Become an Insider

Revision TKR Would like advice please, I think knee has moved

Status
Not open for further replies.
I'm back from hospital appointment. It was a long morning. Xrays done and OK. Blood test also done waiting for results. Infection still hasn't been ruled out despite my knee not looking infected. My logging of temp( both body and knee) and girth of my knee was very useful and I'm going ro continue doing so. I haven't any answers still. Going to get in touch with microbiologists again and my consultant. I mentioned again could it be related to my immune system and this was not ruled out.

He said this morning that Wrightington handles a lot of tough cases and mine rates as one of the toughest toughies to solve. I said that is why I came here to see Mr Kay and he said Mr Kay is one of the best. Thanks @Josephine for suggesting him. I got a new brace as mine is wearing out. Hopefully I get to see Mr Kay in 3 weeks at the end of January when he is available.

Hubby has been in contact with GP as to how to get a wheelchair with a leg board as I'm developing 'cabin fever'. I'd love to get out of the house for even a short while. I can make it to the car but can't walk very far at all. I have a scooter I can't use and conventional wheelchairs available in stores are no use. I think I'm in for a long haul.
 
Oh cool! Give him my regards when you see him!

As for the wheelchair, why don't you contact Motability? They specialise in such things.
 
Need some advice please @Josephine or anybody that has had a non articulating spacer.

The other night whilst my brace was off and i was laying still on the bed my knee started hurting badly at the front of the knee. Is it possible the non articulating spacer can move inside the knee. It seems as though my knee has changed angle. I have had to adjust the brace angle to get my knee more comfortable. I have had to tweak it before but never this much. I've never been able to fully tighten the centre 2 of 6 brace straps due to pain. I'm still getting more pain than before and have trouble touching the central region at times due to pain. Could it be just the weight of the knee that is straightening it out? I am 8 weeks out today. I was told it was OK to leave the brace off for short periods such as for showering. I have never been able to fully weight bear on this leg since the op and use 2 crutches all the time and support in the shower.

Also wondering how long the antibiotics in the spacer continue to be released? I am continuing to get variations in my body temperature throughout the day with increase after movement. I have kept the log going to see if there is any pattern. The knee is still very warm to touch and I am unable to tolerate the weight of an ice pack on it as I have since the op. It is kept elevated all the time except when mobilising.

I have just over a week before i see the surgeon again.
 
I had a non articulating antibiotic spacer which sometimes felt as if it was moving about and grinding together, which was a horrible feeling, but I don't remember it ever causing me actual pain in the knee. I had to keep my brace on 24/7 and wasn't allowed to weight bear. I used either crutches or a wheelchair with a leg extension all the time.

I'm not sure how long the antibiotics took to completely slow release. I had to have a weekly blood test and the second revision wasn't considered until my CRP was below 10, but I knew that it was definitely an infection that was being treated which I don't think has been confirmed with you.

Could you ring your surgeon's secretary to see if your appointment could be brought forward? I'm sorry I can't be more help to you, but I can sympathise. Linda x
 
thanks @Coppernob I can't get the appointment moved as the consultant isn't at clinic til then.

It is interesting that I was told I could fully weght bear and could take it off for showering as at that stage they didn't know what the problem was, and they still don't. Was your knee a funny colour under the spacer or weren't you able to see it? The skin over the spacer keeps swelling and the whole area goes very hard. My scar has healed very well except for a lump lower down which I think is a stitch knot.
 
As far as I remember my knee looked pretty 'normal' with the spacer in. Perhaps pretty is not a good choice of word!
It must be so frustrating for you not knowing what's causing all your problems. I really hope you get some answers soon. Thinking of you. Linda x
 
I'm still in a lot of pain from the knee, warm and inflammed. I had a very rough night last night. I have 4 more nights to go before I see the surgeon. I'm beginning to wonder if the trouble is related to the bone cement as it is in this area the pain and swelling is worse. I've had to loosen the brace and fold it back over the central portion of the knee. It is very sensitive to touch.

