Swelling Oddity

[dw6928]

My right knee was just replaced in late August, the left knee in January. The swelling in the right knee is understandable. What is odd is that my left leg (below the knee and especially the left foot) is starting to swell just like the right leg. Any ideas?

 

[ship4]

I don't recall your age, but could it be edema caused by heart disease? I don't want to jump to conclusions, but unless you have been at altitude recently and have altitude sickness, it could be a possibility.......
Sorry, I am just a layman.........

 

[RickB]

dw6928,

Sorry to hear you are having any swelling. It is not uncommon to develop some swelling in the first few weeks after surgery. If this occurs, you should elevate your leg whenever you are not up to walking. However, excessive swelling of the foot and lower leg can be due to thrombosis (blood clots) in the veins in the leg. This is why my OS is having me wear these horrible TEDs.
If you have any TEDs, you should put them on and get your feet elevated. You can remove the TEDs at night.

God Bless,
Rick

 

[dw6928]

No edema and I had a Doppler yesterday which was negative.

 

[RickB]

dw6928,

Then you should put on some TEDS, get your feet elevated and then lay back and get some needed rest.

God Bless,
Rick

 

[Josephine]

Oedema is simply fluid in the tissues and can occur for a whole variety of reasons. It shouldn't be confused with swelling which IS a symptom of thrombosis; oedema is not.

Oedema is fluid retention and occurs when there is too much fluid (mainly water) in the body's tissues, causing swelling to occur in the affected area. The swelling is usually related to the venous system, or the lymphatic system (tubes that carry lymph, a fluid that helps fight infection and clear fluid).

Oedema can affect:

• the hands, arms, feet, ankles and legs (swelling is most common in these areas),
• the brain (known as cerebral oedema), and
• the eyes (known as macular oedema).

The most common occurrence is dependent oedema which effects the lower limbs when the person is under active and/or spends periods of time sitting with their feet on the floor. This is known as dependent oedema which simply put, means the fluid has pooled in the lowermost limbs as you sit. It's not at all uncommon to find you have swollen lower limbs after major surgery and/or spending a lot of time on your feet for some reason. In your situation, it would seem entirely reasonable and natural that this pooling would even out between both legs and would seem to support the notion that it is simply dependent oedema.

Dependent oedema is a common phenomenon in the elderly and the obese patient. It also has a familial connections - i.e., if your grandmother suffered from swollen ankles then it is likely you will too as you get older! The condition on its own is not serious and has no serious consequences although it can be a late stage symptom in conditions like congestive heart failure or cirrhosis of the liver.

Treatment usually consists of simply elevating the legs, using support hose and, if really necessary, diuretics to expel the excess water. Adjusting diet, exercising more and losing weight are also ways to prevent it.

 

[dw6928]

This is why we love you Josephine. Thank you. Wayne. I put a TEDS on the left leg and the swelling is greatly reduced already.

 

[Josephine]

You're more than welcome!

 

[dw6928]

Well the "swelling oddity" has resolved itself (more than likely due to the TEDS I had my OS prescribe). That is good news because swelling in the non-surgical leg can be a real problem. What I have noticed in the last 24 hours is that my quad tendon is sore, my IT band is sore but lightening up, the areas on the inside and outside of the TKR knee are sore. What is not sore and has ceased to emit pain is my KNEE. The first TKR (1/08) has been pain free since March. Now the 2nd TKR is following the lead. This is the first time I have not had knee pain since college football in the early 70s. What a joyful, grateful night this be!

 

[Josephine]

Well, that's an improvement for sure!

 

[dw6928]

And once the surgically offended muscle/tendon/ligament show is over, I will be obligated (a promise from long ago) to take dance lessons from my wife.

 

[Josephine]

That sounds like fun! Just watch when you do the Flamenco - all that stamping!

 

[dw6928]

more like Ballroom: waltz, foxtrot, etc. For those old timers, she won the Harvest Moon Ball at Madison Square Garden in the late 70s in front of 18,000 people. I suppose she qualifies as a good teacher don't you think? I, on the other hand, can not dance at all. Now with the knee excuse rapidly disappearing, I will be forced to stare down my own ineptitude.