Kurt_H
junior member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2019
- Messages
- 24
- Age
- 44
- Country
- South Africa
Good day all,
I'm new here and I thougt it best to document my knee revision surgery journey due to infection. I am 40 year old male and had a right knee replacement on the 26th August 2017. Things went well post op, no real issues. I was in hospital for 5 days then at home. Everything moved quite quikly from there on out, one crutch, then walking stick then driving and back at work by October.
3 months and 6 months out still positive (received lots of reassurance from everyone saying that it takes time etc), but by 9 months I noticed that I wasnt quite able to lift my leg from the knee upwards, there was still alot of discomfort and pain.
Anyway,I thought PT should do the trick, got into biokentics and physio and thought this would do the trick but after a couple of months still struggled. Went to go see my surgeon after 1 year and he notices some gaps on my xrays, almost like shifting in prothsesis, by the way mine was not cemented, not sure why? At first he told me to continue the regiment of exercise etc, but still was not quite happy of my current status.
At this stage I could walk a kilometre or so and do cycling, I was mobile, alot of other things kept me busy, new job, moved house, travelled a bit.
Then the knee got progressively worse, I went to see my surgeon again and now the xrays looked like the prothsesis moved even more. Argh! I asked what could cause the possible loosening and he said it could be a low grade infection and that some people actually live with it. I'm like WHAT?
He referred me to a revision specilist, and by then I have been take taking Celebrex for a while for the joint stiffness and discomfort. I was quite low at this point as I had been in a new job trying to impress the big wigs, now I'm faced with this.
I visited the revision specialist 10 January 2019. He took one look at my xrays and told me my prothsesis is loose!!! Why, not sure. So then he aspitlrated my knee to check for infection. Hmm, the result came back inclonclusive, no indication that a infection exists.
I chose to ignore the whole knee thing, pop my pills and just get on with thins as I beacme very busy with my MBA and work, maybe he was wrong I thought, maybe there was no infection. Wishful thinking, I had been popping painkillers on a daily basis and it was really affecting my stomach now and besides that I had put on some weight and not really looking after myself.
I went back to the revision specialist to set a date for revision. He did check for infection again but again incnclusive, but I thought I have to do this!!! Date set for 17th October.
By October I could hardly walk properly but also given the fact that for my 40th birthday in September I went to Paris and Italy walking about 5km per day. Popping pain meds like sweeties. This had been planned much earlier already.
So the 17th October came nervous as hell, I was in for four hours yikes and came out of surgery yesterday. What did they find? A pocket of fluid which tested positive for infection, not too sure which one yet. Yep the surgeon kinda tried to lower my expectations I guess. He said it will either be a clean revision but if they find something, it would have to be a 2 stage revision, the latter of course my worst nightmare.
So it is now the 19th October, I have an antibiotic spacer, on an antibiotic line and also antibiotics run straight into my knee.
I'm uncertain as to how long this will be ,for 2 weeks maybe depending on what bug they find I guess. At this stage pain is managed very well, not as bad as the pain from my initial tkr? Is it because the bone had been cut already, not sure . I slept almost right though the night last night, possibly because of the sleeping pill they gave me.
I will keep everyone posted on my progress and see how things pan out. Sorry for the long post. It won't be next time. I think this is also great for my sanity.
Keep well everyone, heres to a positive journey and outcome!!
Kurt
I'm new here and I thougt it best to document my knee revision surgery journey due to infection. I am 40 year old male and had a right knee replacement on the 26th August 2017. Things went well post op, no real issues. I was in hospital for 5 days then at home. Everything moved quite quikly from there on out, one crutch, then walking stick then driving and back at work by October.
3 months and 6 months out still positive (received lots of reassurance from everyone saying that it takes time etc), but by 9 months I noticed that I wasnt quite able to lift my leg from the knee upwards, there was still alot of discomfort and pain.
Anyway,I thought PT should do the trick, got into biokentics and physio and thought this would do the trick but after a couple of months still struggled. Went to go see my surgeon after 1 year and he notices some gaps on my xrays, almost like shifting in prothsesis, by the way mine was not cemented, not sure why? At first he told me to continue the regiment of exercise etc, but still was not quite happy of my current status.
At this stage I could walk a kilometre or so and do cycling, I was mobile, alot of other things kept me busy, new job, moved house, travelled a bit.
Then the knee got progressively worse, I went to see my surgeon again and now the xrays looked like the prothsesis moved even more. Argh! I asked what could cause the possible loosening and he said it could be a low grade infection and that some people actually live with it. I'm like WHAT?
He referred me to a revision specilist, and by then I have been take taking Celebrex for a while for the joint stiffness and discomfort. I was quite low at this point as I had been in a new job trying to impress the big wigs, now I'm faced with this.
I visited the revision specialist 10 January 2019. He took one look at my xrays and told me my prothsesis is loose!!! Why, not sure. So then he aspitlrated my knee to check for infection. Hmm, the result came back inclonclusive, no indication that a infection exists.
I chose to ignore the whole knee thing, pop my pills and just get on with thins as I beacme very busy with my MBA and work, maybe he was wrong I thought, maybe there was no infection. Wishful thinking, I had been popping painkillers on a daily basis and it was really affecting my stomach now and besides that I had put on some weight and not really looking after myself.
I went back to the revision specialist to set a date for revision. He did check for infection again but again incnclusive, but I thought I have to do this!!! Date set for 17th October.
By October I could hardly walk properly but also given the fact that for my 40th birthday in September I went to Paris and Italy walking about 5km per day. Popping pain meds like sweeties. This had been planned much earlier already.
So the 17th October came nervous as hell, I was in for four hours yikes and came out of surgery yesterday. What did they find? A pocket of fluid which tested positive for infection, not too sure which one yet. Yep the surgeon kinda tried to lower my expectations I guess. He said it will either be a clean revision but if they find something, it would have to be a 2 stage revision, the latter of course my worst nightmare.
So it is now the 19th October, I have an antibiotic spacer, on an antibiotic line and also antibiotics run straight into my knee.
I'm uncertain as to how long this will be ,for 2 weeks maybe depending on what bug they find I guess. At this stage pain is managed very well, not as bad as the pain from my initial tkr? Is it because the bone had been cut already, not sure . I slept almost right though the night last night, possibly because of the sleeping pill they gave me.
I will keep everyone posted on my progress and see how things pan out. Sorry for the long post. It won't be next time. I think this is also great for my sanity.
Keep well everyone, heres to a positive journey and outcome!!
Kurt