I'm still having trouble with painful heels - pressure points. It is a painful burning sensation most of the time even with no load. My circulation isn't good and my feet are frozen cold most of the time. Thankfully no broken skin. My heel protectors aren't giving me much relief. i went to the podiatrist on Thursday afternoon and they want me to suspend my heels when laying down. I can't get comfortable using pillows or hanging my feet over the end of the bed because of the brace and supporting it. My leg isn't set straight it has a slight bend on it. I have been keeping heels well moisturised myself and using an electric adjustable bed. I can't get the angle of the mattress right so that knee is comfortable and heel is off the surface of the mattress. My wheelchair with the leg raise gives a little respite but can't sit in it all day as it gets very uncomfortable on the bottom.

District nurse came out today at request of podiatrist and they have prescribed cream, special mattress and seat cushion. Should get these early next week. i hope they will help. I've no idea how long I still have to wear the brace for or how long to the next op.
 
I'm sorry you're still having so many difficulties to contend with. It doesn't seem fair that some people cop the lot, but that's life for you. At least it sounds as if the District Nurse is on your side and doing what she can for you. Hope you get some answers when you see your surgeon next week. Hang on in there. Linda x
 
How did you get on when you saw your surgeon on yesterday?

Just to let you know my mum died peacefully yesterday morning. Very sad but glad she is now at peace after years of living with dementia. It's a very cruel disease. Linda x
 
@ Coppernob Sorry to hear your sad news. I'm glad it was peaceful. Unless your involved with someone who has dementia it is hard to understand just how it affects their and your lives. I feel sad that I haven't visited mum for 10 weeks now, but it just hasn't been possible to make the journey. We saw signs of mum's dementia starting 20 years ago this year when dad died suddenly. At first we thought she wasn't coping because of the shock but soon realised what it was. It took a while for a diagnoses, she was good at hiding it from other people. She is 89 in March. My thoughts are with you at this sad time.

I was going to post yesterday about Wednesday's appointment, but somehow time overtook me.

Despite being told last time that I needed to see my surgeon I was down the see his Fellow again and had to ask to see him. Running late, but he had time for me.

All the blood tests have come back negative yet again, I'm still to have a positive one, but he says there could still be an infection lurking in there. After a discussion he has decided that he wants to do another aspiration and take a tissue sample from the front of my knee next to the bone cement to check for any reaction. He has to make a 1.5 to 2 " incision to do this. So it is back to theatre in the near future to have this done. At first it was next week, then within the next 2 weeks and now I've just heard it will probably be the 17 Feb.That will be exactly 12 weeks from stage one. I have a gastro appointment on that day so it looks like I'll have to cancel it and wait months again for that to be re-arranged. He only operates on Mondays. I just wish they wouldn't keep getting my hopes up and then letting me down! I can't have it done under a local so it will be a spinal again with the possibility of an overnight stay if my bladder doesn't wake up quickly as usually happens. I have a pre-op next Monday, they couldn't fit me in on Wednesday whilst I was there.

So the saga goes on. From what he was saying if he is going to replace the knee he isn't keen to do a cementless one. He removed the knee button at Stage 1 and says he doesn't have to replace that and I can manage without one. A fusion was mentioned again and I said I wanted to avoid this. I would rather have an amputation than fusion. I have become so aware of the limitations of a straight leg this last 9+ weeks especially with all the pain I have had. He said an amputation wasn't on the cards yet.

I also said I couldn't go on much longer as I am, it is driving me 'nuts' and getting me really down. I just can't get comfortable and dread going to bed each night. My heels have come round a little with the new pressure mattress and the new cream. I have to try and keep my heels off any surface which is hard with the brace. Even going to the toilet is difficult. I'm wearing baggy pyjama bottoms in the daytime at home to make it as easy as I can. I only change to go out of the house.

