TKR Recovery Journey Continues
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RaeRae1
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Axx72, thankfully at close to 6 months out I don’t get shaky, weak and dizzy like I used to in the beginning. As far as overdoing it, I did that a little but I’ve mostly stuck with just regular activities and rest when I need to.
Good luck on your healing and the advice on this forum is definitely trustworthy!
Good luck on your healing and the advice on this forum is definitely trustworthy!
RaeRae1
member
I got my second opinion regarding the painful crunching upon extension. The consensus of the doctors is that it’s scar tissue that may have begun when I had trauma to my knee in November. Both doctors were befuddled though, one saying “it’s a head scratcher “ and the other saying “it’s weird “. I’m in the dark as to why it’s different or unique, and didn’t think to ask.
I see my original OS on Tuesday to probably decide which method to use to remove the scar tissue. Either arthroscopically or open where they can see better, yet more risk of infection. The second doctor would go conservatively with arthroscopic surgery and see if it helps. My original OS is still contemplating which is best. He’s going to also talk to a sports med doctor who does these procedures a lot, the scraping away of scar tissue.
I sort of wish they’d do the open route to visually see unencumbered by the small openings.
It’s getting slowly worse and I do need a cane. Ready for a set plan! I still feel very good about the medical team working on this. I’m optimistic but recently learned that scar tissue can return. That stinks!
I’d love to hear if anyone has gone through this and what their outcome was.
First day of February and the birds are chirping loudly here in Western North Carolina. It boosts my mood.
I see my original OS on Tuesday to probably decide which method to use to remove the scar tissue. Either arthroscopically or open where they can see better, yet more risk of infection. The second doctor would go conservatively with arthroscopic surgery and see if it helps. My original OS is still contemplating which is best. He’s going to also talk to a sports med doctor who does these procedures a lot, the scraping away of scar tissue.
I sort of wish they’d do the open route to visually see unencumbered by the small openings.
It’s getting slowly worse and I do need a cane. Ready for a set plan! I still feel very good about the medical team working on this. I’m optimistic but recently learned that scar tissue can return. That stinks!
I’d love to hear if anyone has gone through this and what their outcome was.
First day of February and the birds are chirping loudly here in Western North Carolina. It boosts my mood.
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Love your positive spirit and outlook in all of this, RaeRae.
It's wonderful that you have the confidence in your OS and his collegues that you do and hopefully your surgeon formulates a plan soon so you're able to move forward in the near future without any issues. Thanks for keeping us updated on your situation.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
@RaeRae1
It's wonderful that you have the confidence in your OS and his collegues that you do and hopefully your surgeon formulates a plan soon so you're able to move forward in the near future without any issues. Thanks for keeping us updated on your situation.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
@RaeRae1
RaeRae1
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Layla, thank you for your response!
RaeRae1
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Hello Bonesmart friends. I’m scheduled for an arthroscopic procedure on March 1 to address the scar tissue or whatever it is that prevents me from straightening my leg without painful crackling. It’s not adhesions that would prevent good ROM, I retain a good range of motion. Anyway, that’s my update and I look forward to the improvement it will hopefully give me. My original surgeon, another associate surgeon and a sports med orthopedic surgeon all got together on this to make the plan so I think that’s good. The sport’s doctor drew the lucky straw to do the procedure because he does arthroscopies all the time and he also does TKRs too. I feel that I’m in good hands.
Not much discussion on the recovery yet or how to prevent scar tissue from forming problematically (if there even is a way) but those conversations will take place prior to the operation.
Anyone else had this done and can you share what to expect with recovery? TKR was August 2022. I walk with a cane outside of my house for now.
Not much discussion on the recovery yet or how to prevent scar tissue from forming problematically (if there even is a way) but those conversations will take place prior to the operation.
Anyone else had this done and can you share what to expect with recovery? TKR was August 2022. I walk with a cane outside of my house for now.
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Good luck!
Hope the surgery sorts your problems out.
Hope the surgery sorts your problems out.
RaeRae1
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Thank you Layla and EalingGran, I’m feeling confident and will update afterwards, give or take a day or two.
