Hi
@amidee and
to BoneSmart.
Do you know what’s causing your pain? If it is osteoarthritis, and your knees are bone on bone, knee replacement may be the only way to get rid of that pain. You might be able to hold off TKR for a while with cortisone shots and other kinds of injections. These can work for some people for months or years. If you have tried these, and your doctors are telling you they have nothing else to offer other than TKR, then you probably need one (or maybe two).
You’re young, but we’ve seen younger members come through here. The only real question for whether to get a knee replacement is “Will this improve your health and quality of life?” Because sitting around, unable to walk or move and being in pain for the next how many years... how is that going to be better than a knee replacement? If a knee replacement restores your ability to walk, climb stairs, engage with your children and job, and relieves your pain —that’s worth doing it.
Knee implants being used currently last 30 years or more. My surgeon told me he didn’t know how long mine would last, because the people with them haven’t worn them out yet —but that I was looking at 30+ years.
Also, I hope a few people will stop by here and weigh in with their experiences of how they went about trying to ward off TKR. Very few people have the operation without having tried everything else they could think of.
Here's some pre-op reading for you.
If you have concern about pain with this surgery,
Plan For Pain, can be helpful for having this discussion with your medical team.
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?
Regardless of where you are in the process, the website and app My Knee Guide can help you stay organized and informed. The free service keeps all the information pertaining to your surgery and recovery in one place on your smartphone. It is intended to be a personal support tool for the entire process.
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
If you have any questions, fire away - we're here to help.