OT - Going Under The Knife

CTMike

So the OA has gotten so bad that I am having a total knee replacement on NYE. Anyone had this done? Looking for information on recovery time, how PT went, any limitations long term (want to still be able to cycle, run, hike, etc). 

Surgeon says I won’t have any limitations but looking for some first hand experience.

dmchicago

I’m heading in the same direction.

Good luck. 

JohnInCarolina

Good luck with this Mike.  I haven't had one myself, but my father recently did.  

His recovery took a while.  He's pretty active and in good shape, but he had pains in the new knee that kept him up at night.  I think it's better now but it took like 6 months for him to feel relatively normal.  For sure his mobility is much improved.  

Overall from talking to him and what the doctors told him my sense is that there's quite a bit of variability in this.  Everybody is a little different.  What you can expect to some extent is the unexpected.

He held off on it forever because he loves to play basketball and the doctors told him that he wouldn't be able to do that post-surgery.  I think the cut motions you tend to make on the court in that sport are just too much for a replacement.  I'm not sure about jogging but he can cycle and hike no problem.  

frazzdaddy

CTMike said:

So the OA has gotten so bad that I am having a total knee replacement on NYE. Anyone had this done? Looking for information on recovery time, how PT went, any limitations long term (want to still be able to cycle, run, hike, etc). 

Surgeon says I won’t have any limitations but looking for some first hand experience.

I have 2 years ago. pm sent

lousubcap

You are definitely closing out this POS year in style. 
Not here but have a good friend who had one done and another that ended up with both replaced.  As noted above, each recovery time was different measured in many months.  The one constant to getting back to "normal" was to religiously follow the PT regimen, especially the bending exercises.  No long-term restrictions although neither were into sports where lateral movement was involved.  
Hopefully you have a surgeon who is quite proficient.  Best of luck.  
Now when it comes to hip replacements, I can provide first-hand experience there. 

thetrim

Good luck, Mike.  Knees and shoulders tend to be the harder replacement rehabs vs a hip.  Keep the spirits up and know that each day will be a bit less miserable and painful than the last.

You'll always have this place as an outlet during rehab. 

Stay ahead of the pain w your meds.

CTMike

Thanks for input all. My surgeon uses the Mako robotic assisted surgery plan - first a software 3D model of the joint is made using a specialized CT scan. This allows the surgeon to plan the surgery ahead of time, and it also allows a more precise prosthetic to be made. 

From the 3D model, the surgical plan is developed and the software also sets limits on how much bone is to be removed. The robotic arm prevents the surgeon from exceeding those limits. 

Technology is pretty sweet ain’t it?

The other good news is that once the knee is rehabbed I need shoulder surgery to remove a bone spur that is causing crazy pain, reinforce a couple ligament attachment points, repair a labral tear, and general clean up.  Can’t wait. 

lousubcap

@CTMike - That is sweet progress right there.  As long as the programmer is on their game all is great.  Just kidding as I know someone who had incredibly successful robotic open heart surgery around four years ago to remove a tumor on a heart valve.  If they could do that back then, I figure you are gonna come out of this like it never happened and better than new...
Hopefully the same technology can be applied to your shoulder.  
Best of luck!

Gulfcoastguy

No personal experience but I wish you the best of luck.

Kayak

Wife had a hip replaced 8 years ago. She was told no more long distance running (not a problem), but anything else was fine. Took most of a year to reach 100%, but it’s been wonderful. We went to the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. Extremely highly recommended. If there isn’t a ‘knee school’ and involved PT afterwards, hobble away from that practice as fast as you can. 

thetrim

Be careful with that bone spur.  it's been known to keep some pretty heroic people from being able to serve.

HeavyG

thetrim said:

Be careful with that bone spur.  it's been known to keep some pretty heroic people from being able to serve.

"Heroic"

saluki2007

I would ask and make sure your surgeon is doing it and not a resident 

CTMike

Kayak said:

Wife had a hip replaced 8 years ago. She was told no more long distance running (not a problem), but anything else was fine. Took most of a year to reach 100%, but it’s been wonderful. We went to the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. Extremely highly recommended. If there isn’t a ‘knee school’ and involved PT afterwards, hobble away from that practice as fast as you can. 

Thanks for the advice. There is a strict PT regimen to be followed, as well as some “pre-hab” exercises to work on prior to surgery.

CTMike

saluki2007 said:

I would ask and make sure your surgeon is doing it and not a resident 

Yup, this is being done by a private ortho surgeon at a private outpatient surgery center.

Bellavista52

I am getting my second (other knee) unicompartmental knee arthroplasty in Feb.  First one works great so far and there's no pain. Wishing you same outcome!

fishlessman

brother replaced ankles spring and fall. the first came out better quickly. i think it was more timing, barefoot and on the beach kept the first one stretched better. really work hard on that both pre and post. im watching a cousin that recently did a knee and pretty much refuses to do the pt and or walks he is supposed to be doing, its not working and its all on him

thetrim

Just know that the nurses are gonna comment on the size of.... your incision...

CTMike

thetrim said:

Just know that the nurses are gonna comment on the size of.... your incision...

So this is being done at the same surgery center that did my meniscus repair back in January. One of the nurses is the wife of one of the Directors at the nuke plant - he’s a vacuous twit. 

When she overheard where I work during pre-op last time she said “You work at Millstone? You must know my husband.”

I just bit my tongue and made a polite comment. 

thetrim

Haha  That's great. 

CTMike

So my ROM is stuck at 90 degrees - so I am going back under the knife tomorrow for scar tissue removal and cut any adhesions loose. Hopefully this will go a long way to freeing up the joint. 

JohnInCarolina

CTMike said:

So my ROM is stuck at 90 degrees - so I am going back under the knife tomorrow for scar tissue removal and cut any adhesions loose. Hopefully this will go a long way to freeing up the joint. 

Good luck with it buddy!

CTMike

JohnInCarolina said:

CTMike said:

So my ROM is stuck at 90 degrees - so I am going back under the knife tomorrow for scar tissue removal and cut any adhesions loose. Hopefully this will go a long way to freeing up the joint. 

Good luck with it buddy!

Thanks John. Just got home a short time ago - I’m told everything went fine, time will tell on the results.