Skimottaret
new member
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2020
- Messages
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- Age
- 58
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- Male
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United Kingdom
Hi all, I had a bi-lateral TKR done on 10 Nov 2020 and wanted to share my progress. Had done a lot of internet searching on bi-lats, and most of what I read or watched on youtube seemed to indicate months of sleepless nights, ongoing pain, instability but usually ok results after 6-12 months.. With covid I decided to opt for getting both done at the same time as wanted to take advantage of lockdown time as well as was concerned about not being able to get elective surgery done if the hospitals ran out of capacity. My surgeon said he used to do a fair amount of bi lats when in the NHS but as he has an excellent anaesthetist he partners with would be happy to do both of mine at once.
My surgery was done privately in the UK and the surgeon is very experienced, a practice owner, keen on sports and an avid skier who understood my desire to get as close as I could to my pre-arthritis days. I hope to get back to hiking/cycling/skiing at a good level, not just be able to "walk to the shops". He installed MatOrtho MKR "ball and socket" prosthetics. Over the last few years I did lots of yoga, stretching, cycling, and had 6 rounds of PRP injections but finally needed new knees as couldn't walk more than a mile or so with cycling getting painful due to ROM and my main sport skiing was very painful and almost couldn't do any longer.
The first 18 hours post operative were extremely difficult and almost overwhelming with pain. Two nights required in HDU with high dose morphine bolus but was discharged on day 4. Day 1 unable to get out of bed, day 2 walker, day 3 crutches and day 4 stairs. First two weeks lots of pain in the evenings and was only getting 2-4 hours sleep. Drug regime for first two weeks was 4 times daily.
1- 1x20mg Omeprozole, 1GR Paracetemol, 2x224 Naproxen, 1x75mg Pregabalin, 2x 50mg Tapentadol
2- 1xLymacycline, 1GR Paracetemol, 1x224 Naproxen
3- 1GR Paracetemol, 2x224 Naproxen, anti DVT SHOT
4- 1GR Paracetemol, 2x224 Naproxen, 1x75mg Pregabalin, 2x 50mg Tapentadol
1 or 2 x 5mg Oxycodone if required when pain spiked (needed first 10 days or so at night when couldn't sleep and woke up with burning pain)
I have home physio once a week and it was almost a full time job with four sets of exercises that took 40-50 mins each set, 20 mins of CPM on each leg and used an EMS muscle stimulator on opposite leg, followed by cryocuff on both legs for 20 mins. This was tough to do for the first two weeks as time consuming, tiring and painful. A few days I ended up dialling back the physio sets to 3 or 2 times daily after sleepless nights and replaced physio with passive movements using the CPM machine after consulting physio who has been excellent.
I had almost no bruising and limited swelling and wear TED socks 24-7 even when uncomfortable due to tightness.
By day 15 I had returned to my pre op ROM in both knees and almost sleeping through the night. Only pain meds are Naproxen, Paracetamol during day and Co-Codemol before bed. I have about 10 Oxytocin's tablets left but hoping won't be needed (but saving em up !). I am up and down stairs okay with crutches and walking 10 mins at a time.
Day 21 Surgeon review and my ROM is 115 in both extension 1 deg and swelling is way down. Dressings removed and wound virtually healed with minimal scarring.
Currently day 25 and walking outdoors 20-30 mins a day, CPM machine returned, 4x daily 20 min cryocuff/elevation and 20 min EMS, slightly less physio with more emphasis on improving my walking gait. Massaging the scar with bio oil now daily and only main issues I have is that my thighs are very numb and stiffen up easily if I overdo exercises plus I have put on 6 lbs of flab but overall I am delighted with my progress
I am no hero and not in ANY rush to get back to sports as I don't want to mess up my long term progress. I figure 6 months of hard effort will be needed, but I am happy to put in the physio and rehab effort. So far so good and I just wanted to put out a "good news" story for anyone considering bi - lateral as there doesn't seem to be much info online showing that it can work out just fine if you religiously follow the docs and physios advice.....
My surgery was done privately in the UK and the surgeon is very experienced, a practice owner, keen on sports and an avid skier who understood my desire to get as close as I could to my pre-arthritis days. I hope to get back to hiking/cycling/skiing at a good level, not just be able to "walk to the shops". He installed MatOrtho MKR "ball and socket" prosthetics. Over the last few years I did lots of yoga, stretching, cycling, and had 6 rounds of PRP injections but finally needed new knees as couldn't walk more than a mile or so with cycling getting painful due to ROM and my main sport skiing was very painful and almost couldn't do any longer.
The first 18 hours post operative were extremely difficult and almost overwhelming with pain. Two nights required in HDU with high dose morphine bolus but was discharged on day 4. Day 1 unable to get out of bed, day 2 walker, day 3 crutches and day 4 stairs. First two weeks lots of pain in the evenings and was only getting 2-4 hours sleep. Drug regime for first two weeks was 4 times daily.
1- 1x20mg Omeprozole, 1GR Paracetemol, 2x224 Naproxen, 1x75mg Pregabalin, 2x 50mg Tapentadol
2- 1xLymacycline, 1GR Paracetemol, 1x224 Naproxen
3- 1GR Paracetemol, 2x224 Naproxen, anti DVT SHOT
4- 1GR Paracetemol, 2x224 Naproxen, 1x75mg Pregabalin, 2x 50mg Tapentadol
1 or 2 x 5mg Oxycodone if required when pain spiked (needed first 10 days or so at night when couldn't sleep and woke up with burning pain)
I have home physio once a week and it was almost a full time job with four sets of exercises that took 40-50 mins each set, 20 mins of CPM on each leg and used an EMS muscle stimulator on opposite leg, followed by cryocuff on both legs for 20 mins. This was tough to do for the first two weeks as time consuming, tiring and painful. A few days I ended up dialling back the physio sets to 3 or 2 times daily after sleepless nights and replaced physio with passive movements using the CPM machine after consulting physio who has been excellent.
I had almost no bruising and limited swelling and wear TED socks 24-7 even when uncomfortable due to tightness.
By day 15 I had returned to my pre op ROM in both knees and almost sleeping through the night. Only pain meds are Naproxen, Paracetamol during day and Co-Codemol before bed. I have about 10 Oxytocin's tablets left but hoping won't be needed (but saving em up !). I am up and down stairs okay with crutches and walking 10 mins at a time.
Day 21 Surgeon review and my ROM is 115 in both extension 1 deg and swelling is way down. Dressings removed and wound virtually healed with minimal scarring.
Currently day 25 and walking outdoors 20-30 mins a day, CPM machine returned, 4x daily 20 min cryocuff/elevation and 20 min EMS, slightly less physio with more emphasis on improving my walking gait. Massaging the scar with bio oil now daily and only main issues I have is that my thighs are very numb and stiffen up easily if I overdo exercises plus I have put on 6 lbs of flab but overall I am delighted with my progress
I am no hero and not in ANY rush to get back to sports as I don't want to mess up my long term progress. I figure 6 months of hard effort will be needed, but I am happy to put in the physio and rehab effort. So far so good and I just wanted to put out a "good news" story for anyone considering bi - lateral as there doesn't seem to be much info online showing that it can work out just fine if you religiously follow the docs and physios advice.....
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