Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Knee surgery - any success stories?

Nope, can't help you@
BUT.....left hip is prosthetic.
Right shoulder is prosthetic.
Right ankle is pinned in place.

McBride Orthopedic Hospital - Edmond, Oklahoma* if you happen to be in the area!
Great doctors! Great facility!

* - north side of OKC

One brother had both replaced.
Another brother, one replaced.
Pain was a bitch for a while.
Both said they’re really glad they did it.

Looking at having it done after the first of the year. Left Knee, bone on bone, wearing a brace for the past 6 months, but even that hasn't stopped the pain.
Glad to hear all the successes, sort of looking forward to the operation, first operation I've ever had since they took out my tonsils when I was 7, am 78 now.

Haven't had one personally, but plenty of friends and family that have. I have been in the operating room watching one being done December 2019, part of my job - if anyone wants to know the details. Just be glad you are asleep, short answer.

Mom had one done, the other scheduled 6 months later.
She did the PT, and is a compulsive worker. She didn't baby it.
But full recovery took over a year.

Didn't have the second done, wouldn't consider it.

It was a couple years untill she realized the replacement was good and
he knees hurt bad. So she had the second done.

It went real well.
Less discomfort, quicker healing, full use came quicker.

Getting lots of good advice, thanks!

I’ll set on the PT as hard as I can. They have a stationary bike and when I’m ready for it, I might just swing one into the house.

At 70 years of age, I’ve noticed my having to self check on how aggressively I could chase deer and especially elk….

I scheduled surgery for after the season and was able to fill both tags in time - so PT and as much recovery as possible by summer.

Had both knees replaced in 2017 at age 57. Right knee in January,
Left knee in March. Best medical decision I ever made. I’m in the best shape I’ve been in for a long time. Down to 225 pounds. Imcan do anything except run (I hate running anyway). I do 30 minutes 3-4 times a week on the elliptical machine. This helps with strength and range of motion.

Ron

Cotis,

I refused to research or watch the videos on how the operation takes place. It wouldn’t do me any good to ramp up the anxiety. It needed to be fixed and that really is the bottom line.

The actual surgery took about an hour and a half.
They made me very comfortable before and after - and it was a very pleasant nap. I knew going that the surgery was the easy part and the recovery is on me and that’s exactly how it’s been going.

Single word of advice! Listen to your physical therapist like he (she?) is God. Do everything they tell you...even when it hurts like hell!
Knee replacement is about the toughest PT of all joint replacements. I've spent my share of time cursing a physical therapist! Thought the s.o.b. that worked my shoulder hated me! LOL! He did one HELL of a job rehabbing my right shoulder! 😉

Two of the best day's work I ever did.

Last one was the year I shot the elk in my avatar, in on the 27th of July, was on a mountain in Montana the 2nd week of October. I had paid for the hunt already so I was motivated. Learned from the first one, was in good shape prior to the surgery which really helped. I was done with rehab in a month.

Ice is your friend, I got a set up so I could run my ice machine driving to the jobs. First week sucks regardless, but it is worth it in the end.

Nobody that has a TKA ever says they wish they waited longer!

Almost 2 years ago my wife had a torn meniscus repaired. She still can't kneel on it.

Sage advice here, with a common thread of DO THE PT RELIGIOUSLY.
I had TKR on my left a little over a year ago. It went pretty well.
I had my right replaced 6 months ago. That was complicated by the fact that literally about 3 minutes of coming home, I managed to fall on the fresh knee. Pain so intense I literally threw up. That fall landed me in a rehab facility for two weeks. First night there I fell again, directly on the knee again. [bleep] me runnin' that pain will make a believer out of you. Complicated the recovery mostly by slowing me down. Getting a little better every day, "little" being the operative word.
FWIW the Docs told me I had the worst knees they had ever seen.
The procedure has been described to me as brutal and Medieval. I know theres a hammer involved, possibly sledge for all I know.
My main motivation was wanting to eliminate the arthritis in both knees. A flare up would literally keep me in bed for a couple days.
I am glad I had it done.

I injured my right knee a year ago and subsequently developed a Baker’s cyst behind the knee. It fills with fluid and even drains down into the calf, swelling, aching severely, and really limiting range of motion. I’ve had it drained twice now, and might be doing it again shortly. The cyst is the knee’s reaction to the injury, trying to produce a lot of fluid as a cushion. I may be looking at a TKR soon.

As an anesthetist, Ive probably given anesthesia for hundreds of these. I combined a femoral nerve block with a general anesthetic. The block probably cut immediate post op pain by 60-70% and worked well. Most anesth depts. won’t offer them as it takes some time before surgery, and placing the block correctly is one of those that a lot cannot do well.

Good luck.

Not for the squeamish

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/total-knee-replacement-surgical-video/

Most ortho procedures involve saws, hammers, screws, rods, and tourniquets, all with the attendant pounding, and sawing, and noise — The carpenters of the OR.

Notice the mostly bloodless field. It because there is a large tourniquet placed on the thigh and it’s pressure is increased significantly over the patients blood pressure to hold perfusion to the leg to almost nothing. However, a lot of patients have thigh pain afterwards as I believe there is some degree of a mechanical crush injury of those soft tissues. No blood to the leg is a reason they try to get these done in an hour to an hour and a half.

A powered recliner is a big help.When you even think you have to go to the bathroom head that way.A high commode or riser is helpful the first two or three weeks are the worst.Had mine done July 12 still just a little sore the most uncomfortable thing is getting down on my knees I’ve had people tell me that have had it done years ago that it still uncomfortable.The pain on the back of my leg up to my butt was as bad as any at my knee it was black and blue and sore for weeks

But spandex can help keep the stick and stones in place, or so they say.

My Hanes boxer briefs worked well enough.

OP. Work as hard as the PT person tells you, then do a little more movement at home. If you're still taking the pain meds, take one 20 mins or so ahead of the PT appointment. Don't take it easy or you'll end up like a coworker did, having to go under while the surgeon broke up scar tissue.

I worked as hard as I could and had both the PT person and Doc (Luke Hosack in K Falls) told me I was doing better than 95% of their patients and I was at the physical limit of the device for range of motion. 3 years later I have some pain from arthritis around the knee cap, but I'm not wearing a brace and taking big doses of Advil just to get around during the day.

Best of luck with your continued recovery.

PT is the key to a successful outcome, do exactly as instructed no more no less. I had both hips replaced the same day, the wife has had one hip and one knee. She has the second knee scheduled for a week from now, only had a day or two post surgery where the pain was bad. In addition to doing PT she goes to the gym 3-4 times a week and rides the recumbent bike to help with flexibility and range of motion.