspects of the pre-op and post-op details and of course that you were happy with the results of you TKR..........Please Help

@Jamie may be able to help you with this.

 

[Ladyluck]

Monah,
I actually live in Prescott. I will travel for an excellent OS. I am sure Dr. K is excellent but I don't feel as comfortable as I should at this time with him and his staff. Did your friends leg ever straighten?

 

[Ladyluck]

Celle,
How do I get in touch with Jamie? Do I klick on her name and go to private message?

 

[Monah]

Ladyluck

What a coincidence! My friend who had Dr. K is going to Prescott later today, will be there a couple of days. She said she'd be happy to talk to you if you'd like. So if you want to send me your number I'll forward it to her - maybe a PM? Although I've not done one, maybe you can figure it out....

 

[Monah]

Ladyluck - I just sent you a PM, hope it worked!!!

 

[Jamie]

The tagged link gives me an alert to check your thread, so here I am!!!

 

[Jamie]

I don't have any surgeons on my list in the Phoenix area, so I would be using the BoneSmart Find A Clinic locator just as you can to do a search. If you are having doubts about your current surgeon, I definitely think you should go for some additional opinions.

Most surgeons will not want to do a knee replacement with an active infection going on. So, you were wise to get going on that dental work. How soon after it is complete and the infection is clear is a topic you need to discuss with whomever you choose to do your knee.

The infection adds some risk and, as I said, I believe most doctors would want to avoid the risk. However.....I can tell you that with my second TKR, it turns out I had an infection pocket beneath one tooth that was hidden in the xrays I had prior to surgery. Shortly after the TKR, I had pretty significant tooth pain from it. I held out until my six weeks appointment with my surgeon and got the "all clear" to have dental work done. I was worried about it because I needed a root canal and crown. The root canal was tough because the infection pocket was big, but I ended up just fine. That was about a year ago and no problems. So.....I know it is possible to have the surgery with an infection present and get through it okay. But.....I would never recommend that. You want your body as healthy as possible going in to any surgery.

Are you comfortable using the Locator to do some searching? If you find some surgeons you are interested in, I'd be happy to take a look at them online. Or....I can help you look. Whichever works best for you. It's very important to have faith and confidence in the person doing your TKR!!!!

 

[Ladyluck]

Jamie,
I really am not familiar with the Locator that you can search with. I would really appreciate your help in looking. Thank you so very much for your help.

 

[kneeper]

Go to the blue bar near the the top of the page. You will see something to click on called "find a clinic." That's a good place to start and I'm sure Jamie can help too.

 

[Ladyluck]

Kneeer, Thank You.

 

[Ladyluck]

Monah,

I met with your friend yesterday. Thank you for setting that up. After meeting with her, my husband and I decided that her Dr. was not for me. She said that the PT really pushed down on her leg and the Dr. had her on a board that pushed her knee straight with something like vises. He believes you need to get off your meds quickly. Just didn't sound right to me.

I have been checking out the other Dr. online. They all have different idea's about your PT. I am going to take my time to check out these other OS. I have to postpone my TKR anyway because I went to my dentist yesterday and things are not going as expected. I hate to postpone it because I am in so much pain but maybe it all happened for a reason.

I heard from Jamie but I really don't know how to write back to her. When I write to you this way does it go to everyone? I don't know how this all works. I looked at the instructions but it's confusing to me because I am not good with computer lingo. I would like to be in a (THREAD?) with everyone and if I want to address a question to just one person, how would I do that. I know this is knew to you also.

If anyone else is reading this can you help me?????