Total Knee Joint Replacement

Oldwolf said:
I appreciate the friendly comments.
I already have my PT appointments set up, looks like they will start 20 days after surgery.
Until then, I have to do the PT at home that the hospital PT tells me.
I will get a cold water circulating device that will be easier to use than ice packs.
A narcotic pain killer will be prescribed but I will resist using it if possible and will rely on Tylenol.
This will be an outpatient robotic assist procedure at Duke Hospital, supposedly takes about 1.5 hours.
Day of surgery they will confirm that I can go up and down a flight of steps before allowing me to go home.
My wife is a Nurse, so that is definitely a plus for me.:love:
I will be 68yo soon as still have a lot my miles left in me!
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Don’t over-consume Tylenol, it can cause liver failure. The pain may hurt, but it won’t kill you. Tylenol will.

https://www.goodrx.com/acetaminophen/is-tylenol-acetaminophen-bad-for-your-liver-or-kidneys
 
PT is essential, getting range of motion is essential, and you need to get it ASAP, like even before you come back to consciousness.

You should wake up with your knees being moved on a range of motion machine. It may hurt but you need to gain the range back at the early stages of healing. But you need to follow the guidance they give you too so you don’t affect the new knee.

But if they won’t have you moving the knee immediately, get a second opinion and find out why.
 
Oldwolf said:
A narcotic pain killer will be prescribed but I will resist using it if possible and will rely on Tylenol.
Click to expand...
I expressed the same desire to eschew the "oxy-narcos" but my aunt, a retired nurse, told me to fear not.
"Stay ahead of the pain. DON'T let it go then play catch-up". She assured me I wouldn't become addicted.
How she 'knew' that, I do not know.
So, do what Auntie says and stay ahead of the pain. See how many pills they prescribe in the first place.
Then, if you want, skip the meds after, what, 4 days...7 maybe 10? ...and see what happens.
Unless you know you're at the edge of a slippery slope, don't play the "Mr. Clean card" if there's no benefit.
 
Kira said:
I too have spoken with and listened to knee replacement patients.

Making sure to do ALL YOUR THERAPY is imperative.
I'm told they move your new hinge (the knee) in ever increasing amounts.
I'm told this hurts.
I'm also told this therapy is numbers based-as in "so many degrees of additional motion per session".

So, every session has its own 'pain breakthrough'. It's very easy for me to say but just endure it. It's gotta be done.

PERSONAL NOTE:
I had a hip replaced ~2.5 years ago. Everyone says this is easy-peasy compared to knee replacement.
Afterwards, I told my doctor that my right knee is beginning to speak to me.
Since I had successfully lost 30+ pounds but still have a layer of gelatinous giggle on my ventral surface, my doctor challenged me to lose more weight. That would be a separate story.

SAGE ADVICE (from a madman!):
Every overweight person should lose their blubber as it will ease stress and wear on our joints.
It's not a hard concept to grasp..
I only wish I had done so sooner. <<never heard that one before

Good luck with your procedure next week.
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I had a partial in May and can attest to your advice. Mine still hurts on and off and is still stiff. I believe people think their knee will be back to normal but it never is. Cold damp weather causes it to ache. I still have to be careful turning or twisting. Bone on bone arthritis pain is gone. Everybody is different.
 
Kira said:
I expressed the same desire to eschew the "oxy-narcos" but my aunt, a retired nurse, told me to fear not.
"Stay ahead of the pain. DON'T let it go then play catch-up". She assured me I wouldn't become addicted.
How she 'knew' that, I do not know.
So, do what Auntie says and stay ahead of the pain. See how many pills they prescribe in the first place.
Then, if you want, skip the meds after, what, 4 days...7 maybe 10? ...and see what happens.
Unless you know you're at the edge of a slippery slope, don't play the "Mr. Clean card" if there's no benefit.
Click to expand...
Excellent advice. It's easier to keep pain away with less drugs than to stop it after it has started. Long story, but I suffered greatly by not taking enough of the pain meds. I then had to double up and take them more often. Take them as directed religiously. You won't get addicted .
 
