Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Not a Walk in the Park…

I know, many here have had this surgery. Somewhere around 600,000 a year do in this country alone every year. It’s one of the most common orthopedic cases done, and one of the most common of all of major surgery cases. A good reason is because of its overall success.

One of my not insignificant hesitations was that I have given anesthesia for many of these. It may sound counterintuitive, but knowing every element of the procedure is not necessarily helpful when you are on the other side.

I’m talking about a TKA, or total knee replacement where they take the biggest joint out of your body — your knee — and shave off the tibial plateau and the distal end of the femur. And then glue in the femur and tibial component prosthesis’. A little additional touch is a big tourniquet on your thigh blown up above your systolic blood pressure. For usually at least an hour. This of course is to keep blood out of the operative area. But, I’m convinced it causes mechanical injury to the soft tissues of the thigh, which thankfully is not severe.

For those interested in such things, I had requested a particular combination of anesthetics. First, in the OR, a spinal, followed by a general anesthetic (which can then be “gentler”) and then in the PACU a femoral nerve block with Exparel, a long acting local anesthetic in a lipoid carrier which is a combo I’ve used. This will keep the top of your knee numb for the better part of two days. It all went well, but don’t be fooled — about day two at home, my leg woke up and protested bitterly. My eyes watered.

There is pain; oh yes, the pain. There is bruising and swelling that makes your lower limb look alien and forbidding. And then there is PT that makes your eyes water each time. Afterwards, you pack it in ice packs which you do four, five times a day anyway. I’m at week three post op and can see my biggest challenge will be good flexion.

The standard good result is to get to 120*. I’m only at a 100* or so now. PT says no worries, but of course I’m impatient also which causes frustration. There is a perspective of PT’s that the people who go through this the easiest, strangely enough, are old women. Low expectations? Those having the hardest times are young women, with men falling somewhere in between. And as much as people are individuals, is the degree of ease or difficulty with which they go through it. They tell you recovery will be six months to a year. And remember, no aftermarket part is the equal of the original.

I’m 73. I’m progressing, but it’s no walk in the park. I stay off of Facebook but I guess this is kind of Facebookesque. Anyway, for those of you who are on that path.

3 weeks out from now.

Best of luck George.

I had a different experience I guess. Having had to rather major rotator cuff surgeries with involvement of the biceps tendon along with associated arthritis, I thought the knee replacement was rather easier and less painful.

Keep up with the PT, take some pain meds if you still have them 20 mins or so before PT to make it easier. Walk, walk, walk and bend that knee as much as possible. I worked with my PT and Surgeon on just how much I could do. Was basically told as much as I could. According to them I ended up better than 95% of patients. Which is exactly what I wanted to hear. I was a few years younger than you are when I had mine done. I wanted to be able to do all the activities I had been participating in at the time of the surgery, including hunting in rather rough terrain. It worked.

7 months post surgery I was hunting elk in AZ. doing stiff like climbing the ridge in the picture with a 20lb day pack and 10 lb rifle in my mid 60's. I know it's not like climbing the Rockies, but it was some work.



Not sure what your pre-op activity levels were, but with work you can get back to them.

If you haven't started riding the stationary bike yet, ride it for a couple of minutes extra if your PT person will let you. If they say ten, try to do 12. Keep raising the bar for yourself. Odds are they're used to working with folks that don't want to do the work. Show them differently.

I'll be honest with you, there are still times it's a bit painful. I try to do squats with a couple of dumbells in my hands a few times a week. That stings a bit still and it's going on 4 years now. Doc told me it's not abnormal. Tylenol helps.

Again, best wishes on a full recovery.

Sure. Different experiences no doubt for many , all within a normal range. My normal activity was elk hunting and lately upland birds where we walk 5, 6 miles a day on uneven ground. While elk hunting may be over, I will be after pheasant again in the fall, Lord-willing.

Actually, in about five weeks, am planning to hit the timber here for turkeys. As a friend says, “I may not walk well, but I can hobble.”

And rotator cuffs can be challenging!

George, wishing you the best from over this direction. Best, John

I hope they suddenly make huge strides in this area.

Was diagnosed with a meniscal root tear last week.
Now the minuscus is extruding toward the inside of my knee.

Surgery is not a good option, a brace, therapy, and shots are my options.

Didn't bluntly ask, but I feel like I'm looking at a replacement sometime.
The good news is my knee is in great shape, where it's not FUBAR.

good luck with that knee. After a semi botched hip replacement, I have opted out of any further joint surgery.

Get well soon, iv been told already that I need a new left knee, trying to hold out till the wife retires in 2 years.

My knee replacement was beyond painful. My best PT was a station bike that I bought. I could not turn the pedals completely around for weeks, but I finally made it. It was much easier to go backwards. After I managed to get a full rotation, it was a pretty rapid climb to get to 10 miles a day. Anyway that was key for me. Good luck.
After a couple years, it is 90% of my healthy knee, and a ton better than the bone on bone. I walk the dog everyday, and most days we do 3 miles on forest trails. I have zero issues, except it gets tight after a walk. Still happy I did it.

Good luck. Hope it goes well.

#2 in June

#2 in June

Good luck, Jorge. Wife went through the same procedure, in the end according to her it was WELL worth it.

Best wishes and a prayer or 2 sent, George.
Hope you're up in and around soon.

One of them boyz I played football with had knee replacement two weeks ago. I need to check on him

I've had both replaced.
Get the best doctor in your state. Do the PT and do it often. Get off the pain pills ASAP and take Tylenol. When the PT says pull, you pull with all your mite, and then pull some more. Walk, walk, walk. Good luck and get moving again

Oh great, first of both scheduled end of April.
Scheduled that far out means they do a bunch so should be good at it.
Gotta be somewhat mobile by November or hunting will be a BUST!

I was hoping someone was going to come up with some miracle juice they shot in there and it provided for relief from the bone on bone action.

Appreciate the kind responses from those here.

Louise B, there is work out in the medical periphery meaning not in the standard of care here now, which also means insurance (Medicare, etc) won’t pay for it.

The thrust of it is healing by stem cell injections. SC’s can grow and differentiate into various other cells as needed like bone, blood, etc. Reportedly, it has been done in Europe for awhile now but the big Tec-Pharma companies here are keeping it out. Perhaps medical groups and hospitals too. Imagine if SC injections could replace many surgeries and hospitalizations.

In Sioux Falls, SD, there are entities doing these injections (I don’t know what all is involved) outside of hospitals or clinics for I’ve heard $3000 a poke.

There is obviously cost involved because SC have to be obtained from preserved tissue, usually placental or bone marrow.