TKR TKR Knee Pain 8 yrs out - Question

I’m sorry things are not that great with your knee. I’m 2.5 years post op with a partial that isn’t great either, so I understand. My issues are different, but it’s still not a good outcome, and I do not want more surgery, either!

I hope you get some good thoughts from the surgeon appointment next week, if not, maybe consider another opinion.

Keep us posted and vent here all you want. :console2:
 
I'm sorry Jockette! Thanks for listening. I hope we neither one have to have it but I'm pretty sure I will. Just how long can I put up with it before I give in. Somehow we will get through it though right?!
 
Amymhere,
Sorry to hear you are having pain 2 years out from your second TKR.

You might want to call the surgeons office where you had your first TKR done, and ask them how much it would cost, for a consultation for your second TKR. Generally if you pay the day of service they may give you a discount.

You also would benefit from a second opinion in your area, from a surgeon specializing in Revisions, they have the education and background to determine what is happening with troubled knees. Look for a surgeon specializing in complex joint reconstruction or revisions. They should have no relationship with your present OS, not even golf buddies.

You can use our Surgeon Locator in the blue banner at the top of the page to start your search. You can call the offices, or look at their websites.

It will be worth it to find out exactly what is happening with your knee.

:console2:
 
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In addition to the fine advice above, you may want to ask your original surgeon for a recommendation of someone in your area. He may well know who the best are.
 
@amymhere , you will notice that I have merged your two threads together as we prefer that members in recovery only have one thread.

This is for three reasons:
1. if you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts others have left you in the old threads
2. it often ends up that information is unnecessarily repeated
3. it's best if we can keep all your recovery story in one place so it's easily accessed if we need to advise you.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread. I changed the thread title. If you would like a new thread title just give a shout.
 
So sorry to hear you are having issues from your knee. As you said, you know what feels right and what doesn’t. I had issues for 2 years with mine as well and I got to the point that the constant pain was worse than the thought of surgery again.
The advice to see revision specialist is what I did.
Hang in there and let us know how you are!
 
@amymhere. I am so sorry you are having issues after 2 years. My 2 year anniversary was October 9 and I am still having issues. I have had a CT scan and had a bone scan last week. I will get the results on Monday. I have done PT with 4 different Physical Therapists, I have seen a chiropractor and I am now seeing a revisionist. My knee feels strong but it still hurts; sometimes it hurts worse than other times.

Can I live with my knee the way it is? Most of the times, I say yes but when it is painful and swells I am reminded that it should not be this way. I do not want to have surgery again.

Prayers to you for a solution that does not involve surgery.
 
Hi Everyone,
Thanks. Yes l know the thought of surgery is awful. Well it's scary. Mainly I just remember someone telling me that knee surgery is the law of decreasing return. Meaning the more you have after TKR the less a great outcome you can expect. I think that has changed since years ago when I heard that. Mainly because sometimes there are adjustments they need to make and sometimes they have to do a little more. My kneecap is an example. It was too thin for the button but now that this is failing he thinks maybe we should try the button. To elevate it enough that the new bone spurs won't rub and cause pain.

So I don't know. I did get some good news with my insurance though and they can send me to the other clinic in town for a second opinion. When I see my surgeon on Wed. I will have them send my records over so I can get a 2nd. ... hopefully and if they accept me.

Keep keeping on everyone!
 
So my doctor thinks it might be worth the risk to go in to have the button put on the underside of the kneecap. It is a bit risky as my kneecap is so thin anyway and if it were to go badly ... well that would be pretty bad I guess. However, my surgeon feels he can cut it down to 14mm and be able to get a button on it. He would but in a bigger spacer in the joint to shore it up a bit and make it more stable. I might lose 5 degrees of flexion but the payoff could be much less pain.

I went to another surgeon to get a second opinion and I feel relieved that he would have done it the same way and he also thinks it might be worth the effort to do the revision. He echoed that arthritis that just eats up the joint sometimes do not respond that well to TKR. Also, he said that with my other leg, things were so bad that the knee probably made it a huge jump in improvement.

