6 months post left TKR and scheduled for right TKR

[Xmascarol]

Hello,
I have really enjoyed this forum! I had my left TKR on March 6th and had nightmare PT experiences. My scarring is bad so they tried cupping until I was in tears. Switched PT’s and ended up having hip pain from their exercises. Ended up dropping PT after reading this forum. After 6 months, I have a spot that clicks and things feel very tight and sore yet. I am scheduled to have my right knee replaced in November since it is bone on bone and I have reached my out of pocket max on insurance so it would cost me nothing. That knee doesn’t hurt as much as my replaced knee so I am scared that I might be rushing due to the money savings involved. Stairs are very hard since I don’t have stairs at home, and I can’t stand kneeling on that knee due to the scar.
Would you suggest planning on the surgery or hold off?

 

[InkedMarie]

Bone on bone isn’t going to get any better; even with your current issues, I’d have the other knee done. Most have trouble kneeling.

 

[Xmascarol]

That’s what I was kind of thinking but it was making me question it since my replaced knee hurts more than my bone on bone knee.

 

[SusieShoes]

That knee doesn’t hurt as much as my replaced knee so I am scared that I might be rushing due to the money savings involved.

I had both knees done at the same time. My left knee was really horrible bad, crunching and unbending and... just awful. The right knee hurt quite a lot but wasn't nearly as painful. My surgeon said they were both bone on bone and bad enough to replace, so I went with having both done. (I'd been told by my knee doctors for years that both needed TKR. I was afraid to have the surgery so kept trying to "hang in there" until the pain became too much.)

My left knee took months longer to fully recover than my right. Why? My surgeon said it was because my left knee was much further gone; it had bone deformity and bone spurs that were shredding some of my soft tissues. He had to do a lot of "cleaning up in there." My right knee needed lots less "work" and was a more straight-up replacement; no extra work needed.

Right knee was mostly pain-free and good to go at about four months. Yes, that soon. It was kind of amazing. Maybe it was just a freak, but whatever the reason, it was a faster recovery. Left knee had a very normal recovery that took longer. It caught up to right knee eventually but it took months. Both are now great and pain-free.

If your surgeon thinks your right knee needs TKR, and you have that wonderful financial incentive that won't cost you, why not get it done? If it's bone on bone, it isn't going to get better, and you can only push it out so long... also, it might have a tougher recovery later. It's a highly personal decision, though.