Knee replacement ?

[MAKAI]

Anyone here have a new knee ?
I am probably going for this in early January. Curious of how long the recovery is. Surgeon is vaguely saying about 8 weeks.
Some people from a small sample tell me it won't feel normal for a year.

[Dave Peros]

From all the folks I know who have had a knee replacement, they said the key is the work you do before the surgery and the physical therapy you do afterwards. Strengthening the muscles, ligaments, and tendons around the knee is something they recommended and advised that a good surgeon would recommend a program and/or a physical therapist who could set one up and help you get going. They also advised that if you aren't willing to do the post-operative PT, you might as well just not do the surgery at all; it's that important.
As far as recovery time, they said that the nurses and physical therapists were much more helpful and realistic when it comes to recovery time. Surgeons have a way of being a bit more . . . well, you get the idea.

[PaulS]

My Dad had both knees replaced a few years ago. I'm sure the surgery has gotten easier since then. As Dave said, the PT after the surgery was crucial. A friend of my Dad's had it done at the same time and bc of the pain, did not push himself. To this day the friend has had problems. The 8 week estimate seems a little on the low side.

Best of luck.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by MAKAI

Anyone here have a new knee ?
I am probably going for this in early January. Curious of how long the recovery is. Surgeon is vaguely saying about 8 weeks.
Some people from a small sample tell me it won't feel normal for a year.

A friend of mine had it done when he was 59 and he was playing racquet ball 8 weeks later and beating everyone in my club. He was a good player before but the new knee brought him to a new level.

[Guppy]

Went in 1st of last February, total knee replacement. At the end of 3 months your pretty much up a running ( so to speak) at 6 months u pretty much feel heald but not quit there. I was told a year for full recovery and it's looking that way. Still a little stiff and I didn't end up with the best flex ion but that freaken pain is gone and I'm happy with it.

The first week was pure hell, never ever having much more than a cold and not really knowing what to exspect, surgery is a big deal!

Hit the gym for several weeks before and work on your legs. You'll probably be discharged with home exercise routine, wake up doing them non stop till u go back to bed "period". Assuming a PT person will b coming to your home at first, have them send u to an out of house PT as soon as u can travel,,, they have all the right equipment and know how to get it right. The days u don't see them keep up with the discharge routine. As soon as you can get to the gym get on the bike and don't stop.......

The worst thing u can do is ride around in a 20 footer banging around standing up all summer.... Trust me on this, your knee will be swollen all the time... LOL

GOOD LUCK


Oh, one more thingy, ice, ice , ice, ice, did I mention ice. LOL
I bought a cold therapy machine it's almost as effective as the pain meds, l even brought it to the hospital. It keeps the swelling down and gets u through the night.

Eat Colace by the pound.... LOL

AGAIN, GOOD LUCK

[afterhours]

my neighbor had one done in january and it took 3 months to feel ok, as others have said PT is huge- find a good one and work hard. he's having the other done in about 3 weeks so he'll be fishing in the spring .

[Billybob]

I had a TKR about 3 years ago.
If you like college hoop, schedule it for march madness.
I was in the hospital 2 days, went to a rehab hosp after for 3 days (because I have a big dog at home, and my wife is nursing supervisor there).

Pushing the rehab is key.
Take a pain med before your workout, and do as much as you can possibly stand.
They had me climbing stairs and walking around the grounds without assistance at the rehab.
When I went home, I drove my truck at 6 days post surgery.
I went back to work in just under 4 weeks (office job).
Now, it's fine, better than my real knee, but I won't play anymore basketball on it.
I had had 2 meniscus scopes before, and then tore it again and lived with it for years. I was in constant pain. The new knee hurts for a couple weeks, but what a relief it is after.

[RickBomba]

Mom Bomba had it 3 years ago? She said it was the best thing she ever did.

#^&#^&#^&#^&y is looking to have it done soon, as well.

From my mom's experience, #^&#^&#^&#^&y was looking to have the surgery in January. His aim was to be better for April. So, I would say 3 months to normalcy (this is in line with Gup).

Surgery gets better and better. I had ACL/meniscus scope two years ago. It was my second ACL surgery. The first one had me totally sidelined from January to May in 1993. I was walking two miles a day to the train after three weeks for the one I had recently.

Good luck...everyone I talk to says good things about the replacement.

[MAKAI]

Thanks for the info.
I had most of the cartilage removed from my right knee in 1975, football.
Seems like me being a gym rat all my life will help. I get in about 3 or 4 sessions of intervals on the elliptical each week in addition to my usual weight lifting.
But eating 800 mg motrin like m & m's, using roll on Lidocaine and a cryocuff just to grind through each day is a pain in the ass.
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[OLD GOAT]

Had two at a time. No big deal. They had me on oxy even though I told them I had a problem with booze. Dropped the pills off at the police station after leaving the hospital. Don't need that chit. All in all best thing that happened to my knees.
Feel like a new oldman

[oldroe]

I swim 5 days a week.

Always somebody doing pre surgery knee and hip exercise . Walking frontwards and backwards for knees and sidestep for hips.