Bilateral TKR Ms Blue's recovery

[MsBlue]

I've been very comfortable, but ROM, especially on the right, is not where it needs to be. MUA scheduled for Oct. 6th. I hope it works for me. My doctor thinks it will, and I have to trust him on that, but I have my doubts. If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate hearing them. I really don't have much of an idea what to expect.

 

[Celle]

I think your ROM would continue to improve if only you could cut back on some of the exercise you are doing. However, since you are going to have the MUA, I hope it helps.
After the MUA, you will be sore again. You will need to take your pain medications and rest adn ice that knee a lot, because a MUA does cause some additional soft tissue damage.

Now, don't get lured into exercising madly after the MUA. Some PTs tell their patients that they have to exercise a lot, to maintain the ROM reached during the MUA. It isn't true. All you need to do is gentle exercise, and not too much of it.

 

[MsBlue]

@Celle - Honestly, I SWEAR I have not been exercising that much. I am doing some gentle restorative yoga occasionally (no kneeling), but I have even slacked off of the PT in recent weeks. Being back at work, I can't fit in more than one session a week. Since this decision was made about the MUA, I have not done PT. I am just going to let it ride for the moment.

Honestly, I have wondered if it's "my fault" that my right side hasn't recovered ROM that well. It makes me feel like I didn't do enough - didn't try hard enough. But, in PT, I would loosen it up on the bike, or my therapist would massage and bend it, so we could get to maybe 108 (with both of us trying really hard), and then by two hours later, any ROM achieved in therapy would be gone. The improvements have been very small increments and don't seem to last.

It's especially interesting to be in this position after having a bilateral. If I could not directly make the comparison between right and left, I might think what is happening (or, rather, not happening) on the right is normal. The left has done so much better - still not close to the longed-for 130, but some hope I may yet get there.

It's coming at a decent time, at least. My office is moving the week it's scheduled, and I will be able to stay home for the entire week after having MUA. That is going to give me the best chance to ice and rest and recover fully. I appreciate your advice about going easy on the PT afterward. I would also be interested to hear more specifics about which gentle exercises might be advisable.

 

[Celle]

Just a little walking around the house and this Heel slides and how to do them is all you need to do.
The suggested heel slide exercises are all different ways of doing the same thing. Find one or two ways that you like and just do them, gently, several times a day

If you need to do anything to help with extension, here are a few suggestions:
Extension: exercises for improvement
Again, find a couple that you like. Start gently and stop when you start to move from discomfort into pain.

 

[Pansy727]

I had my mua yesterday... I can say I already have more movement... But it's sore.. It's like I over did it sore.. The biggest part that hurts is the back of my knee.. My dr said I definitely needed it . He cracked alot of scar tissue that wouldn't have done it in its own so I'm glad I did it... It only took like five mins in the or... I go back in three weeks .. I pray it continues to improve.. I had pt today and he did alot of stretching...mua helps flexion but I also have extension problems on that knee so he worked on that alot today. Good luck with yours ill keep you updated.. My biggest thing is I'm at 9 weeks and so many people are like I can't understand why you are still struggling so much.. My ex had his surgery 2 weeks after me and is being discharged from pt and has done incredible... Me im still hobbling along.. So it is a different ride for everyone

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[MsBlue]

So it is a different ride for everyone

Yes, exactly. And for me, one knee is coming along, and the other one is not nearly doing as well. Both extension and flexion are better on the left. it's a direct comparison, because the surgery was the same day, and anything I've done for recovery has been done on both sides. I really hope I get some better motion out of this. Please do keep me updated. I hope this will make the difference for you!

 

[Pansy727]

My second surgery was my left and it's my stubborn one.. My right was the worse one and it's doing awesome.. Kinda crazy

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[MsBlue]

I had the MUA today (on the right). The doctor said that it went perfectly and that he thinks I'll be very pleased - and amazed! - at how much more ROM I get on the right now. I hope so! The doc said he easily got me to 133 on the right. The most I had achieved before was 108, and it was difficult.

I was aware of my knee feeling painful (not terrible, maybe a 4 or 5) when I woke up in recovery. They gave me some pain meds, and we started icing immediately. It's a bit swollen (again, not terrible), and I am taking it easy, but the pain's not bad. I'll check in tomorrow morning, and let you know how I feel after sleeping on it.

My hospital experience (for surgery and today for MUA) was terrific, both times. I just can't say enough good about everyone - from from administrative staff, to all of my doctors and nurses, to how they insist on taking you all the way out to your car and settling you in.

Additionally, my doctor only operates on Monday and Wednesday, but he came in special today (on Tuesday) to accommodate me. I am taking grad school classes on M and W evenings, and I cannot miss class. So he changed his schedule for me. That kind of consideration and service is wonderful, and I am very grateful to have such a great doctor. He is also a real artist - my incisions are only 5.5" and 6". I compared with my father's incisions - his surgeries were in the late '90's and around 2005. His incisions are at least 12" long each, and he had a harder recovery due to the muscle and tissue that were cut in surgery.

I will be able to stay home from work the rest of the week; it just happens that we are moving offices, and I have packed up already. I won't need to go back to the office until next Tuesday. I hope to get back to PT on Thursday this week, so I will report back and let you know how it's going.

 

[Pansy727]

My mua went great too.. I'm at 110 now.. Very happy with it.. It took a good week for the soreness to subside.. But in glad I did it

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