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TKR Its been worse than childbirth! Did I make the right decision?

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I have a Stryker Triathlon in both my knees and I am happy with them.

However, the most important factor in a successful knee replacement is the skill of your surgeon.

The variations between one brand of knee replacement and another are really only minor and I believe that you can trust your surgeon to choose what he/she is familiar with, and what suits your particular circumstances.

While I have had the same brand of knee replacement each time, I do know that my surgeon inserted a different brand into another of his patients on the same day as my surgery, so he is not "wedded" to one particular brand.
 
My OS is trained on several brands but typically uses only a couple. He indicated to me that he relies a lot on the company reps for support and keeping them on their toes by having them compete for his business works best for him and his patients. Which prosthesis he uses isn't determined until he actually gets in there and sees what he has to work with and which model fits best as I am not sure the "sizing" is 100% the same from one brand or model to the next.
 
I honestly don't even know what kind of knee my surgeon used. Didn't really matter enough to me to ask. If I remember, maybe I'll ask when I go for a check-up next year.


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I really don't know which I have. I will ask out of curiosity at my next visit in December
 
I asked at my six week check up. Some kind of Zimmer. I chose the surgeon, not the parts.
 
Thank you all for your encouragement! Yesterday's P/T session was very encouraging, and I was able to have more flex and movement. Finally see some improvement and mobility. I was able to get 6 more at home P/T sessions approved w. my insurance. My swelling doesn't seem to want to go away. I went back on Celebrex, hoping that it would help. Maybe, that's why I was able to flex a little more. So I am encouraged to try to do more exercises throughout the day. Don't worry, I am not aggressive, enduring just a little pain to push myself and I will only do a few minutes at a time. The first 3 weeks was so depressing and the pain seemed never ending, but now with the slight improvements, I'm having hope.
 
Good for you. This is progress.

If you would, please create a signature that includes your surgery date. To do this, mouse hover over your username at the top right of the screen. Choose Create a Signature from the drop down menu. THANKS! Having a signature means we always know easily when your surgery was done and it's so much easier to provide accurate advice or comments.
 
Prior to my surgery, I researched knees and recalls and was alarmed when I found recalls and a big recall on a computer cutting guide that surgeons use in calculating where to cut your bones for the new knee. So then I tried to find which brand had the least problems. Naively, I thought I had a choice, but soon found out that surgeons usually work with one brand and decides which "model" to use on you. I think it is important to know, in case there are problems or "recalls" later on. But it seems that most patients don't really care and are more concerned with their choice or surgeons, correct? One surgeon I contacted used a cementless knee. My surgeon used cement. I guess I'm the type who needs to know all the details.... :)
 
I think the fit matters most. And we, the patient, can't know what will fit unless we choose a doc who does custom devices.

I could be completely wrong about this, by the way. I just trust my doc. He's in his early sixties and this is all he does. Knees and hips, all day long.
 
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I have Exactech Optetrak on both "cemented"
 
What doc did you go to, Kneegone? I just got some names for my brother, and Seth Jerabek was recommended.
 
@kneegone you need to concentrate on getting rid of the swelling. You should be elevating feet above hip or higher as much as you possibly can. Things will get a lot better when the swelling is gone.
 
@Jane B,
I went to Dr. David Mayman, at Hospital for Special Surgery,NYC. I'd also recommend Dr. Steven Haas, at HSS and Dr. Andrew Pearle for Partial Knee Replacements (He specializes in robotic surgery). All of them are in the Top Doc book published by Connolly, I believe.
 
Thanks @tiredwife, ROM does seem directly correlated to my degree of swelling. My insurance doesn't cover an ice machine, so I've been making do with frozen peas, ice packs, and my latest invention (I saw on another link) is 1 part isoprophly alcohol and 4 parts water in a double ziploc bag. Its great cause it seems to stay cold longer and the "slushy" content is able to mould around my knee better.
 
@kneegone Hang in there. I had such issues and worries about my ROM as I went from 90 at the hospital to 70 three days later in my first PT. At four weeks, I was only around 90. I had so much swelling, there was no way the knee could bend. It will get better! I've had to work, gaining 1-2 degrees per week, but at 12 weeks out, I am now 120 in my left knee and 114 in my right. It's still a work in progress, but with time and patience (I hate that word) it is coming. You will gain more ROM as the swelling and pain decrease! I know how hard it is to have to work for every degree - but it will come and it is worth it. Keep icing, elevating, taking your pain meds and the best thing that helped me, just gently doing heel slides to stretch. Good luck.
 
Hi @kneegone your title grabbed me as that is the exact same words I said after my surgery. You will get through this and you will be okay. It's time and patience that's the key. If you read the articles sent to you by the moderators, you will be fine. The advice and guidance in there is truly amazing. Each one is nice and short, easy to read so when you've a reduced concentration span that's just great.

I wish you a good recovery journey, good luck!

Love Nana moon 27 xox
 
I went into PT this morning with a swollen, painful knee. I tried to loosen it up on the bike with heat on it. Wasn't having it. So after 5 min of massage and 10 heel slides, they elevated my knee and put some sort of electrical pulse thingy on it, and covered with ice. About 15-20 minutes. That really helped with the swelling. It hurt enough last night that I didn't sleep well, so I've been lying around ALL DAY! I hope you get relief, too! - Joni
 
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