I do hope someone might have some answers for me. Maybe someone might remember me.
I have been a member of Bonesmart since I had my left hip replaced in February, 2017. That recuperation was very good - no issues.
Due to a misunderstanding with my surgeon, I moved on to another well respected surgeon in 2018, when I required a right knee replacement. The RTKR was done in August, 2018. I posted a number of items about my dissatisfaction throughout that following year with the knee replacement.
It just was not right... burning pain! Despite two rounds of physical therapy and numerous x rays, I was told repeatedly my surgeon- who is also a revision surgeon - could find no issues. The knee used was anATTUNE - Synthes(??)
I have not posted anything to Bonesmart since I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. Now, that I have my partial mastectomy and treatment and am currently cancer free, I have gone back to trying to address my long term disappointment with the right knee replacement. It is STILL very painful upon weight bearing.
My current surgeon, who did the knee replacement, is a well regarded revision surgeon in the Pittsburgh area. Though I have had reasonable extension and range of motion, I don’t think I have had any day where I can say I have not had pain, mostly of a burning, numbing nature, on the front and slightly on the outside, above the knee, whenever I place my weight on it to walk. Sometimes it is of the “elastic” band, constrictive type and sometimes, just burning. I have had two complete rounds of physical therapy to no avail. Nothing ever shows up as a problem on blood tests, x rays, physical exams. My surgeon refuses to order an MRI or bone scan, as he keeps coming up with theories about what could be causing the pain and they sound logical to me. The latest has been ,” the hip is so bad, if you get the hip replaced, the knee will improve, also.” The right hip was completely shot, so I consented to trying that last month, I had my surgeon do a RTHR (March 10). This time, the right hip is also causing no issues as I recuperate, but the pain in the right knee feels even WORSE!
I will also add that last year I had paid for the LTT test for metal allergies. (My surgeon provided me a prescription, but I paid for the test)
The results were surprising to him: I proved to be “Highly Reactive” to Nickel (8.7), “Reactive” to Chromium and “Mildly Reactive” to Cobalt.
However, with the results, he still insisted that the success of revising a knee solely due to a metal allergy, in his experience, has been very variable. He said at least half of the people who have the revision with only the results of the test indicating an allergy (no fevers, no skin eruptions, no radiologic evidence of loosening or infection) experience no relief! He told me many people have metal allergies who don’t develop ANY pain or rejection of the metal after surgery. And when you add to that, revision surgery is a longer recovery, to (many times) no real difference in pain- he wanted to keep looking for other reasons for my ongoing pain. And thus, he thought, if my right hip was replaced, the knee pain would go away.
So, I followed his reasoning and had the right hip replaced March 10. ( I also was having hip pain that I knew would not improve, so it was a no- brainer to have the hip replaced. So, the hip is getting better , but the knee isn’t. In fact, I would say, it feels worse.
My first visit after surgery to the hip was last week. He told me the hip was fine - AND SO WAS MY KNEE. He did tell me he had to mend my adductor tendon and had a fair amount of stitch work. He also mentioned to me that he is starting to suspect my pain in the knee is originating from my back. He has told me that I must heal for another six weeks (from the right hip replacement on March 10) , but then I will need to explore CRPS as the source of my pain ( which I just don’t believe) and my back for clues as to the origin of the pain.
For the record, I did get a second opinion about all of this and the second surgeon, who is also a revision surgeon, agreed with my surgeon. He told me he would also advise me to get my hip replaced because there was a chance the pain was coming from the hip - and, since the hip was bad already - getting the hip done would help with the obvious hip pain I was having. (I should also mention that the revision surgeon is also in Pittsburgh, so they might know each other:-(. )
So, I have several questions tonight:
Has anyone been told similar things to what my surgeon told me? That revision surgery based solely on the LTT test showing metal allergy is only successful half the time?
That metal allergy is NOT ALWAYS a reason for revision?
Can burning pain on weight bearing at the front of the knee be originating from a back problem?
Thank you for listening to my long story.
If anyone has any advice for me, I’d love to hear it.
United States
One step at a time. Once you find out what you’re dealing with regarding your mammogram results you can then deal with your knee.