RaeRae1
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My arthroscopy was at 3:00 and I was home by 6:30. I feel good and slept well! It’s night and day different than a TKR thankfully. The doctor gave us pictures that showed before and after “vaporizing “ (as he called it) all the scar tissue. Such strange looking tissue, kind of like chunks of cotton candy with sea anemone nodules. Amazing what the body can produce-good and bad.
These were not adhesions that restricted my ROM but definitely interfered with function of my knee. I would need to literally dangle my leg vertically to crinkle crackle through to get alignment sufficient to bear weight on the leg. Then I could walk, still crackling but with less pain.
The crackles are gone and I’m ecstatic. My big concern (of course I have one ) is how to avoid the return of too much scar tissue? My surgeon said to go slowly, a little bit of walking as needed around the house, but that’s all to begin with. Let swelling and pain be my gauge for when to reduce activity.
It’s a cloudy, rainy day here in the mountains of Western NC, okay by me. My cats are wonderful companions and my husband too. Good day to all you bonesmarties.
These were not adhesions that restricted my ROM but definitely interfered with function of my knee. I would need to literally dangle my leg vertically to crinkle crackle through to get alignment sufficient to bear weight on the leg. Then I could walk, still crackling but with less pain.
The crackles are gone and I’m ecstatic. My big concern (of course I have one ) is how to avoid the return of too much scar tissue? My surgeon said to go slowly, a little bit of walking as needed around the house, but that’s all to begin with. Let swelling and pain be my gauge for when to reduce activity.
It’s a cloudy, rainy day here in the mountains of Western NC, okay by me. My cats are wonderful companions and my husband too. Good day to all you bonesmarties.
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Glad all went well and fingers crossed it sorts out your problems.
RaeRae1
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Thank you EalingGran and Layla for all of your well wishes.
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Hope the arthroscopy fixes all of your problems. Thank goodness the recovery is so much easier than a knee replacement!
Hey RaeRae - thanks for sharing your recovery story. I hope you recover from the arthroscopy well. Your experience will be great for everyone to hear. Best wishes over the next few days as you recover. Take it slow!
Your surgeon is right on! Now is the time for very gentle movements and stretches. Remember that a hot, dry knee can produce adhesions, so keep your inflammation down by icing and elevating.
It sounds like you're on the road to recovery! Yay!
RaeRae1
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Thanks for responding, Sistersinhim. You’re very familiar with arthroscopy procedures. Do you have any insight into the best way to avoid excess scar tissue growth? Obviously I’m beginning very slowly and ROM isn’t a factor because it’s always been good. So I don’t need to work that per se, just careful walking and gentle stretches and quad squeezes. They don’t know why this developed but I truly believe it was from knee trauma (a popping and hard jarring on same day late November.) Hopefully I won’t do that again and then hopefully no more problems like this.
I acknowledge there are way more serious problems out there and I’m fortunate that this is it for me for now. I just wanted to ask you in particular because of your experience.
I acknowledge there are way more serious problems out there and I’m fortunate that this is it for me for now. I just wanted to ask you in particular because of your experience.
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Hopefully this is the case.
Sounds like your rehab really will be a case of "less is more". You have great ROM so really don't need to do anything except gentle movement and take it easy.
I know from my recent hospital stay and pretty much bed rest that I didn't lose any ROM.
Before my TKR, I had had a total of 8 arthroscopy procedures plus both kneecaps removed. I never did any exercises or PT. What I did was baby my knees, but still did my daily activities, but very gently with lots of breaks for icing and elevating. When I had my TKR I asked my OS if I had any adhesions and he said "No, none at all." I firmly believe that keeping the knee cool, and with as little swelling as possible, is the best way to keep adhesions away.
Good luck!
RaeRae1
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Thank you Sistersinhim. That is pretty much what my surgeon said as far as after care for the procedure and further recovery. He didn’t call it adhesions but scar tissue that developed excessively. In my mind, adhesions would affect my ROM but I still had that, although I had to crackle my way through it for extension. I guess I’m confused on the difference but that’s alright. The pictures he took of the scar tissue were incredible.
Thank you again for replying.
Thank you again for replying.
