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Revision TKR To Work or Not to Work?

Make sure there’s no pain while biking (0 resistance) or in the pool. Keep us updated.

I was at 12 weeks when I returned to teaching, but was mornings only for 6 weeks which allowed me to rest and elevate in the afternoons/evenings.
 
SusieShoes- Yes a revision but only the top or femoral component and the spacer or disk between the pieces. “But only”, right? Uugh
 
Will do KarriB. No pain is the key. My fellow teachers are making my transition to work an easy one.
 
You are lucky to have help from the other teachers. Try to anticipate too. If you leg will drag after a certain time, maybe you need to have crutches or a walker in the closet, so that you can use them if you need assistance. Be sure to bring ice in a tiny ice chest, or get it from the kitchen, so that you can ice the knee during the day.

Organize your students too to help, kids love to be helpful. And make your life easy at home. Simple meals (thank you PF Chang!!) and lots of rest. I think you will need to collapse at home the first few weeks. Also, the weekend is a good time to catch up on rest. I am sorry about your knee, it just seems unfair when everything does not go well the first time. I had to have a spacer replacement and I had some bitter moments about having to do rehab AGAIN!! But, if you can look at the big picture, I am glad now that my knee was fixed and it working well.
 
Does anyone here think I should get a 3rd opinion to make sure the second opinion is enough to go on? Has anyone done this?
 
I am always of the opinion that it can’t hurt, but it all depends on your confidence in th doctor.

As far as teaching, I had spots set up in the classroom where I could sit to rest my leg. I also consolidated my activity as much as possible, especially pre-op. The specials teachers would sometimes grab my class on their way from lunch or send them when he/she saw me at the top of the hall. I’ve found walking is good, but the amount of walking necessary at school can be overwhelming and painful.
 
Well, it's been almost a year since my TKR and Tuesday, May 29 will be the day of my revision surgery. I ended up finding a doctor in my area that would actually talk to me. Seems that don't want to "step on another doctor's toes" I was told. I have no greater range of motion than I did last July when I had a MUA. In the back of my mind I always knew something was not right with my surgery. I'm very nervous (hell, scared) to go through this again, but I know the outcome has to be worth it.
 
Is this the same surgeon you saw in October for a second opinion?

What is his opinion of the need for a revision?
 
Good luck @JMB. Hope things go really well on the 29th.
 
Yes, the same surgeon. He said the femoral component was the incorrect size. He likened it to a door with the wrong size hinge. Said all the PT and time in the world won’t correct it. He showed me my X-ray and a correctly placed one. I haven’t been able to straighten or bend my leg since the surgery last May.
 
I’m sorry you have to have surgery again. Best wishes for success!
 
Did he not know it was the incorrect size the first time?
 
Well, my surgery was Tuesday. All went well. I was at 78 degrees flexion and 14 degrees away from being straight. The evening of surgery I was walking with 2 degrees above zero extension and 82 degrees flexion. No pain. My wife and I were in tears. I suspet the staples and swelling have something to do with the stiffness when it comes to getting 90 degrees flexion right now. A whole year of basically being crippled and with the skill of a talented young surgeon who specializes in knee revision, I’m back!!! I was released to home 48 hours later and my first outpatient PT appointment was yesterday. My therapist’s jaw dropped when he saw me walk in. He said I am better now at 3 days post op than I was last year at day 160.
 
Apparently the femoral component was the incorrect size and the spacer between the two was too large. There was also a slight alignment issue.
 
No, I did not use the same doctor - that choice was a no brainer. As far as the previous doctor goes, I have no contact with him...but my lawyers do.
 
I am so happy to read how well your revision is already!

I have some symptoms of a loose implant so will be starting my second opinion process tomorrow. If my implant is loose then a revision is in my future.

I am hopeful of a better recovery with things done correctly in the revision surgery.

Best wishes for a continued great recovery!
 
Will you use the same doctor? It took several calls to area doctors for a second opinion. Nobody wanted to touch me. Thankfully a Canadian doctor working in my area took my case. I guess he didn’t have a horse in this race- so to speak. Everything happens for a reason. You have to be your own strongest advocate. Do your homework when it comes to your case and your surgeon. I wish you luck. Always here if you have any questions.
 
No I will not be seeing my original surgeon again. At my one year check up I had a list of 9 concerns, some of which I now realize are symptoms of a loose implant.

The only concern he commented on was that my knee aches outside in cold weather because I have metal in n my knee. Yes, I figured that out for myself.

He did not offer me anything else. Not even what I call “bandaid advice”.

I am looking at 2 surgeons about 90 minutes away, in the Philadelphia area.
 
Great to see you are off to a good start.
 
JMB said:
Well, my surgery was Tuesday. All went well. I was at 78 degrees flexion and 14 degrees away from being straight. The evening of surgery I was walking with 2 degrees above zero extension and 82 degrees flexion. No pain. My wife and I were in tears. I suspet the staples and swelling have something to do with the stiffness when it comes to getting 90 degrees flexion right now. A whole year of basically being crippled and with the skill of a talented young surgeon who specializes in knee revision, I’m back!!! I was released to home 48 hours later and my first outpatient PT appointment was yesterday. My therapist’s jaw dropped when he saw me walk in. He said I am better now at 3 days post op than I was last year at day 160.
Click to expand...
I'm glad everything went so well!

Since it's just over a year since your original surgery, I'll give you the recovery reading again, as a refresher:
Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now; they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for TKRs


The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?

Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key

Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

Please don't be overwhelmed by the list. The articles are not long and they and contain information that will answer many questions and help you make your recovery much easier on your knee and on you.

We are here to help in any way we can: answering questions and concerns; supporting and encouraging you from start to finish.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
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