TKR Implant loose soon after surgery.
- Thread starter psych96
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I thought that’s what you meant. Typos are so easy to make!
I’m not sure what to tell you. Second opinions can be so difficult. Like I said earlier, I’ve had 2 and they were no help.
We have had members see second opinions and get help, before the first year was up. It all depends on the issue.
Jamie will have better advice for you.
marieltha
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The ligament and brace topics or issues are tricky. In theory, the brace holds the knee in place as you walk, so you do not get that unstable, scary feeling. And sprains take forever to heal, it seems. I think, in hindsight, I underestimated the trauma on the soft tissue in both the operated knee and the so-called good knee.
I am feeling some improvement since I added the moist heat under the leg (hamstrings, then behind the knee, then calves) as I am icing at bedtime. And I do a bit of the moist heat again before getting up (duration determined more by how quickly I need to get up to use the bathroom than by how the knee/leg feels). What really aggravates me is that I now am on constant high alert, fearing that I cannot trust the ligament sprained knee, regardless of how it feels. At the last meeting, my OS said the ligament was healing fine. I see him again next week about the left foot (mri results), which seems to affect the entire body.
![[Bonesmart.org] Implant loose soon after surgery.](https://data.bonesmart.org/attachments/64/64756-a9d29f64d81453a2fb6ad5557c994fb7.jpg?hash=qdKfZNgUU6 "[Bonesmart.org] Implant loose soon after surgery.")
This Patience message is in today’s Conscious Cat blog by the author Ingrid King. Seems appropriate.
I am feeling some improvement since I added the moist heat under the leg (hamstrings, then behind the knee, then calves) as I am icing at bedtime. And I do a bit of the moist heat again before getting up (duration determined more by how quickly I need to get up to use the bathroom than by how the knee/leg feels). What really aggravates me is that I now am on constant high alert, fearing that I cannot trust the ligament sprained knee, regardless of how it feels. At the last meeting, my OS said the ligament was healing fine. I see him again next week about the left foot (mri results), which seems to affect the entire body.
This Patience message is in today’s Conscious Cat blog by the author Ingrid King. Seems appropriate.
@psych96 ... I'm so sorry you're going through all this.
Since you've lost confidence (and I don't blame you at all) in your original surgeon and their practice, going back to see them would seem to be pointless. I think you're better off with fresh eyes on your knee - someone who does not have a preconceived opinion.
I'm not surprised that your TKR knee is a bit smaller than your other knee. You've been wearing a brace and, while it may help with pain and mobility, it does restrict muscles from movement they need to keep strong. They can atrophy, but muscle tone can be regained once you're through all this. When you use a brace, your leg can become somewhat dependent upon it, which it sounds like you are noticing also. This also will be temporary once you can start exercising your leg again. In the meantime, can you do some exercises like ride a stationary bike each day for a while? That will at least put your muscles on notice that they are not going to be allowed to take a free ride forever and they need to continue to work properly.
Be careful when searching for stats on the internet regarding revision specialists. These are the doctors that see the problem and difficult cases day after day. It is logical that they might have a slightly different complication rate than surgeons doing straightforward primary cases. When I checked Dr. Lee in Pro Publica, his complication rate was 2% and he ranked on the lower end of "medium" on the chart. These numbers are just for Medicare patients, but they can give you an idea of a specific surgeon. You might want to at least talk with him or the surgeon in Philadelphia if you're willing to travel there.
I think you do need to have some additional consultations until you find a doctor that you are comfortable with.
Since you've lost confidence (and I don't blame you at all) in your original surgeon and their practice, going back to see them would seem to be pointless. I think you're better off with fresh eyes on your knee - someone who does not have a preconceived opinion.
I'm not surprised that your TKR knee is a bit smaller than your other knee. You've been wearing a brace and, while it may help with pain and mobility, it does restrict muscles from movement they need to keep strong. They can atrophy, but muscle tone can be regained once you're through all this. When you use a brace, your leg can become somewhat dependent upon it, which it sounds like you are noticing also. This also will be temporary once you can start exercising your leg again. In the meantime, can you do some exercises like ride a stationary bike each day for a while? That will at least put your muscles on notice that they are not going to be allowed to take a free ride forever and they need to continue to work properly.
Be careful when searching for stats on the internet regarding revision specialists. These are the doctors that see the problem and difficult cases day after day. It is logical that they might have a slightly different complication rate than surgeons doing straightforward primary cases. When I checked Dr. Lee in Pro Publica, his complication rate was 2% and he ranked on the lower end of "medium" on the chart. These numbers are just for Medicare patients, but they can give you an idea of a specific surgeon. You might want to at least talk with him or the surgeon in Philadelphia if you're willing to travel there.
I think you do need to have some additional consultations until you find a doctor that you are comfortable with.
psych96
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Thanks for your response. I have been exercising. The brace is open at knee so do stationary bike and all leg lift things and the like so not sure that it's lack of exercise. I am going to call a Dr. Booth who was recommended by my sister's ortho. PT person also said there was laxity in knee. My back has now given out so really feeling like a cripple.
He looks like a good choice, although I was a bit taken aback by his bio on his clinic's website that said he was "the most experienced joint replacement surgeon in the US." He's definitely not shy! 
However, he does appear to do a lot of surgeries and he has an acceptable complication rate...pretty much in the middle which is good if someone is taking on the more difficult cases as well as primary knees.
