Bilateral TKR Post op bilateral TKR

[Marie92]

Hi I am almost 3 months post op, surgery was 3/4/2020 b/l tkr all numbers are good rom just the heaviness in the left knee. It drives me crazy it feels like it did before the surgery without Pain .Is anyone else experiencing the same thing. I read past post and it seems like it will take about a year. Any floor nurses out there if so how are you making out working 8-12 hr shifts ... thank you

 

[Celle]

Hello @Marie92 - and

Yes, you're right - complete recovery from a knee replacement does take a full year, although you will be able to do most things long before that.

Your left knee may be going to take a little longer than your right knee to recover. That's OK, because no two knees are ever exactly the same, even if they're done on the same person on the same day.

I think what you have now in your left leg is what some people call "log leg". It's a feeling of heaviness that will go away eventually.

Being not quite 3 months into this 12-month recovery, your knees still have plenty of time to improve. How they are now is not how they're going to end up. Let your left knee take as long as it needs to and don't compare it with your right knee. It's on its own journey and it will get there in the end.

Here are our recovery guidelines - lots of useful, informative articles:

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest​

elevate​

ice​

take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​

b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

the BoneSmart view on exercise​

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. Try to follow this

Activity progression for TKRs​

6. Access to these pages on the website

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Care In Hospital​

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.

 

[Jaycey]

Any floor nurses out there if so how are you making out working 8-12 hr shifts

When are you planning to return to work? We recommend 10-12 weeks recovery and then a Phased Return. Would you be able to do a phased return? It will take awhile for you to build up the stamina to do full time shifts.

 

[Celle]

I'll add to what Jaycey has said, and point out that it may take longer than 12 weeks before your knee is ready to go back to nursing - those long shifts are very hard on a new knee.

People with active jobs, such as nurses and paramedics, have reported here that they had to plan to take a few more weeks before their knees were ready.

 

[kneeper]

Sustained time on your feet can be really tough even at 3 months, particularly if you can't take breaks. I didn't have to do hours at a time, but I found it really stiffened up after about an hour. It would loosen up a bit after sitting again for a while. The good news is that it gradually gets better.

 

[Marie92]

I am 5 months post op and am being woken up in the middle of the night with pain in my knees sometimes just an ache other times with throbbing pain . Is this normal? I also still have pain getting up and down out of a chair . I have been told to be patient but is this normal . Does anyone else have these issues?
Thank you

 

[Celle]

Are you back at work now, @Marie92? If so, that night pain is probably your knees telling you that they're still feeling challenged by the amount of work they have to do.

Remember that your knees are still only 5 months into a 12-month recovery, so they have a way to go yet, before they're 100% healed.

It might help if you can sit down and elevate and ice your knees when you get home from work. Even at 5 months out, that could still help.