I'm throwing this out here because I am not sure I have mentioned this but I read something about what could happen after you have a replacement without knowing that you might be allergic to nickel,
I had my Exactech LTKR on 3/2/2010 and my Mako L Partial on 6/14/2011, I had a dermatological infection on the first knee which was treated with antibiotics. That knee was always swollen and stiff but I managed. Had the Mako in June 2011. On September 27th.f 2012, I flew to Alabama with strange chest pains and when I landed, I could not breathe. I was rushed to the hospital ER and put in ICU with bi-lateral pneumonia, pericarditis, pleural effusion and was in septic shock. I developed AFib the next day. I spent 8 days in the hospital there while they did blood cultures of all sorts.They never found out what my infection was and I left the hospital on oxygen. I finally flew home on Oct. 15th and was back in the hospital more times because the pneumonia would not resolve. More blood cultures. Still no results. Then had broncospasms which made them finally drained my left lung of 300 cc's of cloudy transudate (I think it was called). The culture of that came back as reactive Mesothelial which was supposed to be further examined. No one did. Since then I have been weak, tired and started having problems with the knees. I have often wondered if that infection was a post-replacement infection. I had so many antibiotics during that month and a half that I wonder if it cleared up a knee infection.
Three weeks ago I had my second synovial aspiration and both came back negative but my right partial will not straighten out and is painful. My LTKR has been stiff for 4 years. I did a lot of PT trying to get it working but maybe I did more damage instead of helping it? Something about my calf muscles being stuck together. Just something I thought about tonight. Massage therapy tried to separate them with no success.
Fun time but wondering if it is all due to nickel allergy after all. Since my doctor says there is no proof the nickel causes problems. it is quite discouraging;
Ro
United States
