TKR To have or not to have?

[MochiMc]

I am scheduled for knee replacement on Sept. 8 but after reading many reports of healing time and withdrawal from pain meds, I am thinking of canceling it.

 

[lancecwilson]

I wish it was done years ago. I may be having some issues now, but it was the best thing for me.

 

[benne68]

Welcome to Bonesmart, @MochiMc. I'm so glad you found us because there are many, many of us here who have had very successful outcomes.

I am almost 11 months out and have had a great recovery. My life after surgery is so much better and I am planning to have my other knee done this winter. If you'd like to read my story, you can find it here: https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/benne68-in-recovery.67226/

You might also take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing knee recoveries

It's not uncommon with anything for folks who have difficulty to spend more time posting. The people whose surgeries got smoothly (more than 80% of us), tend to participate in the forum for 5 or 6 months and then sign off when they feel sufficiently recovered to get on with their lives.

I'm sure more of our members will share their success stories with you!

I hope you don't cancel, because for most of us, life after a TKR is really good!

 

[Jamie]

Hi, @MochiMc …. I’m sorry to hear that you’re doubting the wisdom of having a knee replacement if you have a bad arthritic knee. The first thing to remember is that this is a very successful surgery for the majority of folks. There are around a million knees replaced each year just in the US alone. You’ll never read about the people who recover without issue and go on with their lives as they don’t even think about finding a support group like BoneSmart. But even here on the forum we have many, many success stories.

Here is some information that may help you.

New BoneSmart members like you are in various stages of their journey to joint replacement. Making the decision whether or not to have surgery and preparing for surgery can be easier once you have done your research and know what lies ahead. Here are some tools that can help you decide what is best for you.

If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:

Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic knee?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?


If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:

Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?


And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced knee, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:

Stories of amazing knee recoveries

Please let us know exactly what concerns you and we can address each thing for you. Believe me you’re not alone in having doubts. It’s normal. But if you’re in pain and bone on bone, a new knee can give you your life back.

 

[Claire56]

@MochiMc if your knee issue is due to osteoarthritis they are only going to get worse. I still feel I have more recovery ahead but my day to day pain level is pretty much zero. That is WAY better than pre surgery. Going down stairs is still uncomfortable, getting up and down from the floor is awkward but I can do it, and I will have random twinges. I did not take the heavy duty pain meds for long. I am also starting to realize that some little things that I would do were adaptations to take pressure off my knees. As our knees deteriorate, I think we adapt without realizing it but they get to the point where pain is pretty much a constant companion.

I agree with Jamie and Benne68 that you will hear more from the ones that are having a harder time with recovery. Look for the postings that are celebrating positive landmarks. They are out there on this forum.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

Not every patient has a perfect recovery, no matter what kind of surgery they had, whether knee, heart, hip, and so on. But, we hope for the best and do what we need to do to try and take our lives back. Many more people have a good outcome than a poor outcome, but many of those who do have a slow start in recovery go on to recover well and move on with their lives once again. I'm one who has a rough time after surgery so it takes me longer to get through the first phases, but at some point I hit my stride and my recovery goes a lot more smoothly.

There are many ways to help with post-surgery pain; I can't take any pain meds so had a nerve block in surgery with my revision, 2 full rounds of the On-Q pump after it wore off, and then used an ice machine and elevation after that. If you can take narcotic pain meds to relieve pain, and then taper off as the pain tapers off, you won't need to wean yourself off them. Those who take them for actual pain don't generally get addicted, they take them for pain and when the pain is gone, so are the pain meds.

Your knee issues won't get better with time, and will continue to get worse, which may make your recovery harder. My advice is learn everything you can ahead of time so you're as informed as possible. Have a plan for your recovery, such as meals, recovery aids, help, and so on. We have a good post about meal prep before surgery in the social room; take a look if you're interested. We also have a ton of information between posts and our articles in the library. All can be a great help in preparing for your surgery and recovery. Don't let your nerves get the best of you, getting the surgery done and behind you is a good thing.

 

[Cbet]

I am patiently waiting to have my right knee done.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Pre-op pain is bad, crippling, horrible, demoralising, and only gets worse. Post-op pain can be as bad, sometimes in the first days. Your body is shocked -- someone has attacked you with saws, hammers and other assorted weaponry, cut bits of you off and hammered foreign material in. It's no wonder it's a bit discommoded!!

But the key fact is that the pain gets BETTER.

One's condition post-op is sometimes worse than pre-op for a few days or up to a MONTH later. One has to learn to roll with the punches, to relax, take medication, let the body do its thing and heal. It will do this all on its own. PT can be helpful with this process, but the key element is time.

But it will happen. Millions of TKRs are done every year; this wouldn't be so if it didn't work.

I am 10 years post-op, wouldn't change a thing.

 

[hawk2go]

@MochiMc - Please don't cancel or actually if you cancel, don't let it be because of someone else's outcome. No one can predict which recovery you'll experience but the odds are in your favor for a smooth recovery. Next year we'll be kneeversary buddies (1 year apart).

I can say without pause or equivocation, I am glad I did both knees because I am mostly pain-free (still recovering a bit on the right) and my quality of life is coming all the way back.

 

[kneeper]

It is a surgery you want to think about before doing--as with any surgery-- but tkr results can be life changing. Before my first knee I was clinging to the grocery cart for dear life and in retrospect don't know how I was functioning at all. The difference after my tkr was dramatic.



It is a long recovery to get to 100%, but you are able to get out and about before then. Your doc will manage your pain control. Mine was an orderly step down where I simply took less as I needed less medication, with zero problems.

I'll also say that almost everyone gets last minute nerves or second guesses as the surgery gets close. I know with my second knee I had some "is the knee that bad?" thoughts. It was. I think you'll find the Score Chart Jamie posted very helpful.

 

[InkedMarie]

Please don’t let what people say on the internet make up your mind. I’ve had both hips and both knees replaced. I had no pain. I’m an anomaly but I’ve talked to others with the same outcome. I know people who had major pain but for a short time and others with minor pain.

Marie

 

[Claire56]

I'll also say that almost everyone gets last minute nerves or second guesses as the surgery gets close. I know with my second knee I had some "is the knee that bad?"

In the first few weeks after the surgery for the first knee I also thought "what the heck have I done!" As my mobility improved, those thoughts went away.

I also had to overcome the mindset that body modification was a negative thing. Somehow this fell into that category for me.