Revision TKR _My Saga of a Hopeful Happy Ending - Nerve Burning??

[skigirl]

Nancy, first I think you need at least two opinions before you have more surgery. Two, I wonder if a hinged knee is going to work better for you after all of the surgeries you have had---back to the first suggestion!!!

Any desire I might have had for "medical tourism" is completely gone after reading about your knees. I will just stay right here for now!! I think you must be frantic with all of this---and frustrated too. So, first the radiograph, but really you need more than one opinion too.

 

[Pumpkin]

Nancy,
I agree with Skigirl, a second opinion or two before proceeding is a good idea.

 

[LaPaz]

Nancy, first I think you need at least two opinions before you have more surgery. Two, I wonder if a hinged knee is going to work better for you after all of the surgeries you have had---back to the first suggestion!!!

If it comes to another surgery I will get a second opinion. But my present surgeon knows my knee so well and I do think that is a big advantage when it comes to what may be wrong. I know my surgeon would not do a surgery that was not absolutely necessary. He did tell me to wait until the pain is not bearable and to get the radiograph to see it there is any looseness.
I did not mention but the doctor here in Mexico gave me an injection in my knee that he said would make the inflammation go down and help the pain. The shot actually caused my knee to hurt more so I am hoping when the effects of the shot wear off maybe my knee will get better.

 

[Kansas Teacher]

I have to agree with the others that a second opinion is warranted. Your situation is pretty complicated and the more eyes on it, the better

Roxie

 

[skigirl]

I think the shot was probably a steroid injection. It supposedly decreases the inflammation. Hopefully he did it under sterile conditions---any injection into the joint has to be completely sterile or it could provide a vechicle for infection.

 

[LaPaz]

Good News that my Right Replacements have not came loose nor do I have an infection. But it does seem that the discomfort I am having is from Bone Spurs and my surgeon gave me two choices. Open and remove or Arthroscopic. He knows he will be able to clean them if he opens the knee but he is not positive he can get it all arthroscopic. I thinking arthroscopic due to all the trama I have had with the knee and if that doesn't work I will just have to return. Any one out there have had bone spurs on the patella removed?

 

[Randi]

Haven't had that but it sounds painful. Good luck with your decision

 

[skigirl]

@Josephine will be the one to give you the expert's opinion. But, I would also check out the non weight bearing issue I have read about in a few articles.

 

[Josephine]

Nancy, you poor girl! This just never seems to end, does it?

Open and remove or Arthroscopic. He knows he will be able to clean them if he opens the knee but he is not positive he can get it all arthroscopic. I thinking arthroscopic due to all the trama I have had with the knee and if that doesn't work I will just have to return.

If the spurs are on the patella, it will be almost impossible for them to be adequately dealt with arthroscopically. But I doubt the open version will be as 'open' as the TKR! The patella is actually quite superficial so he won't need to 'go mining' for it!

 

[skigirl]

There is your answer---I knew Jo would have the right info. Maybe you should wait until after Medicare and just have the open surgery. I had open surgery for removal of adhesions and it was nothing compared to the tkr.

 

[skigirl]

@Josephine many of the articles I read about bone spurs spoke of being non weight bearing after surgery. Do you think that Nancy will have to be non weight bearing after having the bones spurs removed around the patella?

 

[Josephine]

I don't see why - the patella is not a weight-bearing bone!

 

[skigirl]

awesome

 

[LaPaz]

Nancy, you poor girl! This just never seems to end, does it?
If the spurs are on the patella, it will be almost impossible for them to be adequately dealt with arthroscopically. But I doubt the open version will be as 'open' as the TKR! The patella is actually quite superficial so he won't need to 'go mining' for it!

Thanks Josephine I will re think this. I am also thinking that when he opens he may see other issues causing my problems as I think the bone spur is on the out side of the patella and most of my pain is on the inside below the patella.

 

[LaPaz]

Thanks Kelly for following up on this. I will write my OS now and see what he thinks. I did have second thoughts on all this especially with the pain I have on the inside not the outside. I mentioned to him about nerves interfering as I get these shooting pains up and down my leg from my knee at times. He felt that maybe the inflammation and bone spur were causing them to fire. I can only imagine with 3 knee replacements on that knee what a mess it is inside. I wonder if I will ever recover completely.

 

[Celle]

I think the bone spur is on the out side of the patella and most of my pain is on the inside below the patella.

It sounds to me as if your patella may need resurfacing and a plastic button attached, to replace damaged cartilage. That could be done at the same time as the bone spurs are removed.

I know you trust your surgeon adn feel he is the best person for your knee because he know it so well, but ti wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion from a surgeon who is skilled a doing revisions. These people are used to looking at problem knees and he/she would look at your knee with new eyes and might be able to suggest something that your current surgeon hasn't considered.

I can only imagine with 3 knee replacements on that knee what a mess it is inside. I wonder if I will ever recover completely.

I can't give you a guarantee on that, but I'm sure your knee will at least end up much better than it is now.

 

[LaPaz]

Another revision surgery completed on my right knee I am about two weeks out now, very stiff, moderate to mild pain, walking ok, ROM not so good (but is does not worry me right now) and a few sessions of Therapy. This was a revision to my patella due to a very large bone spur that planted itself next to the button and protruded outward. My surgeon removed the bone spur, change to a larger button, replaced my spacer and cleaned up some scar tissue which he said was not that bad. I was hoping to do this arthroscopic but you at bone smart convinced me to opt for the open surgery. My surgeon would of not been able to get all the bone spur with arthroscopic so I am glad I switched the plan. My surgeon says about 3 months recovery so I am happy about that. I know the routine of recovery too well and am just hoping that it goes well being the 3rd revision to the same knee. I have the same problem on my left knee so when this gets healed enough I will need to plan another surgery again. And to top it all off I had a MRI of my right shoulder which has a tear at the bicep head and a bone spur at the rotator cuff I need to deal with, too. There is still a small chance it could heal on its own but it has been about 7 months that this tore and is still bothering me. I tell my friends that I am a walking Orthopedic disaster. I have also been experiencing right hip pain maybe from a pinched nerve in my lower back I have not even explored that. I wonder how many surgeries one can safely have in one year?

 

[Pumpkin]

Nancy,
Glad this revision is behind you and you are in recovery. Check out the other joint forum for members who are having challenges with their shoulders.

I wonder how many surgeries one can safely have in one year?

I will defer to @Josephine for this question.

 

[PDA]

@LaPaz
I had a RTHR 3/2/2015, a LTHR on 6/15/2015, R rotator cuff repair 10/8/2015 and LTKR on 2/4/2016!!! That's a lot on a year but was told three months apart is good!! Definitely hope I'm finished for a long, long time!!


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[PDA]

LaPaz, I'll be anxious to see what Josephine has to say!!


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