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TKR Sailor's Recovery Thread

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@icep707 ,
Thanks for the reply, & good to hear from you! I took a look at your thread, and it sounds like you're doing pretty well. Be careful with you motorcycle at the red lights. You don't want to overstress the knee! I also ride. I have a 2002 Harley Softail. I try to get out as much as I can, but only about once a month is the best I can do. Too many other things (sailing, yardwork, work, etc :-)
I had my knee done at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose. The OS was Dr Leo Semkiw. He's good, and has done a lot of TKRs, but he's not a revision specialist.
My dental implants are made of titanium, so I suppose they could set off an airport metal detector. But their mass is very small, so I'm not sure. I do know that my titanium knee does set off the metal detector. When I travel, I always ask to use the scanner instead of the metal detector, to avoid the "enhanced patdown".
The hospital bill for my TKR was about $125,000, but the negotiated fee with the insurance company was about $50,000. I paid my maximum out-of-pocket cost for the year, which was about $2000.
I've been doing strength exercises on my knee. Leg lifts every night, and exercise bike. It seems to be helping. At the hotel in Indy, the elevator was very busy, so I was able to climb 4 flights of stairs with no problems or pain. We'll see how it goes at my 1 year check-up, but I am definitely going to hold off on any revision for spacer replacement.
Good luck on your trip. I did my first business travel at about 12 weeks post-op. You'll probably be fine.
I still have some facial swelling from the implant surgery. No surprise, since they have to drill holes in your bone (sound familiar?).
Roger
 
@lavender ,
Hi, Holly, and good to hear from you!
I'm really glad to hear that you're happy with your right knee, and will be looking into having your other knee done. Yes, the year has gone by fast for us. Your surgery was only 1 week before mine. As I said in my reply to Ivan, my knee is doing a little better since I've started some strength exercises. There is still laxity, and I still wear the knee brace when I'm out and about. But there is no pain, and it feels stronger.
We're having 85 degree weather here already. What little winter we had did not last long. Hopefully we will get some more rain. We've only had about 6 inches in my area this year, which is only about 1/3 of normal.
Take care, Roger
 
Hi, everyone!
It's been a while since I posted. I had my 1 year post-op appointment with my OS, so I thought I would post an update. I haven't entirely disappeared from the forum..LOL!
The X-Rays look perfect. The implant looks great, as does the implant to bone interface and the cement. He measured my ROM at 130 degrees. My 6 month post-op ROM was 125. The knee cap looks good, also.

A few months ago, I had complained to the OS about excessive clunking in the knee, as well as some stiffness and some slight swelling. After going back & forth with him for a bit, he diagnosed the knee as being slightly lax laterally. He said that if I was really unhappy with the outcome, that he could do a spacer replacement to improve the laxity. We decided to take a wait & see approach.

At this time, I've decided to fore-go any revision to knee, provided that things do not get significantly worse. The knee really doesn't feel that bad. Maybe I'm getting used to the clunking and laxity, or maybe it has improved. I'm not sure. As far as the laxity, I wear a $10 knee brace fabric sleeve, and that seems to provide all the support I need. One big improvement over my pre-op condition, is that I can stand on the knee for hours on end without it bothering me, which is great when I have jobs that involve lots of standing, like waxing the boat. And walking is so much easier than pre-op.
The swelling is not bad, either, just a little bit on the lateral side, and some puffiness around the knee cap.
I have very little, if any, pain in the knee. Just some occasional minor soreness in the muscles and ligaments after long and strenuous activities. Rest always works.
And, yes, at 1 year out I still do have some minor stiffness and tight band feeling, mostly below the knee cap.

My OS had mentioned that there was a risk of losing some ROM if I had the spacer revision surgery. He said that there were many people that would kill for the ROM that I have now. So I don't think I want to risk any loss of ROM or functionality. For now, I can live with what seem to be minor issues. Looking at the big picture, I can say that nothing is ever perfect in life, and that goes for the TKR outcome. I've got worlds of improvement over my pre-op condition, and I can perform activities that I couldn't do before. So, all in all, I'd say I am about 90% satisfied at this point. Hopefully, things won't change for the worse!

