How long do they last? I dread revisions.

[Timmy N]

Right now i'm 43 yrs old. I had my RTN done in Aug 2008. Say my knee lasts 15 years, I'll still be only 58. Oh I dread the revision. I figure that with age your activity level will slow-down too. But is having many revisions done over a life-time common? What if I'm still active at age 80. I walk & golf about 4-5 times a week right now.

 

[Judles]

Re: 2 Questions...

Welcome, Timmy! Why are you worrying about this NOW??? Go out and LIVE your life and think POSITIVE!!! Don't worry about something you can't control!!!! (0)

 

[FrogFeathers]

Re: 2 Questions...

Right now i'm 43 yrs old. I had my RTN done in Aug 2008. Say my knee lasts 15 years, I'll still be only 58. Oh I dread the revision. I figure that with age your activity level will slow-down too. But is having many revisions done over a life-time common? What if I'm still active at age 80. I walk & golf about 4-5 times a week right now.

I'm 39 and my surgeon told me that he didn't like to do TKR on "someone so young, but sometimes, we have no choice."

Before he said that to me, he was giving me all the information I needed and said that replacement joints last only fifteen to twenty years. I was thinking, "Great, he isn't going to help me... I'm right back where I was before..." but, I said out loud: "That's fifteen to twenty years I won't have without the new joint." I kind of think that's what he was hoping I would say.

I used to be active, then spent more than three years almost utterly sedentary. I'm starting over from scratch. I look forward to these coming fifteen to twenty years. Like Judles said, enjoy it now!

By the way, I live on the edge of the local public golf course. Seeing the terrain at this course, I'm impressed that you can golf so much! That's a heckuva hike!

 

[Josephine]

Welcome to BoneSmart, Timmy. I moved your post and replies into a thread of your own so's not to derail Hearth_Cricket's thread.

Truth is, these numbers are just that - numbers! Don't get too hung up on them. People are walking around now who had their knees put in 15 years ago and even more! Given the developments and improvements in implant design and manufacture and the advance of surgical technique, it's not improbable that knees put in today should be expected to last a LOT longer maybe even 20 years.

Apart from that, I have to say that during my career I've only rarely known people having a second revision let alone a third. No idea why but it's a fact. In any case, 20 years is an awful long time. Why not try concentrating on the here and now instead of something that will happen years from now?

 

[ship4]

Timmy,
Welcome! What kind of knee did you have put in? I have 2 ~ Johnson & Johnson Depuy Complete knee systems. I had x-rays done of both knees one year out from surgery as a baseline for my plastic inserts within the joints. My OS will x-ray the knee joint every 2 years and when the wear to the insert is such that I will need a new one, he will schedule surgery to replace the plastic insert only. I should not have to have my bones cut again barring any other situation such as infection locating in the joint and requiring replacement.......
So, my advice is to enjoy your knee now and be proactive with having your spacer checked periodically.

 

[Judles]

Golf???? A good walk spoiled!!!! (0)

 

[Nancyo]

Timmy,
I have to ask you to go into the Social Room and read the thread: "17 Years and 5 Total Joint Replacements". The thread is about my husband and believe me, after all the stress and activity he puts his total joints through... Tim you don't have much at all to worry about! LOL his name is Tim also! We all know that accidents do happen, but don't worry about the "what-if's".
If your active on the golf course now, there is no reason why you still can't be golfing a long, long time in the future. Please keep us informed as to how your doing and how your golf game is going! We do care!
Blessings always~
Nancyo

 

[Texas]

Hey Timmy sorry you have to do it again but if you are able to have fun live life and get around i hope the same happens for me....If you are getting yrs with no pain its worth it.....but i understand you dont want to do it again......but we are all here for ya........I think you will being swinging that golf club in no time.............)hang in there post anytime........

 

[Josephine]

All knees can have their plastic insert changed, Crystal. But in actuality, few do.

 

[Jamie]

Hi, Timmy. Welcome to BoneSmart.

I agree that this is not the time to worry about a revision! Heck, if your knee is doing this well, you may just have it a VERY long time. Enjoy your bionics!!! You earned it.

Medicine has come so far in the last 15 years, who KNOWS what will be the options 15 or 25 years down the road! Maybe by the time you need a second knee joint, things will be so advanced that they just "touch" your knee like ET did in the movie to heal people! :hehe:

 

[Timmy N]

I didn't even think about just changing the plastic portion only. Good thinking Josephine!!!

 

[brs0660]

Medicine has come so far in the last 15 years, who KNOWS what will be the options 15 or 25 years down the road! Maybe by the time you need a second knee joint, things will be so advanced that they just "touch" your knee like ET did in the movie to heal people! :hehe:


I think they will have blow in plastic. Stick a small needle in the knee and it will expand to the needed thickness...like blow in insulation:hehe:

 

[calling_all_angels]

Barb,
I have no doubt that there will always be new and better
ways to fix joints!!! But I like the idea of the needle blowing in
insulation.

 

[Surfsister]

I thought about the prospect of doing this again in my lifetime. You know what? That's fine. The way I (and others above) see it, the technology will be so much more advanced in 20 years that the revision won't be as big a deal as it is now. For all we know, the revision may end up being a relatively minor surgery by that point in time.

Life's too short to worry about the revision right after you get the knee replacement. I did it too. Then I moved on. The knee replacement opens doors. Why would you start closing them by worrying about something that's decades in the future?

 

[Timmy N]

Golf???? A good walk spoiled!!!! (0)

I'm trying to figure out how to properly communicate & function accordly W/ Bonesmart Forum. As to the type of knee I had put in, I need to find out again. I wrote down the name somewhere can't find it.