United States
That’s what I would want.
Revision TKR Third times the charm- hopefully
- Thread starter jboles
- Start date
OP
OP
jboles
graduate
OP
OP
jboles
graduate
Thanks @sistersinhim , I assumed @Jamie was away for a few days. My radiology report from my full length X-ray were posted on my online portal today. The radiologist says the right leg is 8 degrees valgus and the left leg is 1 degree varus.
MSgirl
senior
Oh, Jan. I hate to hear that your problems continue. You deserve better. Just a thought: how far are you from a medical school? A lot of people say they don't want residents to touch them. I understand but my husband was on the faculty of a medical school. They are up-to-date on all the latest treatments. The attendings (I call them "real doctors") have to sign off on anything the residents do and you can ask to see an attending. I would not hesitate to be checked out at a medical school if I had an unusual problem. Maybe they would have something to offer that your current doctor does not. Meanwhile, I'll keep checking on you and hope for the best.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
My physician first husband also had only good things to say about residents and surgeons fresh out of school. Like you say @MSgirl, they're up to date on new technologies and treatments. Definitely worth looking into. The best of all worlds might be a talented new surgeon assisting a crafty veteran of thousands of successful joint replacements!
Many excellent revision surgeons are associated with teaching hospitals and universities, perhaps for this very reason.
Many excellent revision surgeons are associated with teaching hospitals and universities, perhaps for this very reason.
OP
OP
jboles
graduate
The sad fact is @MSgirl and @SusieShoes my OS is chief of orthopedics at the hospital of a very well know and highly thought of medical school. So I thought I was getting the best possible care.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
You did your homework and picked a skilled, highly-qualified surgeon. You couldn't have done anything different to get a better result. Based on the information you had, you should have gotten a good result. But you didn't.
Even great surgeons can perform unsatisfactory surgeries. It happens. It doesn't necessarily mean the surgeon is a disaster (though sometimes it does), or that anyone else will have bad results. You might even want to have the surgeon correct the mistake, though wisdom generally says if you want to correct the result, you need a different surgeon, one who is not invested in the current surgery.
You're doing the right thing. Again. Just don't second-guess your first surgery. You did all you could.
Jamie is away from the forum for a short spell. She will help you find someone in your area when she is back.
Even great surgeons can perform unsatisfactory surgeries. It happens. It doesn't necessarily mean the surgeon is a disaster (though sometimes it does), or that anyone else will have bad results. You might even want to have the surgeon correct the mistake, though wisdom generally says if you want to correct the result, you need a different surgeon, one who is not invested in the current surgery.
You're doing the right thing. Again. Just don't second-guess your first surgery. You did all you could.
Jamie is away from the forum for a short spell. She will help you find someone in your area when she is back.
OP
OP
jboles
graduate
@SusieShoes I really did a lot of research and I believe he is a good doctor. I'm going to follow through with my exercises, because it can't harm me, it will only help, and who knows, maybe by strengthening the muscles I'll be able to walk without my cane. I've read articles online about people being able to straighten knees through exercise. I'm not sure if I believe it though?? It will be interesting to see if my current OS is on the list that @Jamie has.
SusieShoes
Former BoneSmart staff member
A lot can be done with exercises/stretching. Just not in the first weeks after surgery (something we can get kind of repetitive about but with reason). Where you are, though, give exercise a try. You have good ROM and if stronger muscles can help you, might as well give that a try. You can still seek out a second opinion for your right leg.
OP
OP
jboles
graduate
My thoughts exactly.
MSgirl
senior
Hmmm... Well, darn. I agree with you and Susie. Might as well give the exercises a try. Just from a personal experience, the exercises I did at PT did help. I'm ashamed to say that since I finished PT, I haven't kept up with them. I have recently taken three weeks off my walking to try to get our new puppy house trained. Silly, I know. This week I had had it staying home so went to the casino to walk. Air-conditioned and safe. I was surprised to find that two miles was all I had in me. So - it was a reminder that I have to keep moving. I'm hoping that you can find some exercises that will help over time. Would your dr. write you a prescription for PT? A good one might have the ability to design a plan especially for you. Meanwhile, know that a whole lot of us on here are pulling for you and thinking of you often.
OP
OP
jboles
graduate
@MSgirl Thank you so much for those kind words. It’s surprising how much I’ve come to think of you and others on here as friends. We’ll probably never meet, but I’ve shared more with people on here than with people I see in my daily life. How’s your puppy? We hadn’t had a dog in 10 years and we got a chocolate lab the end of June. So I’m familiar with the house training problems. He’s mostly going to be an outdoor dog, we live on a farm, so we converted a stall in the barn into his house. But we wanted him to be housebroken as well. My doctor said a personal trainer would probably be better than a physical therapist in my situation. I’ve actually been doing the exercises that I was doing in PT and a few more. I should have kept up with them, but I stopped them when I went back to work. I hope you had some fun at the casino, besides walking 
MSgirl
senior
A personal trainer makes a lot more sense for you. I hope you find one who can, if not make it go away, make your life easier.
