Revision TKR Hmm. Not thrilled with the revision yet

eaglemom

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I'll try to make sense here. My total revision was on Tue May 23rd. and came home on Thur. 25th. Surgery took just over 3 1/2 hrs. Lots to correct inside the knee. The tendons were quite messed up because the appliance was so loose. (Hello, that's what I've said for 3 yrs.)

I will admit its very sore & uncomfortable. The home health nurse is really pushing the meds to get the pain in the #3 area. Home PT came by and I was amazed at how much I was bending my knee. She gave me some exercises to do - but no exercises weight bearing.

I have air compression thingy's on both lower legs and ice machine pad on right knee. Its been a learning curve getting them on and off. Phew. I think we've finally got it down. With all of that its hard to get comfortable in the bed, but I think we've got my 'nest' finally correct. I need to elevate more.

I'm on 1 or 2 pain pills every 4-6 hr. If I go over that I quickly feel it in pain. Its such a fine line between moving around & being down. I'm going to get a shower today - that will make me feel better I know. And equally wear me out.

Any advice? Am I doing what I should be doing?

Thanks everyone
 
eagle mom,
Welcome to the otherside with your revision.
Sounds like you are doing what you need to do, letting your knee heal. Yes, you want to elevate when ever you are lying down.

Here is the post op reading:

First is the reading

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for TKRs


The Recovery articles:

There are also some cautionary articles here

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. While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
I had a spacer exchange two years after my tkr because of the looseness in the leg. The spacer exchange was not too painful, but I really took it easy in the first eight weeks. i read a lot of books on the couch with my knee elevated. I did do things like leg lifts and clam shells and quad sets to get the muscles moving again, but very little weight bearing exercise. I also rode a stationery bike.

Just past 8 weeks, I began to slowly begin weight bearing and started pt. It was a long time to regain my strength, but it was worth the long rehab, my knee is now completely stable.
 
I had a revision on my left knee 8 months after the original surgery. The entire knee was replaced. Fortunately I the knee cap and button were ok. Everything was misaligned. I found that after the second month my pain levels started to dominish. I took it very easy in those months. I did no exercises that caused me pain. That isn't to say I did nothing at all. I started very slowly on some exercises as the pain diminished. I iced and elevated for as often as I can. Give your knee extra TLC. I'm sure you will be happy with the result.
 
I had a revision from a PKR to a TKR almost 10 weeks ago. It's been harder than my first surgery which has been frustrating to accept. My ROM is slowly coming along and the stiffness and tightness is with me all the time. However I am seeing improvements!!

Stick with the pain meds regularly. And don't do any exercises that hurt.

The first two months I did gentle PT twice a week and not much else. Lots and lots and lots of resting, icing and elevating. Now, whenever I am not up and about I naturally head to my recliner and ice and elevate. It just feels natural now. I am finding I'm able to walk more and more but I'm still using my cane just so it keeps my gait correct. When I don't use I tend to limp and that's not good and hurts my back and hips.
 
Congratulations on reaching the other side and arriving at home! Getting the *nest* right is a doozy, isn't it? Wishing you a restful night!
 
Not too bad of a night, for that I'm thankful. I can't seem to get the leg elevated where its comfortable yet. It's all a learning curve.

Something that makes me smile are our dogs. Since I'm on the 4 hr pain meds routine, they have adopted it also. Once my alarm goes off they see me take something and they dash to the door for outside time!! It just cracks me up - maybe results from the brain fog.

Plans for the day, rest, ice, medicate and elevate.
 
You're doing all the right things. I hope you can find a way to elevate your leg more comfortably. You don't have to keep it entirely straight - a little bend is fine.
 
I've gotten two home PT visit under my belt. I think this gal and I work very well together. I'm amazed at how far I can bend already. I've rehabbed 6 other knee surgeries and this by far is the least aggressive and most response my knee have ever given.

My main complaints are stiffness / tightness / swelling. It feels as though my skin on my shin will rip from being so tight. I'm off to ice, elevate and compress.........PT is kicking me.
 
I'm glad your therapists is OK. Don't overdo the exercises. You really only need very little exercise initially. It's more important to concentrate on reducing the swelling.
 
May day May day, I have an issue. My staples are covered with a big medicated covering. The wound has been weeping but its all been inside of the bandage. However, last night it sprung a leak. What an icky mess - my leg, pj's, top and bottom sheets and mattress pad.

I'm going to call the surgeons office the second they open. The bandage should be in place two weeks, its only been 1 week. Any idea's what they will do? Remove it and put another one? Just remove it? Somehow all of the staples have to be covered. Nope, didn't plan on this at all.
 
Don't worry. This can happen from time to time. I know that my incision kept on leaking and I had to have the wound re-dressed twice before my stitches came out.

Instead of phoning, why don't you just turn up at the surgery? I'm sure when they see your leaking dressing they will find time to deal with it.
 
Be sure to get that weeping checked out and then let us know what he says!
 
Catching up and the meltdown.
The weeping the knee was doing they aren't concerned about. It is at the bottom of the staples, thinking it is just excessive fluid while washing the knee out while placing staples. As precaution they have put me on an antibiotic.

My meltdown happened last night. I'd had home PT in the morning and she introduced 2 different exercises. I had been down most of the day and a decent day. That is until later evening. The knee was getting sore, very sore. Then my thigh muscle decided it needed to start spamming, and it went down hill after that.

I know getting overwhelmed is part of the process, this just kind of happened. I'm only 11 days post op, and I've been on top of pain medications. The 'it just hurts badly,' I can't control this, make it stop crying. (For me to cry is huge deal because I just don't do it.) I calmed down but goodness, that was out of the blue.

On Tuesday they will remove the staples, that has to help. They are itchy, and hot!! Keeping on med schedule today, obviously. Anything else I should or should not be doing? I don't want a repeat of last night.
 
It is wise to stay on your med schedule for the first month. Whatever the new exercises were, they should not hurt or be painful. If there's pain that is your knee saying stop, this is too much. Sometimes there isn't pain at the time of therapy, but it comes on later. No squats, lunges, toe raises or weights should be done at this early point in recovery. I hope today is a better day for you.
 
@eaglemom, I am just one day ahead of you post-surgically and had a dual experience, including the meltdown after a rough PT visit on Friday. Like you, I don't typically cry, so even that added to my stress level. I had about zero sleep Friday night, despite doubling up on pain meds (allowed) and there just wasn't enough ice in the world. Yesterday was quite challenging, however today is MUCH BETTER! I spent yesterday glued to the sofa with the ice and my pillows for elevation. The only walks I took were to the bathroom. I will spend a very low-key day today as well despite improvement. For what it's worth, my PT has been fired, but not only due to this unfortunate session, but other complicating factors as well. I hope your pain level improves as quickly as mine did. (((BIG HUGS)))
 
Tears are just part of the journey. I cry every time I shower! Something about it, I just don't know. It happens.

You will feel so much better when the staples come out! Mine were removed on Tuesday. I didn't even realize how much I felt them until they were GONE!!!


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum
 
@KarriB, really? How awful for you! But, you did have the extra added *perk* of post-surgical infection, so those tears were very hard earned. I think the only reason I dislike crying is because it affirms to me that *_____I am not in control.* Yes, control-freak here. I will admit that once the tear ducts open, it can feel good on some level. Many years ago, I read somewhere that tears release built-up toxins, so in that sense I suppose they could be considered medicinal, eh?
 

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