I still exercise a little. I do the exercise bike for 10 minutes or so every few days, and I do straight leg lifts with weights when I'm sitting around watching TV. These both seem to make the knee feel better and stronger, as long as I don't overdo it. And, I'm swimming again now that the season has begun!

Take care, and I wish everyone the best of outcomes in their recoveries.
Roger
 
Great to hear from you! Sounds like things are going ok and hopefully you won't need any knee revision. I'm also used to mine clunking. It's not too bad but it does clunk. I also have swelling on the lateral side but it's not too bad but I can see it. Boy, I see some similarities here because I also have some stiffness and a slight tight band feeling but not much.

I'm heading for my second knee replacement soon. The docs just put the order in so I'll find out when soon. Glad to hear from you! Keep on with those leg raises!
 
SFBaySailor said:
And, yes, at 1 year out I still do have some minor stiffness and tight band feeling, mostly below the knee cap.
Click to expand...
I'm guessing that this is due to the laxity, which keeps the synovium irritated and results in what they call "recurrent synovitis" (which I have). I've chosen a rigid brace and enjoy the extra support. Like you, I was offered revision and told that a larger spacer might cut into the ROM. My thinking is that some where down the road -- it may be many years -- this knee will need further attention and I can opt for revision at that point.

Great that you're doing straight leg lifts with ankle weights. I should be doing the same . . .

Thanks for checking in.
 
@maryo52 ,
Yes, I agree completely! In my research, I came upon synovitis, and that seems to be what is going on. And, yes, hopefully things will stay about where they are now, until the spacer wears down enough that I need a spacer revision.
 
@Lauramacky ,
Yes, we do have quite a few similarities in symptoms. See Maryo52's post above. This may be due to the slight laxity.
The leg lifts feel really good when I stretch the leg out straight.
I'm wishing you the best on your second TKR!
 
What a good report, sounds like you are learning to live with imperfection!! I did have a spacer change--my knee was moving forward very slightly, but it increased the adhesions in my knee. I could hardly ride my bike---too much pain. I had an open LYsis of Adhesions and a spacer exchange. I can really feel the difference in the stability of the knee. I did not loose any rom, by the way, mine is 145---it might have been 150 before the surgery.
 
@skigirl ,
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I'm trying to look at the situation from a more realistic point of view. Things are really not that bad.
To be honest, I don't notice much if any movement in the knee, but my OS says there is a small amount of lateral movement. Probably just enough to keep the sinovium irritated. There is no pain when using the knee, though, and the knee doesn't ever feel like it's going to give out.
Oh, and I can actually kneel down now without much problem, which I discovered last time I waxed the boat! It was an unintended move, but it came very naturally. I was really pleased! I did have to push up with my other leg to get up, though...LOL
 
I think you're wise to give your knee some time. I have a 5 year old knee that had some minimal swelling for several years. It has improved here lately. It was never enough to really bother me, but I could see a small pocket of fluid on the medial side below the joint. So your situation could change with some more time.
 
Thats a great report Roger. You hit it right on the head. Sometimes you got to be happy with what we got. Especially things beyond our control. Im glad you are basically pain free. And your ROM is excellant. Just out of curiosity, how long is the recovery on a spacer replacement ?? Its doesnt sound to major. And as you said , you are so much better than pre op conditions. Kneeling and all. WOW ! Thats great. Sounds like you have your ducks in a row. Worst case scenerio, spacer replacement. As long as the implant itself is sound , thats the most important thing and im relieved for you that the implant is well cemented in there and not loose. Things for me are going great. When is your next trip to Indiana ? Hope things go great on that front as well. Which reminds me I need to get my teeth cleaned. Well Roger , once again im glad you sorted out and accepted the implant , the way it is . I suppose it gives you character. Best wishes. Ivan
 
Hi Roger Nice to hear that you are doing so great. My rom is around 95 working ok though no complaints . 130 sounds nice and I agree I would love that rom but mine is managing still wish it would bend a little more but just happy it does not hurt anymore.