Maybe it's because we share the same surgery month, but I feel the same about you and others. I read something once about people who travelled across the country in covered wagons to settle the west. They became "friends for the road," joined together to support one another against danger. Then, once they arrived, everyone went their own way but on that trip, those friendships were the most important relationships they had. Kind of like our Bonesmart journey for us. And we are considering NC as a retirement locale so who knows? We may run into each other at Kroger's!
House training progresses but right now our biggest problem are those awful baby teeth. The vet says they'll be gone soon. We can only hope. Not too lucky at the casino!
Maybe it's because we share the same surgery month, but I feel the same about you and others. I read something once about people who travelled across the country in covered wagons to settle the west. They became "friends for the road," joined together to support one another against danger. Then, once they arrived, everyone went their own way but on that trip, those friendships were the most important relationships they had. Kind of like our Bonesmart journey for us. And we are considering NC as a retirement locale so who knows? We may run into each other at Kroger's!
House training progresses but right now our biggest problem are those awful baby teeth. The vet says they'll be gone soon. We can only hope. Not too lucky at the casino!
OP
OP
jboles
graduate
Thanks @katchmo I’m still working on it. I’m hoping these hip exercises are working, something is sure making my backside sore if I can strengthen the muscles enough so that my balance is better, I may be able to give up my cane. That would make me happy, to me, having my cane is a constant reminder that I still have a problem. It’s a waiting game I guess for the next few months.
if I can strengthen the muscles enough so that my balance is better, I may be able to give up my cane. That would make me happy, to me, having my cane is a constant reminder that I still have a problem. It’s a waiting game I guess for the next few months.
Good supporting muscles may help compensate a bit for the knee issue while you're investigating second opinions.
OP
OP
jboles
graduate
OP
OP
jboles
graduate
kayow11
senior
For me, PT did help with muscle strengthening, but at the same time it caused my knees to always feel sore, more painful and flared up for a couple days afterwards.
I had my last surgery March 26, revision on my left leg that was approximately 10° Valgus from the surgery I had last September, and that whole left side is still weak. It doesn't feel much different over the past 2 to 3 months. I'm just giving things a lot of time.
And even with my 15-month-old knee, when I try to force a little more bend and hold it., it seems like it is extra sore for at least a day or two afterwards and I don't feel I gain anything. Will I be stuck at 90 to 95° forever? I sure hope not but it is unknown at this point.
There is no way I could have gone without a revision to fix that degree of Valgus. It was affecting too many things such as my foot and ankle and knee and hip and back. I am glad I had it done, but six months out now, almost, it is weak but not as painful as the old right knee done last June in 2017.
Believe me, I am quite sick of this whole thing. 15 months of recovery and still dealing with it. Still can't bend either knee more than 95°. Standing and walking are slightly better but not very good and still not at the point they were before any of the three surgeries.
My body is sick and tired of surgery. My progress is very slow. But at least it's going in the right direction. Too bad you don't live here or I would recommend my revision surgeon.
My original surgeon that gave me the crooked knee, is well known, popular, and supposedly an excellent surgeon too. But they all have their failures. He said he didn't think it looked that bad to him, which made me want to knock him down on floor and yell at him for the poor job he did. But of course , there is no consequence for his mistake except the patient being the victim. They still get paid and continue doing surgeries just as before. This aspect can make me feel bitter towards him. Too bad he's such a nice guy.
This knee journey is nothing like I expected it to be, and needless to say, so far I am disappointed with it all. But I hope that my future holds a wonderful surprise and answers to my prayers for full healing.
I just realized after I proofread my post and sent it, that it was mostly about me and my experience. It should have been posted in my thread. Sorry for the mistake.
I had my last surgery March 26, revision on my left leg that was approximately 10° Valgus from the surgery I had last September, and that whole left side is still weak. It doesn't feel much different over the past 2 to 3 months. I'm just giving things a lot of time.
And even with my 15-month-old knee, when I try to force a little more bend and hold it., it seems like it is extra sore for at least a day or two afterwards and I don't feel I gain anything. Will I be stuck at 90 to 95° forever? I sure hope not but it is unknown at this point.
There is no way I could have gone without a revision to fix that degree of Valgus. It was affecting too many things such as my foot and ankle and knee and hip and back. I am glad I had it done, but six months out now, almost, it is weak but not as painful as the old right knee done last June in 2017.
Believe me, I am quite sick of this whole thing. 15 months of recovery and still dealing with it. Still can't bend either knee more than 95°. Standing and walking are slightly better but not very good and still not at the point they were before any of the three surgeries.
My body is sick and tired of surgery. My progress is very slow. But at least it's going in the right direction. Too bad you don't live here or I would recommend my revision surgeon.
My original surgeon that gave me the crooked knee, is well known, popular, and supposedly an excellent surgeon too. But they all have their failures. He said he didn't think it looked that bad to him, which made me want to knock him down on floor and yell at him for the poor job he did. But of course , there is no consequence for his mistake except the patient being the victim. They still get paid and continue doing surgeries just as before. This aspect can make me feel bitter towards him. Too bad he's such a nice guy.
This knee journey is nothing like I expected it to be, and needless to say, so far I am disappointed with it all. But I hope that my future holds a wonderful surprise and answers to my prayers for full healing.
I just realized after I proofread my post and sent it, that it was mostly about me and my experience. It should have been posted in my thread. Sorry for the mistake.
