TKR Nervous but excited

[Hop skip jump]

Hi, this is the first time I’ve written something in this forum. Please forgive me if my writing skills aren’t the best.
I finally got my surgery date for February 25th 2020.
My knee issue, at least on my right knee, happened about 11 years ago when I stepped down off a ladder at work and my ACL tore.
I had a great surgeon Dr. Briant Smith. The surgery went well. Now 11 years later the ACL that he put in had stretched, which caused friction and led to the osteoporosis I have today. Unfortunately Dr. Smith no longer does workmen’s comp. but he recommended and reassured me that Dr. McDermott is a great sports injury Dr.
I know several people that has had this surgery and all of them say it’s the best thing they ever did. I feel that it will be that way for me as well.
I think one of my biggest concerns is the pain after surgery. I have a high tolerance to most drugs they don’t seem to affect me the way they do most people. Maybe people can let me know what they did and, or took to ease the pain.
My second concern is possible blood clots and heart issues after the surgery. I read an article, on this site, about that. I couldn’t figure out most of the article just bits. Can anyone explain in a more layman’s term, such as the ratio. 1 in a hundred, 2 in a hundred...etc..
Thank you,
HSJ

 

[Helizabug]

Someone wiser than I will stop by soon with lots of good information and support, but I’m here to tell you that you came to the right place. BoneSmart will be very helpful in understanding what can be understood about what’s going on in your new knee.

The good news about pain relief is that there are several options, and, for a lot of us, rest, ice, and elevation are very helpful. I found acetaminophen alternating with ibuprofen was helpful, though ibuprofen can be hard on your stomach. Others get a lot of relief from the opiate pain relief, that is prescribed by their doctors. If that’s helpful to you, talk with your doctor about how to get refills because it has been hard for some people to get them when they need them.

I hope it all goes well.

 

[Jaycey]

@Hop skip jump Welcome to BoneSmart!

I think one of my biggest concerns is the pain after surgery.

Discuss these concerns with your surgeon and the anaesthetist pre-op. Everyone reacts differently to surgery. But the good news is that post op pain can indeed be controlled.

My second concern is possible blood clots and heart issues after the surgery.

Your pre-op clearance will include an EKG to confirm there are no issue with your heart. And these days patients are asked to wear compression stockings and take blood thinning medication post op to insure blood clots do not occur. In laymen's terms - the risk of blood clots is very small. If you are moving around during the day post op you will be fine!

 

[Pumpkin]

Can anyone explain in a more layman’s term, such as the ratio. 1 in a hundred, 2 in a hundred...etc..

1 in a hundred equals 1%
2 in a hundred equals 2%
As Jaycey said, you will receive blood thinning medication, and compression sox. The best thing you can do is get up and walk ASAP with help from nurse or PT until you know you are stable on your feet.
They should have you up the day of surgery.

Since your surgeon is a Sports Medicine specialist you will want to ask how many TKR's he does in a year.

 

[Jamie]

Are you having the knee replacement done on Workman's Comp?

A little bit of caution for you with your selection of a surgeon. A knee replacement is not a sports injury and many times surgeons who are wonderful at repairing injuries are not the ones you want performing a knee replacement. Please check to make sure the surgeon you are considering does at least 150 knee replacements (not knee surgeries) per year. You need someone who is experienced in this particular type of surgery. The proper balancing of your knee so it functions properly is critical.

I'll see what I can find about Dr. McDermott, but it might be a good idea to check with him or his office about the number of TKRs he does.