Metal Allergy Do revision surgeries take longer to schedule?

When you knee is really swollen there is only so far it will bend. :console2:
 
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Hi @Robobob,
Your post really hit home! I had a revision the day before you did. Original TKR was done December 7, 2021. I had the revision at six months, three weeks. I also have a nickel allergy but that wasn’t the reason for the revision. I told my os about it and I did testing before surgery to confirm. I got a nickel free knee. However, the surgery was botched so I got to suffer with a bum knee (I had no idea, just thought I wasn’t trying hard enough) for almost seven months.

The revision went well but recovery is still slow. I’m walking with a cane and not sure when I’ll be able to walk without it. My knee hurts when I put a lot of weight on it but I try to remind myself that it didn’t work properly for so long that it’s going to take time. I’m trying to be patient.

I’m glad you found out about the nickel allergy so early. Now you can hopefully have the revision and get it over with. I wish I had known earlier that my surgery was done incorrectly the first tone and could have gotten the revision done sooner. Good luck! I’ll be watching for your updated.
 
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When you knee is really swollen there is only so far it will bend
Exactly. But with the nickel allergy my swelling never went away. PT was trying to bend me (not pushing too hard but trying to slowly work me into getting better ROM) and then the MUA really wrecked me. All that made the swelling worse. That MUA pain was nearly as bad ad post-surgery pain but lasted longer.
 
@agsmom
Wow, I'm sorry you've been through so much. So the revision is botched and you are expected to just live with it? I'm excited /scared for my revision just 3 months after the original TKR. Here's hoping we're both walking normal some day.
 
No, the original surgery was botched. I just reread my post above - sorry it was so confusing. So far, the revision is doing great. Recovery has been slower than a regular TKR surgery but faster than my original surgery recovery.

There are things that are different after a revision. If you’re interested in my experience, let me know and I will share.

Today I walked without the cane and very little limp! Things are looking up!!
 
@ agsmom - I am glad your revision is going well. I am interested in your story as a saw my surgeon today about revision and couldn't get me in until January. I'm on crutches and can't put much weight on my knee for more than a couple steps. He's setting me up with another surgeon that can hopefully get me in sooner.

Did you immediately notice a difference after the revision compared to the original surgery?
 
Hi @Robobob, no I didn’t notice an immediate difference. The very initial post op was similar - something you just have to get through. However, I noticed a difference by about a week or so out. I could do my simple PT “exercises” easier and with as much range as I had at six and a half months after the first surgery. Things improved at a much more normal pace after the first one - two weeks. That’s not to say it was easy, though. It’s still a TKR but with a larger implant.

I had a lot of tibial pain after the revision that I didn’t have after the original. It was so bad at times that I didn’t do much walking even though PT wanted me walking for six minutes several times a day. I realized early on that that was a bad idea. My knee and leg needed a lot of rest and time to heal. I ended up getting my walking in with normal activities of daily living - bathroom and kitchen were my big walking excursions. This helped a lot with the pain. It eventually got better and now, at 12 weeks post op, I rarely notice tibial pain. Take it easy on your new knee after your revision.

I also ignored most of the PT exercise recommendations as they got more difficult. After reading about others experiences here on bonesmart, I decided that all the exercises may actually be counter productive after such a big surgery. It has been a good decision, I think. I’m getting to the time when strengthening exercises are warranted and I’m looking forward to starting those soon. My leg moves well and walking is progressing nicely so I think it’s time to build up strength and stamina.

A word or two of advice regarding your surgery, please please make sure your surgeon is fellowship trained and that he/she has A LOT of experience with revisions. Also prepare for the first couple of weeks post op by setting up help in advance.

Good luck! Let me know if you have any other questions. BTW, I was terrified going into the revision. It turned out to be a much better experience than expected.
 
@agsmom
Thanks, that is all good to hear.
I think my metal allergy made everything so much worse that I'm hoping the revision is actually a lot better. I'm still in pain and on crutches as week 12 so I think almost anything can be better than this.

Quick question: how long did it take you to schedule your revision? My surgeon said there was a 4 month wait. I'm thinking of looking for someone else to get it done sooner.
 
Hello all,
I'm getting a LTKR revision due to a nickel allergy and the surgeon said he couldn't get me in until January.
Anyone who had a knee revision done: do you recall how long the wait was for you surgery?
 
I am following you now.
Interested in how they determined nickel allergy.
Was it done by Blood tests?
Thanks
Don
 
I had a knee revision , but it was for infection so there wasn't any wait time for me . l saw the specialist and was admitted that same day , surgery the next day . Because it was for infection, l had to go on lV antibiotic for 6 weeks and then 4 weeks after that they did the second part of the revision , putting in the new hardware . It was a long process for me. Since you have an allergy , they may be able to fix it all in one surgery . l am assuming mine was quick because of the infection . Good luck to you .
 
@Robobob I’m sorry you have to wait so long for this revision surgery. January seems a long ti e away when you have so much discomfort. Did you ask your surgeon why the long wait?

By the way, I merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread, as we prefer that members in recovery have only one thread.

This benefits you because all your information is in one place, easy to find, and maintains a nice journal for you.

This also benefits our staff, as your information is all in one place, and we often go back through your thread for previous details, so we know what you‘ve been through which helps us advise you better.

So, please keep all your posts in this thread. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?

Best wishes on your continuing recovery! :flwrysmile:
 
Anyone who had a knee revision done: do you recall how long the wait was for you surgery?
For me, it only took 4-6 weeks to schedule. That was July 2021, and maybe Covid was keeping people away from hospitals. Maybe everyone is returning now to hospitals to take care of postponed surgeries? Maybe it depends where you are in the country - I’m in eastern Massachusetts and we have an abundance of hospitals.
 
Maybe everyone is returning now to hospitals to take care of postponed surgeries
Maybe that is the case. When I was shocked by the 4 month wait the surgeon didn't really give an explanation. But then again he was never good at explaining anything. lol.

I have a new surgeon. He is a lot closer, instead of the nearly 2 hour drive to the previous surgeon. This new guy I won't have my initial appt for 1 month. Let's see if I can get a revision with him quicker than 4 months. :)

@Jockette : Yeah, I knew about the recovery thread rule. I was just hoping a new post would get out to more people so I could get more responses to figure out the average wait time for a revision. Did a search and the only hit I got was to my own thread. Thought it might help other people looking for the same info.
No biggie.
 
@Robobob We can always change your title for you, to reflect a new topic/question. Just post here in this thread what title you want. :flwrysmile:
 
Hi @Robobob, both of my surgeries were done in military facilities. The revision surgeon asked when I wanted the surgery done and I said “yesterday”. We scheduled for the following Monday but Smith and Nephew couldn’t get the nickel free knee here that quickly. I ended up waiting about two and a half weeks. In what part of the country are you located?
 

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