Knee Replacement surgery

[Tony C]

My surgery for a full knee replacement is tomorrow morning. I’m naturally a bit nervy about it but it’s a procedure I’ve wanted for at least the last two or three years. The arthritis in my knee has been at the advanced stage for some time, it massively restricts my mobility and ruins my chances of a decent night’s sleep.

Just wondering if anyone else here has had similar surgery and has any advice or experiences to pass on. I’m particularly thinking about post-op recovery. A big reason we moved up here to Cumbria was the hiking and because of my knee I’ve done nothing very challenging in ages. I’m wondering about time scales in terms of getting back on the hills.

[imp]

Best of luck, Tony. Both parents and my father-in-law have had knee replacement ops, and recovery tends to depend on how well the surgery goes, and how conscientious you are about doing your physio - I imagine you'll be more motivated than my family members were, none of whom are into hill-walking. Also, because you're younger I presume you will recover faster than they did, though your surgeon will give you a better time-line than I can. My mum was still feeling side-effects from her last knee op a year after surgery, but that was in her early 80s, plus she's notoriously reticent about complaining to her doctor and finding other reasons to write off the symptoms so that she's not a bother to anyone (which drives me and my sister nuts).

Hope you've got some good reading material for your recovery time.

[Tony C]

Thank you. I bought an e-bike last year which I also love using and need to get back on that asap - but it’ll take a while.

Therein is the dilemma I find myself in: I gained weight due to not walking, took some off when I had the bike but now I’m concerned I’ll add some back on by being inactive during post-op and put pressure on my new knee.

Anyway, let’s get the op out of the way first.

[hobbes]

Good luck Tony.
My sister had one of hers done and was back walking etc. pretty quickly. Not as quickly as my MiL who had both half knees done.
I believe it was 6 or so weeks on crutches and perhaps 3 or 4 months until she was back to relatively "normal" but of course normal was a considerable improvement over what it had been before with knackered knees.
It's super important to do all the physio, of course.

[Tony C]

Thanks Hobbes. Yes, the work you put into the physio will ultimately determine your recovery time. Some of the post-op exercises are hourly and based on regular repetition but if you start missing them you have nobody to blame but yourself if the recovery process is slower. And it’s not as if you’ve got other things to do.

[Gangster Octopus]

I'm jealous Tony. I've had my operation put back twice so far, and I've still not got a date.

[Tony C]

I can sympathise. My initial go ahead for the op was given in January 2020 but all that was naturally put back. The good news, I suppose, is that due to backlog operations have been distributed out to private hospitals and clinics to ease the situation so I’ve got a spot at a plush gaff in Lancaster. I’m hoping for gourmet food and Sky Sports in my private room.

[ChrisJ]

Best of luck Tony.

I've not had anything of that scale done but my more minor knee surgery was the work of a magician and my mum and dad have now had 5 hip replacements between them; the difference in speed of recovery, time in hospital, absence of pain, after-effects of anaesthetic - in fact any metric really - between mum's first and her most recent 2 years back was such that it might have been a century apart or a different planet. Post-op, I suspect they'll be getting you moving faster than you anticipate.

Hope it all goes well and fingers crossed for GO too.

[nmrfox]

Best of luck Tony, hope everything goes well for you. As ChrisJ rightly points out, operations have moved on amazingly in the past few years, and the general post-op treatment tends to be to get you back to normal as soon as possible rather than sitting around rehabilitating, so you'll probably find that you'll be told to be up and moving around pretty quickly.

[Balderdasha]

I don't have experience of knee surgery but I can confirm that the current practice is to get you up and moving as fast as possible after any type of surgery. I know people who had caesareans decades ago who were told to convalesce for weeks afterwards, whereas with both of mine I was made to get up out of bed and have a shower within about 12-24 hours of surgery, and I was walking miles within five days. And when my gall bladder was removed in 2018, I was out of bed as soon as the anaesthetic wore off, I didn't even stay in hospital overnight.

Good luck, I hope the surgery goes well.

[Tony C]

Thank you all.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Good luck Tony C

[Antepli Ejderha]

I'm jealous Tony. I've had my operation put back twice so far, and I've still not got a date.

Sorry to hear this GO, hopefully it'll get arranged soon.

[Gangster Octopus]

My latest date is two days before my birthday. I'll believe it when I see it...

[Gangster Octopus]

By the way, TC, how's it going?

[Tony C]

Well, I know you are on the list so I would have no doubt you would have done your research and be fully aware of the post op issues. No getting away from it there is pain, but in my case not quite as much as I was bracing myself for. I’m taking a lot of codeine and paracetamol to manage it. Lots of ice packs too. Good days, bad days so far but no cause for concern. Thanks for asking.

I was discharged less than 48 hours after the operation which is way too quick but my hopes for quality after care were not high. You have to be realistic.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Be careful with the codeine, it's really nasty stuff.

Good luck with your recovery Tony and the op GO.

[Sits]

Here’s to a speedy recovery Tony C.

[caja-dglh]

Be careful with the codeine, it's really nasty stuff.

Good luck with your recovery Tony and the op GO.

I've got two bottles of Codeine cough medicine upstairs. Cos MURICA.

Glad to hear the Op went well Tony C.

[caja-dglh]

By the way, TC, how's it going?

Ahem - are you a close friend?

[Sits]

He said it with dignity though.

[Satchmo Distel]

My wife had her surgery yesterday (torn meniscus + arthritis made it essential). The aftercare she's receiving is very good: a nurse and physiotherapist visiting daily.* The pain is apparently at its maximum on Days 3-4 so we are dreading that.

*No overnight stay. She had 90 minutes in recovery then I drove her home.

[Heliotrope]

Tony C and GO, how long did you feel pain or tightness in your knee after the surgery? I had both knees done a week apart in August, and there's been gradual improvements in flexibility (though I wish it were faster), but the pain is still so strong.

[Gangster Octopus]

Having both todgether doesn't sound like a good idea. You need the other one to help rehabiliate the new knee. Having said that, I didn't have too much pain, but I was probably lucky.

Sorry, that's not particularly helpful.

[Sits]

Sorry it’s a tough rehab Heliotrope but very good to see you.

Here’s to a rapid improvement.