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Hope810

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My father-in-law has had bad knees for years - bone on bone. Now that I have had a successful LTKR, he is considering having his knees replaced too. At 57, my knee replacement has gone very smoothly (sleeping well, little pain, good ROM) but I see that the recovery is long and still difficult. I'm at 12 weeks today. While I want to be encouraging, I'm concerned about his age and the potential for many painful PT sessions. He is generally healthy but is not an exercise-type guy. Very active and busy around the house and yard. Also he lives in another state so he can't use my hospital or OS.

What are your thoughts for his age? Single or bilateral?

Hope810
LTKR Feb 23, 2009
 
There is a gentlemen on here Auden, he is an older man, you can ck his thread , he is awesome. He seems to be doing just fine. I mean he is in very good spirits, and moving right along, better then me and Im 41. If he does alot of yard work, thats excercise. Maybe throw in a few other things and he might be just fine. He does deserve to be pain free.. I wish him the best, and you are so sweet checking things for him.......:)........Kim
 
Hope, God bless your father-in-law for wanting to have a pain free life and GOING for it! He must have a very wonderful outlook on life! I'd say he should find a good surgeon and follow whatever advice he receives, given his particular health and knee situation. There is no reason why he couldn't have a great outcome. And he has you to support him. What a bonus!!
 
You know, sometimes the older generations don't have the same expectations that us 'youngsters' do and while we're angsting over a few degrees here and there, they just get on and sail through it anyway.
 
At the rehab place Ive just been to there were LOTS of senior citizens....a few 85+ hips or knees, a 96 year old back (very sprightly although quite worried about little things) and then the remainder (except for myself and a few in their 50s/60s) were in their 70s...all of these were a mixture of hips and knees although a majority of knees. One 84 year old had had a hip replacement revision, having previously had 2 knees and 2 hips done and severe rhumatoid arthritis (from the age of 13)....I guess the point is that at least in Australia there are lots of these surgeries being done.
I would think you would have to carefully investigate the issues of anaesthetic risks in the elderly, and their ability to cope with infection etc. My father in law has had lots of ops over the years and he has to involve the cardiologist, lung specialist, kidney specsialist, prostate specialist....and get them all to talk to each other....and come up with a plan....
R
 
That's all investigated in the pre-op assessment, kanga. And of the many, many 90+ patients I've nursed in the OR, those that were having routine surgery such as THR or TKR coped pretty well with the anaesthetic.

I also have scrubbed in for a considerable number of hips and knees on patients who were 98 and updwards. Even a couple or so that were 100+! How about that? (At least they never had to worry about having a revision for wear!)
 
80 and healthy and normally active is NOT old today!!! I have a 94 year old friend who had a TKR 10 years ago and is still walking a mile a day around a track and driving and doing stairs etc. In short -- living her life as she has been for decades. I have another friend who had a TKR 10 years ago and now he's 77 and just had the other knee done. He's bopping around like a kid. Overweight (not terrible) and all. Didn't even have much pain this time around. So like others have said -- try to help your father in law to get a really good surgeon -- one who does a lot of hip and knee replacements -- and a hospital with good pain management (ask) and a good PT and he'll be enjoying life for years to come!!! As long as he understands what to expect (and it could be within a range of pain, swelling etc as you know) -- tell him to go for it!!!
 
Your father in law does sound amazing! And as Rowdy so wisely points out, no one should have to live with pain, no matter how old they are!!! :) i
 
Thanks all for your input. I'll keep you posted on this. ...Hope
 
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