Sorry for the moan, let's hope things will improve soon
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh, I forgot to say in case anybody is interested, that the release of the antibiotics in my spacer would have tapered off at 2 to 3 weeks mark. It is interesting that is was day 23 when the increased swelling in my knee suddenly occurred and I had to keep slackening off my brace
 
I wish there was something I could say to make things better for you. Linda x
 
@ Coppernob, Thanks. I think that if I knew that there was a definite way forward it would help. I seem to go from one appointment to the next. The constantly changing of the goalposts ie the dates does not help. It just gets my hopes up to be let down again. I can't even guess when and if I will get a new knee. He did ask me the timescale he gave me in the beginning to a stage 2 operation.(6 to 12 weeks prob 12 from stage 1 if I remember correctly) I will have reached that at the forthcoming aspiration/ tissue sample operation date. It is this elusive infection that gets me, if it is an infection. The only thing that has been positive has been the white blood scan 'suggestive of a possible infection'. To me an allergy could show the same result from what I've been reading. It was me that asked would it be possible to make a slit somewhere in my skin and place a piece of bone cement in it to see if I reacted. He then came up with taking a tissue sample from next to the spacer in the knee.

All my original allergy tests were done after a trip to the dentist for a filling many years ago. Within 15minutes of leaving the dentist my face was swollen and the imprint of a hand could clearly be seen. This lasted a couple of days. Everyone thought I had reacted to the dentist's gloves or powder on the gloves but these tests were negative. Only recently giving it a lot of thought I have wondered if it was some component of the filling material that was on the glove. I have had many filling since but no further reactions. 18 months ago I was patch tested to the dental series but nothing showed up. I do have unexplained pain near the root of one of my upper teeth (27 + years) which has been investigated many times, the last at a dental hospital and I was told that I have to live with it (cause unknown).

He didn't seem keen at all to do a cementless revision but I have read that they are possible. Perhaps because I have cobalt and chromium allergies and the knee couldn't be made out of these metals maybe the problem. The surgeon went out of the room on Wednesday to organise the surgery but didn't come back so I didn't have chance to ask any more questions. They will have to wait to next time.

I will come round again and start the countdown to the next op. Thank you for caring about me especially at the moment.
 
Well, for once, a little more positive. I've just come back from pre-op and passed OK despite having had a bad cold. Also got a phone call to say op now 10 February. Somebody is looking out for me! Nurse in pre-op told be to make sure I had an appointment to see surgeon before leaving the hospital after the op. Anesthetist I saw said that they might want to do a general not a short acting spinal that I would rather have. I have to wait until the day to find out. My bladder has problems waking up after both and I'm down for a possible overnight stay. I've been told I will probably be first on the list due to my medical conditions but this does not always follow and I know not to get my hopes up.
 
Sending positive thoughts and prayers for an uneventful revision on the 10th! Glad the pre op went well, and you are ready to move ahead.
 
@pumpkin thanks, it is only the aspiration and tissue sample from under the bone cement on the 10th. I have to have this first before a replacement can be considered
 
Thanks for the clarification, sending you good wishes that you can move ahead after this procedure and have your revision.
 
Hi Busylizzie. I will be thinking of you on the 10th and hope the docs come up with some answers for you. I can't imagine being in limbo the way you are. You are one brave girl!
 
I joined the ODIC (Over did it club) today as I spent 3 hours in the car and 1 hour in the wheelchair to visit my Mum in the dementia care home. I hadn't seen her since before the stage 1 surgery over 11 weeks ago. I took the opportunity to go today as I thought it was do-able. My knee ( or where it should be) is really sore now.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Countdown now, less than 12 hours until I have to be at the hospital. I really do hope that these tests show up what is going on and I can eventually move on and have a new knee. Still hoping for a short acting spinal and that my bladder works OK afterwards. If everything goes well I'll be home tomorrow or else it will be an overnight stay. I'm still down as 1st for surgery, let's hope it stays that way as it will increase my chance of a day stay.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel
Corganics CBD

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 5,926 (members: 0, guests: 5,926)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom