Is it worth it?

[Breeze]

Hi... I'm new here so will give a hopefully brief intro as my question is it worth getting a TKR?

24 years ago I was in a car accident and had to have a plate and screws to repair my knee. Fast forward to now, my knee is end stage arthritis, bone worn down, always swollen and warm to the touch, knoc-kneed, sore, annoying! What makes it worse is that a year ago I broke my hip on the same side and needed hip pinning. I should add I fell down stairs as my knee gave out.

My hip has healed nicely but my knee affects my hip and vice versa. My hip surgeon is referring me to a knee surgeon to go over risks of a TKR as I'm 44 and my knee is a "different circumstance." He mentioned a risk of drop foot because of the tendons... My angle is around 24 degrees, it should be 6. It sounds like a TKR is my only option.

I remember my first knee surgery being very difficult, though it was not a TKR. Can anyone please share their experiences with length of recovery and if the new knee is making a difference? I am a teacher, so am on my feet a lot.

Thanks!

 

[Celle]

Hello @Breeze

I have moved your new thread to the Knee Replacement Pre-Op Area, because you haven't had your knee replacement yet.
Don't let that worry you - lots of people who have had their operations come back to the Pre-Op area to post, as well as posting about their recovery in the Post-Op area.

I've read your posts in the "How young is too young?" thread and seen your concerns there as well.

Let me tell you that having a knee replacement is most definitely worth it. You won't think so for the first few months, but you will be pleased later on. It will be a long recovery, but it really worthwhile.

What you have now is a knee that was injured and now has end-stage arthritis. Your knee is only going to get worse. It won't get better. The pain you feel now will continue to increase as well. It is likely to fail again and you risk falling again, too.

You have been wrongly advised if anyone told you that you are too young for a knee replacement. That is very old-fashioned and outdated advice. Now that knee replacements are lasting 30 year or more, you should not have to wait until you are "old enough." We have had lots of people in their thirties and forties on BoneSmart who have had their knees replaced.

You certainly are too young in one respect - too young to feel so old and so held back by a dud knee!

As your knee has been damaged, I think you should seek a second opinion from a surgeon who is experienced at dealing with problem knees, not just a surgeon who does routine, uncomplicated knee replacements.

Your current surgeon was right to warn you about the possibility of a dropped foot - legally, he has a duty to warn you of all potential complications - but dropped foot is quite a rare complication and you are not necessarily going to experience it. Don't let that possibility put you off.

I was wrongly advised, back in 1991, that I was "too young" for a knee replacement, at 50. This resulted in my spending 9 long and painful years before having my knee replaced. During that time, I was miserable, in constant pain, and I became progressively more disabled, until I was almost housebound. I had to give up almost all the things I like doing, as my life became smaller and smaller.
I finally had my knee replaced in 2000 and that gave me back the life I wanted.

Don't make the same mistake as I did. Get your knee replaced as soon as possible, by an expert, and after a period of convalescence, you will be able to start living life to the full again. You are too young to be crippled by a failed knee.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

100% agree

Your knee is only going to get worse.

This is key, IMO. By contrast, recovery pain is (initially) challenging -- but no worse than what you have now, and only going to get better.

 

[dadman35]

I am a teacher too, primary, putting in 10000+ steps per day with a tkr on Valentines 2017. Prior to I couldnt walj without bone on bone pain and know, even though I am still recovering, elevating and icing, for me it was well worth it. Your situation sounds different with more complications, and everyone is different but thought I would share.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart Forum

 

[tkrme]

I was still teaching primary when I had arthroscopic surgery on both knees. I should have had replacement then. TKR I walked in a few days with out aid in the house.
With the arthroscopic I was on crutches for weeks. I was able to go back to teaching but could not walk my students anywhere. An aide had to do that. I actually retired earlier than I wanted to because of my knees. Had I had knee replacement, I would have taught longer instead of retiring st age 52.
After the tkr you will be so glad you did.
If u can arrange soon you should be ready to go by fall semester

 

[katdog]

I am a teacher too and am getting my RTKR on May 30. That gives me three months to prepare to go back. I too am bone on bone, the kneecap is just sloshing around in there. The near constant pain keeps me exhausted and taking a prescription NSAID all the time, supplemented about twice a week with percocet.

Everyone tells me this will be worth it and that is what I hope. My dad always said to hope for the best but know the worst can happen. With a satisfaction rate of plus 90%, I figure the odds are good.

My biggest worry is that I have deformed feet - a mild clubfoot - and have had reconstruction on the same side as the knee. My surgeon, who does a lot of knees, says the surgery won' t make things worse. Time to give it a try to get my life back. For example, I am typing this as I avoid going out to Costco. I know it will be a zoo and I will have to stand in line forever. That hurts! I look forward to putting that avoidance of so many things behind me.

 

[Red's Mom]

@katdog you will be happy with your new knee in a few months!
@Breeze as others have said with the natural knee things will only get worse. You have already suffered a fracture due to that one giving out. With a new knee things will only get better. I found the first 3 weeks to be very difficult but then slowly things get better. By 8 weeks life was a bit normal again. Now at 5/6 months respectively most of the time I don't even know I had them replaced.

My life before replacement was getting smaller and smaller because of avoidance behaviors. Now my life is returning to activities and enjoyment.

I became a total convert to the BoneSmart way with my OS approval. I now have full extension and great flexion 140/120. I hope my R leg catches up with my L at some point but I am already 100% happy that I did the replacements. It was a difficult 8-12 weeks but totally worth it.

 

[Celle]

I've had both my knees replaced. Recovery can be long and tedious, but I think it was absolutely worth it to have the surgeries.

Without the replacements, I would be in a wheelchair full-time by now.

Instead, I'm active, running my own household, doing all the cleaning and a bit of gardening, babysitting and playing with my grandchildren, walking every day, and travelling once a year from New Zealand to the UK, to visit my daughter, who lives there.

 

[skigirl]

For the first two weeks I rarely stirred from bed or couch, but by week three, I was up and about. I could get up on the third day to get my own ice and meals. You will be fine.

 

[Josephine]

had to have a plate and screws to repair my knee. I remember my first knee surgery being very difficult, though it was not a TKR

Yes, an ORIF (open reduction and internal fixation) is a lot trickier than a TKR because of all the trauma you had. The TKR won't be like that.

As I two knee veteran, I can say that my knees were very much worth it and now I hardly ever think about them. But the key is, forget the 'aggressive PT' and the 'work hard' ethic. It's all a fallacy. There are many of us on here that did our TKR recoveries with no exercises or physiotherapy at all, not even so much as a single heel slide and we all came out of it with really great results. I recommend you read my recovery thread to see how little exercising I did for either knee! Knee recoveries UK style Parts I & II (Josephine)

 

[katdog]

Red's Mom -Are you riding horses with the knees? I have always wanted to take that up again when I retire and just hope the body holds out to do it.

 

[Breeze]

Thank you all so much! I am feeling more at ease now. I hope to hear from the knee doctor soon so we can set up an appointment and go over options. I'll get a knee brace for walking and for when I teach PE, but that won't fix anything. The doctor said injections most likely will not do too much and removing the plate and screws will not do much. So it sounds like the only option is TKR. I am in Canada, so it may be a lengthy wait but at least I can get things rolling. Hopefully I am not told, "You're too young." I would like my middle years to be pain free. And, I think because of the knockneed I am walking unnaturally which is making my hip sore.

 

[KarriB]

I was teaching first grade when I had my TKR, I retired last June. Teaching with arthritis pain was awful. I was in a lot of pain taking my kids to lunch, specials, assemblies. Fellow teachers often offered to deliver meals students for me and although I didn't like doing this, it was necessary the 2 months before my surgery.

I went back to mornings only at 12 weeks and full time 6 weeks later. Even having the summer to recover, you'll still be extremely tired when returning to school in the fall. Good news, you'll be able to do what needs done at school much easier than before TKR. Last year I told my student that although I was 59 yrs old, mother knee was only 2 years old. They were confused.

 

[sistersinhim]

Oh yes, it is well worth it! Be prepared to lay around a lot for a few months. You need that downtime for your knee to heal before working it. But, it definitely is worth it!