Four Weeks Post Left TKR

[sstoots]

tomorrow marks the 4 week mark and I am generally very pleased. I have about 112 degrees of flexion and each morning the knee feels a little better. I rode my spinnng bike for 30 minutes each day last week (around 12K), but decided to rest it yesterday. I started going to the gym two weeks ago and working on upper body resistance exercices. My stamina and strength is slowly coming back . And yesterday I rode my motorcycle for an hour!!
I hadn't ridden in since the Sunday before surgery ( I ride a 2001 Indian). Forgot how much I missed the experience. I felt comfortable and didn't have any qualms about putting my left foot down when coming to a red light or stop sign.

One thing I did want to mention and ask everyone about. Does your OS delegate too much to their PA? I went in for a 3 week visit and didn't even see the OS. His PA came in and looked at the x-ray, asked me how I was doing, checked my ROM and said 'see you in 3 months'. I saw the OS
for 10 minutes a day after surgery and saw him in the office for 10 minutes
when I had a post operative hematoma drained. That's it. Here's what I have decided to do. At the three month visit, if the PA comes in and the OS doesn't soon appear, I will politely ask to see the OS and if I am told he can't see me due to patient scheduling obligations, I will immediately leave the office. This is ridiculous in my mind. A PA is not a doctor . A PA is a master degreed health professional. Yes, after years working with an orthopedic surgeon and seeing hundreds (thousands) of knee replacement patients, I don't deny they have knowledge I don't have, but I picked the OS because of his skill and experience, not his PA's!!

Thoughts?

 

[Texas]

Mine did. Your right I saw him the day of surgery. Then really I might have seen him one other time. So yes I guess hes seeing all the knew patients IDK..Wow I cant believe you are 4 weeks doing all that geez I was no were there that. So take it easy but be careful.....Very impressed....Good Job..Keep it up!!!!..

 

[Josephine]

Well, here in the UK we don't have PAs (well we do but they're in a different category to yours) but we do have registrars who are the consultant surgeon's second hand men(or women!). They are in training to be consultants themselves and usually possess a considerable training history, have their FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons which is mandatory if they are to be surgeons) and many other degrees and certificates. So when a patient is new he/she sees the consultant but thereafter, unless there are extenuating circumstances, will be seen by the registrar.



However, I always see my consultant as I have extenuating circumstances - I know him!! :lvros: