TOTAL KNEE JOINT REPLACEMENT

[natcam]

HELLO I AM 70 YEARS OLD AND IN 2002 I HAD A KNEE JOINT RELACEMENT IN MY LEFT LEG AFTER 4 YEARS OF CONSTENT PAIN THE KNEE JOINT WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER KNEE JOINT(2006) WHICH HAS LEFT ME IN MORE PAIN
THE PAIN IS MUCH WORSE NOW AND FEEL WORRIED INCASE THE KNEE JOINT IS ON IT'S WAY OUT ?
MY GP DOES'NT WANT TO REFER ME BACK TO THE SURGEON BECAUSE HE SAID A THIRD ENTRY WOULD BE HORRIFIC NOT THAT I WOULD WELCOME MORE SURGERY
THE PAST 8 YEARS HAS BEEN VERY PAINFUL NOT BEING ABLE TO WALK FAR .GOING UP AND DOWN STAIRS ONE AT A TIME DISTURBED SLEEP AND LOTS OF PARACETAMOL & CODENE ANY HELP FOR ME?
HOPEING TO HEAR FROM YOU REGARDS MARGARET KOEFOD

[Sharunhand]

I had a osteotomy on my right knee which was a total disaster and had to have a total knee replacement later. I  need total knee replacement on my left knee. I am so scared to get it because of what I went through with my right leg. With tka's what is the % of surgeries that turn out normal? I know I have to have the P.T. for about 6 weeks and all that but boy it's a painfull surgery and what type of pain medication would you think would be sufficent? When I had the osteotomy(biggest mistake of my life) that awfull doctor gave me 5mg of lortab. I know that's not enough pain med's for that type of surgery. I'm all ready in chronic pain management with severe pain from all night to all day and take opana and roxiecodone,due to my spine,hips and knees mostly. I have a lot of things wrong with my spine, one is stenosis will it finally get me down in a wheel chair? I have DDD, facet diesease, several kinds of buldging disc,curved spine,croweded nerve endings and spondolosis etc.. I have had all this stuff since my early 20's if not earlier. I am just one big arthritis mess from legs,hips,spine,neck to much to write. Hope you can help sorry I wrote so much. Thank you, Sharunhand

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

After a successful total knee replacement surgery you would need to follow up for physiotherapy very intensely and regularly or else the surgery will not succeed.

With regular physiotherapy most of your pain from surgery should decrease by a month and the rest of your pain should be gone by 3 months. There can be some nagging pain but by regular physiotherapy your quadriceps will increase in strength and your pain will decrease if all other parameters are normal.

It is important to maintain normal body weight and at your age it is difficult for intense physiotherapy.

I would still suggest you to follow up with an orthopedician to make sure that there are no other medical issues or complications in your operated knees.

Take care!