Not much we can do about the pigeon toed aspect of things since the surgery. The kneecap Is just a matter of me being able to say yes I'm ready to try to do something to make it better. Which I am leaning in that direction for sure. I mean it's not going to get better if I don't try. It will be like this ..... maybe worse.

So thank you all for your encouragement.

Amy
 
Best of luck with your ultimate decision....it sounds like there is a solution out there, which is better than what you heard in the past!
 
Thought I'd start kind of keeping my stuff all in once place ... on this thread I guess. I am going to be going for a button placement and a new spacer in March. I wonder if there is more going on than what they can see on these xrays which is nothing really :). I just wonder because my pain has gotten worse. Sometimes my kneecap takes a slide when moving on the leg or moving something like a brick with my foot and man that hurts but in general it is just pretty darn stiff. Hurts around the kneecap mostly and behind the knee some. Also that leg is always cold compared to the other knee. I've had them both done but have never felt this one was ok. I had a hard time being able to walk on it at all. I hope they don't mess it up further with the revision. I guess the button is risky due to the fact that I have teenie tiny kneecaps which is why they didn't do it to begin with. With the slipping and pain they think it is worth the risk.
leftkneeap19.jpg
leftkneelat19.jpg
leftkneemerchant.jpg
 
@amymhere
Sorry to hear you are having continuing challenges with your knee.
The definition on you x rays is poor, can you post full size x rays?
 
I'm not sure if I can figure it out. I wonder if you click on this link if it will work?

No that link won't work.

Hmmmm. I might not be able to put it up here.
 
amymhere,
Here is how to post and x ray.
 
I've had like 8 surgeries on my right leg and then two on this left leg. I'm tired.
I'm sure you're very tired, with all those knee surgeries. Please can you list them for us, with the full dates, which knee it was, and what you had done? That will help us to advise you appropriately, and to make allowances for any areas of slow progress.
 
Mainly I just remember someone telling me that knee surgery is the law of decreasing return. Meaning the more you have after TKR the less a great outcome you can expect. I think that has changed since years ago when I heard that.
That's not necessarily true, but it does mean that you need a surgeon who is skilled and experienced at dealing with problem knees.
 
I don't know if this is where I post this. I have a thread somewhere going after surgery. Anyway, need advice. I had my right knee done in 2008. About 3 wks ago I wiped out on some ice in the driveway. I actually would have told you then that I landed on my left TKR and it hurt like all get out for a few days. I do not think I hurt myself in this fall. However, before the last snow here I was feeling some stiffness in this right knee. It got so bad I could not bare weight on it. I have been using a cane off and on. The muscles were tight also, but that has cleared up. Now I am feeling like if I am sitting and try to stand I have to hold on to the table a minute and straighten it out and it hurts. Then once I get going it is still there but not nearly as noticeable. Do you think I need X-rays? It is not fun. Also, I am supposed to have a revision to put a bigger spacer in and try to put a button on the left side in March but I don't want it to it with the right knee now hurting more than the left. I am just looking for some clarity I guess.
 
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I guess I am really wondering if the xrays would show anything or if I should just wait it out?
 
Amy, nice profile photo! Did you just change it today?
 
Hi @amymhere - I'm sorry you had a fall and your right knee is now causing problems. I think your best plan is to see your surgeon again and get your right knee checked out.

Then you can also discuss whether going ahead with your left knee revision in March is still a good idea.

By the way, I did ask you previously to tell us the types and dates of the previous surgeries you've had on your right leg. Have you had any prior surgeries on your left knee (apart from the TKR) and do you have a date for the revision in March? Please tell us all your knee surgeries, so we can add them to your signature.

I've merged you new thread with your old recovery thread, since it looks as if we're going to be discussing both knees for a while.

Having just one thread will mean you don't have to keep skipping between two different threads, so please will you keep updating in this one thread?
 

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