Hope you have lots and lots of time out on your boat and enjoy the wonderful weather. My surgeon is now not in a hurry to do my left leg. He said it will be time when my doctor and I decide it is too sore to leave so far not as bad to walk with as the right had been. Beautiful weather here and nice to see the grass so green and the flowers blooming. It is great to hear from you again and wishing you the very best. Holly
 
@icep707 ,
Ice, thanks for the reply. My OS said that the recovery from a spacer replacement is about half the time of a TKR recovery. But we all know how that goes...LOL. I would like to avoid a revision surgery at all cost. It would only be as a last resort.
I head back to Indianapolis tomorrow for my 60 day checkup. The dental implants are in, and the temporary bridge is screwed into place. So far, so good. The implants are osseointegrating into the bone nicely, and there is no sign of infection or any other problems. Yes, I definitely recommend getting your teeth cleaned, and taking any and all preventative measures to keep your natural teeth!
I guess you'll be going back to work pretty soon? You're doing well in recovery, so hopefully it'll be easy to make the transition.
Take care, Roger
 
@lavender ,
Hi, Holly. Good to hear from you. Well, like Iceman said, sometimes we have to be grateful for what we have. You are pain free, and that is certainly something to be grateful for. And you can do quite a bit of things with a 95 ROM. The wait and see approach for your left leg sounds good.

I'll be in Toronto for a business trip the week of June 23. It's been many years since I've been to Canada, so I'm really looking forward to it. It's a lovely country, and the people are very friendly. And this is a good time of year to go. I was in Ottawa once on Canada Day, and I was celebrating with all the locals...LOL. I was impressed by the amount of national pride. I think we Americans could learn a little from the Canadians...
Cheers, Roger
 
Hi Roger Toronto is a beautiful city lots to do so much larger then our city we live about one and a half hours from there. I am sure you will enjoy your stay there. It sits on the edge of Lake Ontario and whenever we visit there for a day or so we take the train or bus so busy but well worth the visit. Toronto harbour lots of sailboats and more. The Rogers stadium has a retractable roof and my husband and I go there for baseball games try to take in one a year he really loves baseball and I enjoy going with him. Nice to hear that your dental implants have helped you and that they are getting better. Both of our countries are beautiful. Most of our holidays here have been in our North cottage holidays . We have taken quite a few trips to different parts of the states and so many great memories of places we visited. Wishing you a great trip and happy that all is going well for you. Holly
 
Hey Roger,

Great to hear from you. Thanks for the update. All sounds well with you. Good luck with your dental implants. Happy Knee Anniversary!

Take care :flwrysmile:
 
Hey Roger! I didn't know you were going to have more surgery. I haven't read back completely but how did your teeth surgery go? When will you find out more about the knee?

I just had my second knee done Tuesday and am home. I know this one is going to be easier. It's already night and day.

Keep us posted!


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
 
Lauramacky said:
Hey Roger! I didn't know you were going to have more surgery. I haven't read back completely but how did your teeth surgery go? When will you find out more about the knee?

I just had my second knee done Tuesday and am home. I know this one is going to be easier. It's already night and day.

Keep us posted!


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart Forum
Click to expand...
Hi, Laura,
Good to hear from you.
My dental implant surgery went very well. The implants are now almost completely healed into the jawbone, and I will be getting my final bridge installed in about 2 months.

As far as my knee goes, I'm not planning on any additional surgeries, at least anytime soon. My knee does have some laxity, and the OS finally admitted that he should have used a slightly thicker spacer. The knee is OK, in that I don't have any pain, and I have great ROM at 130. I can do all the activities I want, and that's a good thing. The OS offered to exchange the spacer, but he said it must be done through the original incision. I wear a fabric knee brace, and that helps tremendously with the laxity. If I don't wear it, I get synovial irritation, with accompanying stiffness and slight swelling.
At this point, it is completely unacceptable for me to have to endure any more downtime from work. My original recovery 15 months ago involved 8 weeks off from work on state disability, then another 4 weeks before I was fit enough to travel for work. I'm just not prepared to have to go through that agony all over again.
I'm really upset that my OS would use too small a spacer. What an idiot....really, that's all I can say. He's an idiot. Aren't these docs held to any kind of standard?

Anyway, on a brighter note, I'm glad to hear that you had your second knee done, and that the recovery seems easier than the first.
 
Wow your dental implant surgery and recovery sound more lenghty than TKR. I had no idea is was such a long process!
 
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