Please let me know how your meeting with him goes. I'd appreciate your feedback. Be sure and tag me so I see your post quickly.
However, he does appear to do a lot of surgeries and he has an acceptable complication rate...pretty much in the middle which is good if someone is taking on the more difficult cases as well as primary knees. Please let me know how your meeting with him goes. I'd appreciate your feedback. Be sure and tag me so I see your post quickly.
psych96
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@Jamie
Well I saw Dr. Booth but like everyone else he said I had to wait a year. He did another x-ray but didn't seem to show major issues as he just said not the best implant (about 4th down) and that the leg bones were of different spacing on the legs. However, my knee is no better and actually seems worse. Now, it hurts more after I do the least but of exercise (10 min on stationary bike and 10 mins Treadwell). Not only is the knee itself painful with weight bearing but the area around the knee hurts. Sometimes the muscles or whatever seem to hurt. It is still a good bit smaller than the other knee.
My back has gotten so bad that the pain clinic says I need surgery but back surgeon in past has said it's so bad that if he does surgery he wouldn't know where to stop. Think his plan is to wait until so bad can barely do anything so he doesn't have to do repeated surgeries. Don't want to do back surgery until something decided about knee. I am at my wit's end as getting pretty depressed not being able to exercise. Everyone keeps saying it takes a year but mine seems to be getting worse with time. Thanks.
Couldn't figure out how to tag you Jamie so not sure if you will get this quickly.
Well I saw Dr. Booth but like everyone else he said I had to wait a year. He did another x-ray but didn't seem to show major issues as he just said not the best implant (about 4th down) and that the leg bones were of different spacing on the legs. However, my knee is no better and actually seems worse. Now, it hurts more after I do the least but of exercise (10 min on stationary bike and 10 mins Treadwell). Not only is the knee itself painful with weight bearing but the area around the knee hurts. Sometimes the muscles or whatever seem to hurt. It is still a good bit smaller than the other knee.
My back has gotten so bad that the pain clinic says I need surgery but back surgeon in past has said it's so bad that if he does surgery he wouldn't know where to stop. Think his plan is to wait until so bad can barely do anything so he doesn't have to do repeated surgeries. Don't want to do back surgery until something decided about knee. I am at my wit's end as getting pretty depressed not being able to exercise. Everyone keeps saying it takes a year but mine seems to be getting worse with time. Thanks.
Couldn't figure out how to tag you Jamie so not sure if you will get this quickly.
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psych96
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Thanks Pumpkin for your rapid response. Wasn't sure if that was how to tag. I try to avoid pain medication; luckily I have good pain tolerance. I use Tylenol arthritis and if it gets really bad have oxy as well as cerebrex but I also have some white matter brain issues that no one knows the cause of so try to limit any NSAIDS as the last neurologist said may be vascular although I don't have high blood pressure and am on statins for cholesterol although my good cholesterol was always good due to exercising which will no doubt change.
I'm sorry you got the "wait a year" response. I know that's pretty standard but it doesn't really help someone who is having significant pain now. At this point, unless you can locate another surgeon to consult, you're going to have to wait until you have a year under your belt.
In the meantime, try exercise that that non-weight bearing such as riding a bicycle or stationary bicycle or pool exercises where the water supports your weight. If you are on statins and do some exercise, it's not a given that your cholesterol levels will change.
I'm sorry you are in this much pain, but I think you're doing the right thing by waiting about having back surgery if you can. Spinal surgery can be difficult and it can be true that, once you fix one area, the problem just moves up or down from there. At least your back specialist was honest with you. That's a good thing.
Thanks for letting us know how things went and please keep us updated on how you're doing.
In the meantime, try exercise that that non-weight bearing such as riding a bicycle or stationary bicycle or pool exercises where the water supports your weight. If you are on statins and do some exercise, it's not a given that your cholesterol levels will change.
I'm sorry you are in this much pain, but I think you're doing the right thing by waiting about having back surgery if you can. Spinal surgery can be difficult and it can be true that, once you fix one area, the problem just moves up or down from there. At least your back specialist was honest with you. That's a good thing.
Thanks for letting us know how things went and please keep us updated on how you're doing.
psych96
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So it's been a year and saw Dr. Booth again and he said there are problems; laxity, rotation and something else but he wasn't sure my back would stand up to PT necessary for revision. He sent me to his partner who is ortho surgeon and he was ready to do the back. Now I am really at my wit's end as almost everyone I have met has said you wait to do your back until you can barely get around. Back has gotten worse with bad knee so not sure what to do. It is left knee and most of back pain is in right buttocks and then at my shins; claudication I assume. I am still able to get around but vey limited. So both legs are bad at this point. I am really hesitant to do back now. Anyone else had both bad knee and bad back and which did you do first. I had thought maybe fixing knee would help back. I am definitely going to have to have back surgery at some point but would rather put it off. So have been really depressed. Been awhile since I have been on here so if I have somehow messed up protocol for how you do things I apologize.
PT is very variable and some of our members don’t go to formal PT and don’t do any rigorous types of rehab. They use their knee gently in their normal daily activities, increasing those activities gradually, and as able. They have had excellent outcomes with this recovery approach.
Also, there are PTs who are very gentle, so you could shop around to find one that would suit your needs.
So if the PT is the only factor, think about getting some other opinions about your knee, from a surgeon who does not know your current surgeon.
