Revision TKR Totally recovered at last!

[lovetocookandsew]

I hope you get some nice rest and tomorrow goes much better for you.

 

[newlybionic]

I slept in to very late today. I had 9 hours of sleep. I guess I really needed it. I must have been really worn out from my day Wednesday it it caught up to me. My knee is still swollen and I have had it elevated almost all day long and I use my ice wrap or my ice machine. I just don't know why it remains that way. I have been doing heel slides, stretches and some walking around my house when needed. It's a bit frustrating.

 

[Glamg1979]

My right knee was done almost 6 months ago and still swells in the afternoon but L knee is almost 3 weeks old and barely swells. Each knee has a mind of it's own.
Wouldn't be surprised that your knee is still giving you fits because of all those months of it having been done incorrectly as well as cement floating around in there causing constant irritation. So your knee needs to heal from that as well as the surgery. Going to be quite a while before it all quiets down, but you are doing the right thing....... Ice,ice,ice!!

 

[Clipless]

Marian, my OS told me that post op TKR swelling can persist/recur for up to a full year, and that has certainly been my experience. Six months out and I'm having a (sort of) bad day with my RTKR after running around at work all night. Hang in there, you are amazing.

 

[Timetolive]

Marian, you are doing great. Yes, you did have a BIG busy day on Wednesday and are probably still paying for it. Rest, ice,and elevate. I am with Diana - my OS told me some still swell at 12 months. At 5 months - I am still swelling also. BUT.....the pain of bone on bone is not there. My stamina is not there yet either. Hang in there. You are a strong woman and will make it through this. Hugs and prayers.

 

[newlybionic]

I have to try to remember that I never recovered from my first surgery on his knee 9 months ago and then I'm not even a month out from this one yet. I guess I'm just tired of being in a recovery that could actually last more than a year altogether.

With my new knee I was told that no cement was used. It's a DuPuy brand knee made for revisions. It's made for the bone to grow into the stems. Does anyone else have a TKR without cement? I should have asked but do I have to be careful to avoid certain movements now? @Josephine can you shed some light on this for me?

 

[Josephine]

I guess I'm just tired of being in a recovery that could actually last more than a year altogether.

But you're not a year out. You only had your revision 4 weeks ago. However, I do understand that your situation has been ongoing for a little over 9 months.

Does anyone else have a TKR without cement? I should have asked but do I have to be careful to avoid certain movements now?

Lots of people do. But remind me why you had you revision? Was it an infection or what? And does the new device have stems in the bones like this?

These are very often used for revision and may be uncemented, especially if there was an infection as the presence of the cement could make for problems if there was any residual bugs present.

 

[newlybionic]

@Josephine I had the revision because my patella was for to the outside of my knee and also poor placement of one of the other components. He also found loss pieces of cement floating around too. He took a sample of the fluid and it did not show any infection. He used one where the stems look like they are in a step like progression wider at the beginning and actually ending in what looks like a 'U' at the ends of both stems. I tried to find a sample like that on line but I haven't found anything quite like it. This is what current OS uses for his revisions.

 

[Josephine]

O yes, I remember now. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[KarriB]

Marian, I hope you've been able to rest this weekend and recuperate a bit from your crazy week. It's so easy to over do it when you aren't feeling pain at the time. It's been beautiful here in Western Pa, you may be able to rest outside for a bit today!

 

[smarttoys]

Marian, does it look like this implant?

 

[newlybionic]

@smarttoys Yes it does look close to that picture but the stems themselves just looked a little bit longer especially the bottom one. @Josephine I still need to know if I have to be extra careful about avoiding certain movements. In twelve weeks will I be able to go back to work without problems?

 

[Josephine]

Oh you mean this one? The Depuy PFC TC3 Revision knee? Which is the one I posted previously.
I think that image was misleading!

Bony ingrowth to the implant should be well advanced within about 8-10 weeks so up till then I would just avoid twisting or rotating movements that could interfere with that bony ingrowth. Once you get to about 12 weeks, such bone growth should be complete. Check out this chart

 

[newlybionic]

Thanks Josephine. That looks like my Xray. I also appreciate your chart as well.

I'm 4 weeks today. I walk without a cane in the house without a limp. When I go out I bring my cane because once I start to feel tired ( 5 minutes, lol) I need it for some extra help. I only need pain meds at night sometimes. Each trip out in the car I do come back achy and I usually will try Tylenol first before anything stronger. I try to ice and elevate as often as possible. I start outpatient PT Thursday but I have an appt tomorrow and I am my friend's driver when she has to go for a medical procedure on Wednesday. My ice machine stays cold for almost 12 hours at a time. I use the frozen blocks you put in a cooler with a little bit of ice cubes and it is wonderful. I have to be back to work two months from today. I might be able to go back at reduced hours but I'll just wait until I'm closer to that time. Overall I can say that I am very happy that I had the revision. I hope all have a good day and never give up trying to fix any problems you have because things can always get better.

 

[newlybionic]

I just saw my hospital bill for my revision. I had it done on a Monday and left that Wednesday and the total bill was over $164,000! That's just crazy. I'm very fortunate that my insurance picked up the entire bill. That bill does not include doctor bills or the preop testing I had done there. How could anyone have this surgery without insurance?

 

[KarriB]

I don't know! My insurance picked up the whole bill also (I had already met my deductible)! When I retire I'm staying with the same insurance because I don't want to take a chance.

 

[newlybionic]

I made a visit to the ODIC lady and walked through a large grocery store and bought a full cart load. By the time I drove home and got the groceries in the house I was totally just beat. I brought home some cooked chicken so at least I had a quick dinner. I got the cold stuff put away and I'm here with my knee elevated and my ice machine running at full force. I am in some mild pain and have some cramping but overall I survived the trip. Tomorrow I'll be visiting the ODIC again because I have to take my friend for a medical procedure. I'll probably be out for about 5 hours or so. It is nice to actually do something normal. The knee has been strong throughout. I already am feeling better than I was before the revision and I'm only going to feel better. Thank God for all the prayers offered for me and also sending an OS who has helped me so much. I know when I need to have the other one replaced I will feel quite confident going back to him again.

 

[KarriB]

Elevate your leg while you're waiting for your friend.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I understand-it's so nice to begin to take back your life while at the same time your knee wants to hold you back. But eventually the knee goes along with the program and quietly. Have a good day tomorrow and remember.........elevate and !!!!!!

 

[theresav]

2 weeks out today! I had the staples taken out this morning. My skin had started growing over them so they stung a bit. I now have steri strips. My incision is raised up a bit and I'm wondering if it's because my OS used the last incision line again. Went through some exercises with PT and I have now advanced from the walker to a cane. I only have a slight limp but I have no stamina at all. After a small walk around the house I felt out of breath.

I woke up at five in the morning. I know I am really doing extremely well with this surgery but I still started feeling very depressed and angry. I am almost 9 months out from the original surgery and I feel like I would have been finished with all of this if my first OS wasn't so incapable and then just brush me off for months and left me in pain. I'm trying to fight off these thoughts but it's very hard. I'm alone all day and I wish I was at work and around other people. When everyone is at work all day I have no one to talk to. There's only so much tv I can watch.

Hang in there.. Glad it went well. You will get your strength back little by little. I was bored to death as well. Entertained myself somehow.

left knee 9/21/15
right knee 11/30/15