Oldwolf said:
Only one more week until I have my knee joint replaced. Doctor says do not get sick or they'll have to delay the surgery. I've been suffering with this knee for 20 years and now I can barely walk on that leg. So I'm staying in the house and if I do venture outside I wear a k95. Don't want to catch COVID or RSV or Novo. Anyone else here ever have a knee replacement? I've talked to so many people that have had one and they almost all say they ask themselves why they waited so long to have it done...
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I'm in the same boat although I have not been dealing with it for 20 years. I'm currently going through the required PT and hope to have my knee replaced later this year.

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
I was an engineer for Stryker for a few years. They make the artificial hips and knees along with other products. If I had to give you any advice, it would be to go on a health kick immediately. Head into your surgery as healthy as you can. Cardio, chug milk, and get calcium and magnesium in your system. The over-the-counter joint medicines or vitamins would be the glucosamine, chondrotin and MSM. They are all forms of sulfur. I still recommend them because many do not like what I am going to tell you next. Your joints thrive on sulfer. The only problem with the above sulfur pills is that sulfur does not go through your digestive system and into your bloodstream very well. Ever wonder how NFL players and cage fighters get back in action so fast. They use a product that is the number one joint medication in the world. It is also used by farmers. If a prize pig or bull wrecks its knee they do not do surgery. They all use DMSO. It is a natural, sulfur byproduct of paper manufacturing. It cannot be patented, and United States drug manufacturers will not do studies on it for FDA approval because there is no money in it. We get joint replacement and painkillers. Get the gel and rub it in really good because if you don’t, the solvent properties that it has while soaking into your bloodstream will give you a little tingle like a sunburn or like a drop of mineral spirits that you did not wipe off of your skin. Start with a thimble full and rub it on your clean skin with clean hands. Do not let it get contaminated because whatever is in it will also wind up in your blood. Some mix medications or B12 in it because it is an easy way to get stuff into your blood so keep it clean. Your next best bets are going to be Hyloronic acid or HA. It is in all of the new cosmetics sold as wrinkle, cream and fountain of youth. Whatever is good for your skin is going to be good for your joints so you can take it as a vitamin supplement. It basically provides the moisture in the joints and that is good because joints do not have good blood flow. Your knee is probably too far gone but if you have arthritis or old injuries then the above recommendation is what the NFL players use. I’m not a doctor. Good luck with your surgery, get off the pain meds as fast as you can and do those recommended exercises with a passion.
 
Had a TKR about six years ago or so. Surgery was Monday morning and they had me walking by late afternoon/early evening. The following morning, got some PT training and making sure I knew how to deal with stairs, getting into and out of bath/shower, and sent home. I know someone who had it done as outpatient. Started PT at home right away, and at their office the following week. It was brutal. The surgery was nothing compared to PT, as I'm fairly young in my 50's and healing is faster than when you're older, so scar tissue is building up. I also felt like crap for the first two weeks with flu-like symptoms but it wasn't the flu. I felt so miserable I couldn't eat. I blamed it on the prescription meds and stopped taking them. I was scolded to get back on them as you do need to get ahead of the pain for the PT to be successful. Also was on max dose of Tylenol per day. I bought the automatic ice machine, water recirculator, thingamabob. It works great and keeps you from having to get up so often to change out ice packs. PT involves both extension and flexion but only do what they advise, when they tell you. But PT is an absolute must, it's so critical to getting your range of motion back because once it heals, that's all you get. I know many who've had it done and are very happy, other than one who had a horrible experience because she either didn't pay attention to what she was told to do at home, or just didn't do it.

At the training class before the surgery, a nurse said it often goes something like this. After two weeks, you're going to hate your Dr. After three months, you're going to like your Dr. After nine months, you're going to love your Dr. Complete healing takes about a year, but those first weeks/months of PT are critical. She was right. And as stated, start getting in as good a shape as you can before the surgery, although it's fairly soon for you, so hopefully you started months ago.
 
Make sure to get make/model and UDI of your implant and save it somewhere. If you are curious you can also look at the surgical technique manual/documentation of your knee replacement.

Hope you have an easy surgery and quick recovery.
 
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