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TKR Lesions caused by metal sensitivity

No I have not been able to meet with the surgeon after the first visit. I have met with the PA but he basically interrups and doesn't want to hear questions. I am about to have the surgery this next Wednesday, April 18, and I am terrified that I am making a mistake and will end up worse. The radiation doctor said that there is only a 1% chance of developing cancer following the radiation treatment and a 50% chance of me developing more scar tissue and bone spurs which will make the whole revision surgery for not if I don't have the radiation treatment so I am going ahead with It but very reluctantly. If anyone has information that what the radiation doctor has told me is incorrect, will you please, please, please let me know!? Thanks so much.
 
@uscbgal1971,
Sorry I don't have an answer for you about the radiation, but understand your hesitancy.
I will tag @Josephine , for you.
Sending positive thoughts your way for Wednesday.
 
@ucsbgal1971
Just to help reassure you a bit - I hope - I have had a revision and it has been a great success. No problems and a good, reliable knee afterwards.
 
ucsbgal1971 said:
I was surprised when he said no way as far as the radiation treatments so I have decided not to have them.
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Sorry. I read back a couple of pages but couldn't see a post explaining why radiation treatment was suggested. Can you tell me why?
 
Actually everything did not go so well as every time I put any weight on the revised knee it buckles. I am so upset. I am going to be crippled for the rest of my life. The worst mistake I made in my life was to have a tkr and then revision. Plus I have been running a 101 temp for ten days following the surgery. I guess I am going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life anyway after all. I can't even write how scared despondent and upset that I am.
 
Josephine, Apparently I made an unusual amount of scar tissue. The radiation treatment right before the surgery was to prevent scar tissue and bone spurs from forming. I changed my mind and went ahead with the treatment but now I regret it. I subjected myself to potential cancer in the future for nothing because I doubt that I will be able walk again because the knee buckles every time I walk on it.
 
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I have had 11 or 12 surgeries in my life due to various medical problems. As a result, I have had numerous cat scans X-rays, radiation treatment. Radiation is apparently accumulative and my family physician warned me that I have had a lot more exposure than the average person. He recommended that I not have any more exposure unless it was absolutely necessary due to the cancer risk. Apparently, my os was surprised to find so much scar tissue as it didn't show up on the studies he had. My surgery took longer than expected due to that complication. The radiation treatment was to prevent scar tissue from forming again but there was a problem with the scheduling and my surgery was supposed to be scheduled within two hours after the radiation treatment but it wasn't scheduled until 7 hours later. I don't know if the scheduling problem minimized the affect of the treatment and am upset that I exposed myself to cancer with this treatment for nothing.

#heterotopicossification
 
If a knee is buckling right after surgery, can it get better through physical therapy and strengthening exercises or is my surgery just another failed attempt at improving the situation?
 
Yes, your knee can get better. Give it time.

Many of us have experienced the knee buckling. It happens because the muscles and tendons supporting your knee externally have lost some strength. As they regain their strength, the buckling should gradually stop. Until it does, keep using a walking aid, so that the buckling doesn't cause a fall.

The buckling doesn't mean that the revision was a failure at all.
 
ucsbgal1971 said:
I have had 11 or 12 surgeries in my life due to various medical problems. As a result, I have had numerous cat scans X-rays, radiation treatment. Radiation is apparently accumulative and my family physician warned me that I have had a lot more exposure than the average person.
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Oh my goodness! I do think this is so overplayed! I've worked in operating orthopaedic theatres for all my working life and in the old days, I would have to hold the plate carriers to xray a hip. And there were no lead aprons in those days either.

There were times when theatre staff would start worrying about the amount of exposure they got so we hung a monitor on the operating light where it would be at the centre of all xraying done there and after the usual period of time which was, I believe, about 2 months, it was sent away to the lab to be checked and the results came back negative! Modern scanners and xray machines actually emit very small amounts of radiation so the danger is actually minimal. So I really wouldn't worry about it.
 
Josephine and Celle, Thank you so much for your responses! Maybe I will be ok. I sure hope so. It was good to hear about the radiation probably not being a problem. Everyone on both sides of my family died of cancer so I have been very worried about the xray exposure. I am so glad that there is the possibility to build up my leg and that the buckeling will go away. My nurse just came in the room have to go.
 
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Maybe there is hope after all. I am glad that I finally posted here. I was reluctant because I was feeling so discouraged. The rash and temp are diminishing and my pain is very tolerable. I am so glad that I still have a chance and that I just need time and strengthening and the buckling will probably go away. I so want this surgery to come out positively! I now have 80 degrees rom so things are going in the right direction. Thank you for your support. I needed it. I saw the PA today and he reiterated what Josephine and Celle wrote to me so that was confirmation that I still have a chance. Thanks so much!
 
HELP! I am totally frightened and don't know what to do.

I had my three week post-op visit today with my surgeon's PA. I had a revision of my first implant. I was upset that I couldn't see the doctor as I have not seen him once to discuss the surgery results but I am not allowed to see the doctor until six weeks have passed.

They took an X-ray of my knee today. I saw it on the PA's computer and noticed a big glob of something in my leg that is not in the bone. When I asked the PA about it, he said that it is bone cement that leaked out of the bone because a hole had been blown out in my bone due to the pressure when they were putting the bone cement in the bone.

I am very concerned about this because they made no mention of this complication so it seems to me that they are hiding something. Am I in serious trouble? Can you walk around with a big glob of bone cement in your leg? What if some breaks off? Could I have a stroke? What should I do!?

My leg is absolutely huge compared to the first replacement in my leg. I am sensitive to bone cement. Could the swelling be because of this cement that is in the wrong place?

OMG! I truly am frightened. Shouldn't they have stopped the leaking before they closed me up? Good grief! I pray that I am frightened for nothing but I think it is odd that they never mentioned it and I would have never known had I not seen the X-ray.

The PA said that it happens in about one out of one hundred cases. Any info will be greatly appreciated. I truly am terrified. My calf is at least twice maybe three times the size that it was before the surgery and so is my thigh.
 
I'm so sorry you have this additional worry.

I'm going to ask @Josephine to advise you, but she isn't very well herself at the moment, so it might be a while before she gets to you.
Can you get a copy of your X-Ray, so she can look at it?

I can reassure you that the misplaced cement is not about to give you a stroke.
Yes, I agree that something should have been done to remove it during your surgery.
I also agree that you should have been told about it.

Are you paying this surgeon? If so, he owes you an explanation in person, and shouldn't be fobbing you off with his PA.
You're obviously very worried and I think you should phone and insist on another appointment - can you take someone with you, to back you up? You need a support person.
 
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