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Revision TKR PT Post revision surgery

dislocate said:
H. limping - my left knee knocks with every step reminding me I have a prosthetics knee. My wife can hear it when I walk across the room
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This is not right. I would see a doc who is good at revisions. Dr Alexander Sah in Fremont California is very skilled. Many people come from far away to use his services.
 
Happy to do it for you. Let us know how things go.
 
I had revision surgery on my left knee 43 weeks ago at Southern Joint Replacement Institue in Nashville and started PT the day following hospital release. The surgery outcome was excellent with less pain than previous surgeries and a general feeling of confidence using a cane within a week. The original surgery was on March 13, 2018. I also had TKR on my right knee on Jan 6, 2021. I'm in my 43rd week of PT with the only concern being Flexion at only 105 degrees. My therapist states revision surgeries take longer. Maybe I'm too impatient. Should I hang in there?
 
dislocate said:
I'm in my 43rd week of PT with the only concern being Flexion at only 105 degrees.
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What do you do at PT? Maybe you are overworking your knee which can sometimes prevent improvement.

And, just to let you know, after a tough first year, I had a of ROM improvement in my second year, as my whole leg continued to relax and heal. I stopped going to PT just before my 8 week anniversary.
 
It certainly isn’t a given that recovery from a revision knee surgery takes longer than from a primary one. Every person and every recovery is its own animal. But, that said, it is possible that your knee needs additional time, so patience is a good idea for now. If you are doing more than your knee is ready for right now, it can cause swelling. Because the knee capsule is so compact, it doesn’t take much fluid to cause pain or lessen your ROM. You might not even see it from looking at your knee. So this could be going on as well.

It might be a good idea to cut back on activity and exercise for a week or two, do lots of icing and elevating, and see if there is any positive change. If things do improve, then start to reintroduce small bits of activity slowly and then scale back again if you stop making progress again.
 
Jamie said:
It certainly isn’t a given that recovery from a revision knee surgery takes longer than from a primary one. Every person and every recovery is its own animal. But, that said, it is possible that your knee needs additional time, so patience is a good idea for now. If you are doing more than your knee is ready for right now, it can cause swelling. Because the knee capsule is so compact, it doesn’t take much fluid to cause pain or lessen your ROM. You might not even see it from looking at your knee. So this could be going on as well.

It might be a good idea to cut back on activity and exercise for a week or two, do lots of icing and elevating, and see if there is any positive change. If things do improve, then start to reintroduce small bits of activity slowly and then scale back again if you stop making progress again.
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You may be on to something - thank you. I've been doing my exercises at home 7 days a week with the ole concept of "no pain no gain." The routine takes a little over 1/2 hour.
 
Jockette said:
dislocate said:
I'm in my 43rd week of PT with the only concern being Flexion at only 105 degrees.
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What do you do at PT? Maybe you are overworking your knee which can sometimes prevent improvement.

And, just to let you know, after a tough first year, I had a of ROM improvement in my second year, as my whole leg continued to relax and heal. I stopped going to PT just before my 8 week anniversary.
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The 43 weeks is in error, see my message to Jamie. My surgery was on 12-26-2023, that would make it 19 weeks.
I don't do much at PT other than bicycling, calf stretch, and squats. Sometimes I'm there for less than a 1/2 hour. The therapist massagers and works my knee and leg. My left knee receives most of it's workout from home exercises 7 days a week. I think Jamie's advise of me over doing it has merit.
 
I'm new here and this is the first thread I've opened.
I'm in recovery mode having just had right knee revision surgery 11 days ago today. My original TRKR was done 101 days ago on Jan. 25, 2024.
I also had a MUA on done 32 days PO on the same knee with no effect.
It's been a painful ordeal since day 1....

Especially after my TLKR was done Oct. 24, 2019 and was by all metrics a success.
 
@Loki54, how about starting your own recovery thread and tell us all about your journey. This is dislocate's thread, and we don't want to hijack it.

Starting a new thread
 
dislocate said:
Surgery was on March 13, 2018. I share some of the blame for my situation by not doing my homework. I saw my orthopedist to address a torn ACL and he convinced me that a TKR would correct my issue.
To answer your question whether I had any previous knee surgeries, the answer is no. I won't see another doctor to get a second opinion. My confidence level with the medical community is low. My doctor was indifferent to my concerns at the 12 month post surgery visit, and had the body language of "it is what it is." This TKR experience where I had a no pain normal healthy knee (except for a torn ligament from sprinting) to a knee that has altered the quality of my life. I can no longer do simple home repairs requiring a ladder nor go on my knee. Sharing a day at the mall with the family and dancing are things of the past! I'm not looking for sympathy just want to advise others to do their research before undergoing knee replacement. From the many TKR blogs and readings in this forum TKR technology has a long way to go.
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Seventy six. Looking forward to return to skiing. Eight weeks out and doing fine for the most part. For the last few years, I have a lot of injuries because of Tennyson skiing. I always get three opinions then choose the one that seems to fit period. I have talked to 30 or 40 people at Tennis clubs and, for the most part, If they did their rehab right, they don't have issues, but if they didn't do the Rehab correctly, then there's issues.
 
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@dislocate Glad to hear your outcome with the revision is progressing well. Did you get any insight into what the initial issue was? How did you find a revision specialist to do the surgery?
 
My doctors are tight liped. My left knee revision made progress up until 4 months with only 105 degress. I'm now in my 10th month post surgery with no further improvement and pain when walking. I continue to use a cain with a bad limp since I can't put weight on my left knee and my ROM remains at 105.
I simply asked my doctors whether they do revisions. Both doctors, one that was unsuccessful with my left knee, and the other that was successful with my right knee, said yes.
The alarming fact that just because they do revisions doesn't necessarily mean the surgery will be successful.
 
I'm so sorry to read this, @dislocate. I'm know you are frustrated with the outcome, but thank you for sharing this comment.

It's a good reminder to other members who are considering revision surgery that it's very important to find someone who is a revision specialist Revision surgery is far more complex than joint replacement and is best to have it done by someone who does a large number of them every year.

BoneSmart will always try to help our members find a quality revision specialist in a city near them -- at least to get a second opinion before proceeding. So if other members are struggling with this issues, please reach out and let us know.
 
My TKR’s are an example of “no two TKR are alike.

Left TKR on 03-13-18 Unsuccessful Doctor A
Right TKR on 01-06-21 Successful Doctor B
Left TKR revision on 12-26-23 Unsuccessful Doctor B

I had an unsuccessful left knee TKR on 03-13-18 that left me in pain that I still endure today. The feedback from Bonesmart was a suggestion to have a revision and specifically at the Southern Joint Replacement Institute (SJRI) in Nashville. I had experience with SJRI with my successful right TKR and followed up with a consultation for my left knee where my Orthopedist was reluctant to do a revision citing higher risks. I told my Orthopedist that with my pain and quality of life I was willing to take the risk. The doctor was right because following surgery and an 18-month recovery my left knee is worse. Looking back over the last 7 years of recovery pain, physical therapy, daily over the counter meds that have damaged my stomach, and expenses traveling out of state for consultations, I have decided to give up chasing elusive theories.
My right (successful) knee, with the same doctor, had fast recovery with less swelling, less pain, better range of motion, and today it feels almost like a normal knee. Go figure!
 
I'm sorry you are still struggling with that left knee, @dislocate, but glad that righty is doing well. Thank you for your update.
 
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