Dr shopping

[kysor]

my knees are junk had scoped the right one twice in the last ten years and left one was damaged as a teen and have just lived with the troubles and bit the bullet.but after my last scope on the right one it never got better and that was 4 years ago.asked the Dr last year if we could do replacement and he kinda insulted me. said i was to young and to heavey.that the replacement parts will prematurly wear out.hahah nothing like a great bedside manner.sure im over weight! he wants me to drop 75 lbs before he will think of it.been doing weightwatchers but without excersize you realy dont have much hopoe to loose weight.problem is my knees are so bad im dropping celebrex and tylenol daly just to keep enough movement to keep a job.
should i just pick up the phone book and seek another opinion ?

 

[Jamie]

You absolutely need to begin a search for another opinion. There are surgeons who are comfortable with performing surgery on overweight patients. You didn't say how overweight you are, I'm assuming it's somewhere around the 75 pounds this doctor asked you to lose, right? Many of our forum members have had knee replacements under these conditions.

Hopefully you are near a large city. That gives you more options. Here is a (broken link removed: https://bonesmart.org/clinic_lookup.phpto help you find a good surgeon....it's better than the yellow pages!

Let us know how things go for you!

 

[Jamie]

Kysor, in another thread you said:

The same thing happens to me (knee giving out), but I havent had the surgery yet. Knee just gives out for no reason. I think on me it's a nerve issue or some kind of debris are floating around.

This was happening to me prior to my knee replacement. It had nothing to do with debris or nerves. It was arthritis that had damaged the joint. But I didn't realize it because I didn't have any pain. I'd just be walking along and suddenly my right knee would buckle and I'd be flat on the ground. I had no idea it was a knee problem. Now that I have my new knee, it has not happened since.

Good luck on your surgeon hunt. You'll find one that you trust....

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[loggon]

Yes you need to find a good OS and I am sure you will be able to.

As you said you need to exercise and with the knees in the shape they are, you can't. I know the feeling. I gained a lot of weight from not being able to be very mobile for over 3 years. Now that I have had a Right Total Knee Replacement (RTKR) I am able to exercise again. Hope to get some of the weight off.

There is a place on this forum that you can check for a doctor. Sorry I am not sure where.

 

[Texas]

Yes Yes you should Im 41 they said I was too young. You can find someone to do it. A good Dr though. Maybe then when your not in pain and able to get around the weight will come off. But do that for yourself....You can find a Dr it took me 3 but dont wait till your older its just wasting your time when you could have this done and move on with your life....Keep us posted..Where do you live that way maybe someone can help with a Dr...Good Luck to you, hang in there dont give up...

 

[Motherofmany]

Hi Kysor,

Welcome to Bonesmart. Yes! Definitely look for another doctor who is willing to listen to your situation. I am 43 and have had the surgery done. There are many others on here in their 40s and a few in their 30s. I don't think this problem is age sensitive.

My OS said I should get 20 years out of this knee. My other option was about a 6 month patch and I would be here again. Since this was the solution, I went for it now. Why continue in bone on bone pain with the hopes that I would gain 6 months?

You know your level of pain and what you can live with. I was at the point of taking 4 ibuprophen just to get through Walmart and be able to drive home. My knees would wake me up at night and I couldn't get comfortable. It was time!

Hope you are able to find a good surgeon that will give you the relief you need.

Blessings,

 

[Josephine]

kysor, you haven't actually said how old you are. That would be interesting to know. We've had members on here in their twenties have had knees done, one had a bilateral (both done at once!). Some surgeons are prepared to look at things from the quality of life point of view rather than the possibility of redoes. What's the point in wasting one's life away in bondage of this disability just to save a few years on when a revision might become due?

It's like this: these years we waste being disabled with bad knees or hips we will never get back again. Anything might happen (not to be too gloomy) a few eyars down the line. Life is too precious to waste like this.

 

[Dawnie]

Kysor, I was in the same situation, just a few weeks ago my OS advised me to lose some weight and come back in 6 mths, even though he conceded that at aged 49 my knees are severe. I appealed and he has offered me BTKR on 28th Sept.
I too told him it was difficult to lose weight without exercise, to which he replied 'utter rubbish'. Having now lost 18 lbs in the last 3 weeks I have to agree with him. But, you do have to be very disciplined.
But, the advise offered above is right, push for a surgeon who will operate, I followed Jo's advice and hence I have a date for the operation.
Good Luck, don't give up.