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TKR Right TKR is done

Good news with being off of the antibiotics! Now, to get that tunnel to heal!
 
@ the wound change today the nurse saw something dark on the gauze and reported to dr who has put me back on cipro. The wound seems to be coming in but I'm not so sure about from the bottom from what I can see. A cuture,was taken also. See dr on Wednesday.
 
Oh no. I pray it's nothing. I read that it takes at least a couple of weeks to get the results of the cultures. I hope he's got you on the correct antibiotic.
 
Sorry to hear this, but glad you are getting a culture. Since you haven't been on any antibiotics for a while, the reading should be an accurate one and the doctor can go from there.
 
Crossing my fingers the dark spot was just a dark spot and not a sign of anything amiss. You'll know soon.
 
Saw the wound dr today. Won't get the results of the culture until Friday at the earliest. Dr is happy with the granulation tissue that is growing. Some discussion about the wound being on a moving plane and 'if' it should hook together so that there is movement for my knee when I'm healed so they are pulling the sponge out just a little to see if they can continue to get growth. It does look smaller, but I'm the ever hopeful one wanting it to be over. [Bonesmart.org] Right TKR is done sorry that the picture is in the midst of the post. My foot is off the end of the top of the photo for reference.
 
I'm jealous of how much you can walk! I'm lucky if I get 200 steps some days!! :)
Looking at your wound is like total deja vu! You have great granulation! It will start to get even better from here. I wish they made a little light that we could use to see the bottom of our holes! When mine was really deep, I had no idea what was down there!!!

It is looking really good though. I hope the dark spot was an anomaly or just some random thing.

Jen
 
Well folks, today I have another 'something' going on. Yesterday after my dressing was changed, I noticed that there was a spot on my tkr calf that was "itchy". Upon looking at it closer in the restroom, it was also red and seemed swollen
I was at work with no resources to help, so when I got home, put ice on right away and got some cortisone cream to put on it to help with the itching. Seemed to help a bit. This morning after showering it was very red and swollen, so it being the day for me to take my mom to her wound dr visit after her oxygen therapy I stopped by and saw the nurse to get an opinion at the wound clinic. She wasn't happy with the looks of it and got dr to look at it. He wanted me to have an ultrasound on my leg to rule out a blood clot.
I haven't been wearing compression socks since my tkr surgery so he wanted me to get them back on AND to get off my feet and ice it with toes above the nose. So by the time mom was out of therapy and I had an ultrasound on my leg. Mom was still in the dr office when I got done so I went to see how she was doing and dr was able to give me the results which did not show a blood clot. Whew! Sure am thankful for that. So I'm in the recliner with my leg under ice and my compression sock on. I sure hope it helps.
I do see the dr for an appt tomorrow so maybe it will show some improvement. It is sensitive to touch so going to bed was a bit if a challenge not to have my calf directly on the bed. I'm thinking I only have 1 more day at work for a while tomorrow, so maybe I can get better about keeping my toes up and ice going. I know I have been doing a lot of walking the past few weeks but had no idea I would end up with something like this.
Yesterday was day 42 with the vac. Seems much longer to me. I sure am ready for the healing to be done, but even this isn't much of a straight line.
Continued healing dear friends.
 
Saw the wound dr today. He thinks the tissue is looking good and the top is starting to close in nicely. The depth has gotten less - it is now 1.9 cm. However, the undermining all the way around the opening is 4.5 cm. Today he suggested that perhaps they check with my insurance to see if they could use a skin graft inside that undermining area. The graft material is made from fetal bovine dermis. The wound vac would stay on during the time I'd have the graft in - which would be for 2 weeks. I have looked it up on the internet - it is called PriMatrix. I am certainly willing to try anything. Been 54 days on the vac on so far. I am hoping this is just another tool they can use to assist since where my opening is, is making it difficult for the tissues to grow together with my walking and knee movement all the time. [Bonesmart.org] Right TKR is done
 
I did learn that the vac absolutely comes off when the opening is .5 cm so there is a ways to go for that too.
 
I know nothing about skin grafts, but it does sound like a good idea. I know you're sick of that vac, but it is working! That's what counts.
 
@sistersinhim thanks for the support. Yes, it is working gradually. I think the wound dr is also concerned a bit about the site of my opening and the challenges it poses. The knee area is more difficult with all that movement. We will see if this does happen and if there will be any results.
 
Hi @GingerP. Just letting you know I'm following your thread still. Even as you close in on the conclusion of this willful wound, it's lobbing surprises.

I hope your insurance cover the therapy. I've only dealt in fetal grafts, generally bovine, but in every instance mine have taken well and healed quickly.

So sorry you're dealing with this wound!
 
@SusieShoes Thanks for your thoughts and info on the grafts. I think something more needs looked into since the undermining areas really hasn't changed that much since I started this 2 months ago. They tell me they are packing it less but doesn't seem to be making much of a difference, so why not try another 'tool' in the tool box as the wound dr has said. I'm hoping my insurance will go with it. I can't believe that it would be that much difference in coverage from the vac costs but I don't have any idea.
It is amazing what kinds of things are out there to use that I wouldn't have known about had I not had this experience, but getting smarter about health issues healing a wound on a knee wasn't on this old gals bucket list! :)
 
I've never heard of this type of graft used to increase healing, but that's not surprising. I did have bone and tissue graft used for a tooth implant.
 
I hope the graft works!!! Might as well do anything you can to promote healing.

Jen
 
When I spoke with the nurse today she told me that it draws blood into the tissue that works to grow the wound shut. Apparently they have had success with it previous. I looked online at it and it says it is used for foot ulcers and surgery wounds - which is where I come in. It is called PriMatrix.
 
I saw the OS today and he was happy with how the tissue looks on the opening. I saw the wound dr after and the insurance needs more documentation before they will ok me getting a graft to insert into the area that has the undermining. So, another week it will be until we find something out from them. He did say that when they get a graft, they get 5 and since the graft is left for 2 weeks each time, that gave me the realization that it would be the first part of August before the end of the 5th graft. I am at two months to the day today that I started the vac. 2 more months will be late July. That length of time in healing is really wearing on me today. All of us with tkr want time to go by faster to get to healing. I'm grateful that my tkr is good. It's getting the incision line healed up now. My right knee hurts me terribly and needs replaced so bad and it's put off until I can get healed here first.
The hardest part of the undermining area is that it's like 2 seperate plains -a top area that slides over the part of the muscles anD it's like rubbing your hands together - as I walk it just causes friction and doesn't grow together. Wish there was a better solution. Time. That's what I have on the horizon to resolve this. [Bonesmart.org] Right TKR is done today's pic attached.
 
I'm off to the wound dr today. Day is off due to the holiday. I'm hoping there is news on the insurance approving the graft. I am ready to get this healed up. Been too long. Will let you all know soon as I know.
 
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