Bilateral TKR Sept 13, 2022

[sapphire13]

Hello Everyone,

New here, I have been reading on here on for the past several months, lots of great stories and valuable information. I want to share my story/journey. . .I am having a Minimally Invasive Bilateral TKR on September 13, 2022, BMI 27, no underlying health issues. Don’t know what minimally invasive really means as any total knee replacement is very invasive. Incision is supposed to be shorter, sparing the quads and a shorter recovery. I am so hoping that is the case.

Both knees are bone on bone/arthritis . Have seen 3 different ortho doctors past five years. Have had gel/cortisone shots, knee braces, none of which no longer work. Tried to hold off surgery until after 65 years of age, but felt knees wanting to buckle at times and the pain is excrutiating, walking, sleeping, standing is painful most of the time. Two of the doctors opted to replace knees at different intervals the other has extensive experience with minimally invasive knee replacements and only does knees, also gave me option to do both at the same time. I opted to do both at at the same time as they are both equally bad, did not want to do only one at a time as I don’t think the other knee could have held up.

I ride recumbant bike daily, stretch and do strengthening exercises as knee permits. Hopefully, my experience can help others, thank you.

 

[benne68]

Welcome to BoneSmart, @sapphire13. And congratulations on getting a surgery date!

So glad you found us, now as you still have plenty of time to prepare. I will share BoneSmart's helpful pre-operative guide here -- it's a lot to read, but I'm sure you will find many of these articles helpful as you prepare for surgery.

Knee Pre-Op Guide
If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:
Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic knee?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

Regardless of where you are in the process, the website and app My Knee Guide can help you stay organized and informed. The free service keeps all the information pertaining to your surgery and recovery in one place on your smartphone. It is intended to be a personal support tool for the entire process.

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced knee, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing knee recoveries

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

Again, welcome, and let us know if you have any specific questions or concerns -- or how else we can help!