3 years post TKR still have severe glute pain

Carolyn I don't have any info on where you are located. I am very sorry to hear you are in so much pain. Most of the following is directed to patients living in the US. some for everyone.

Doesn't matter where you live....Don't ever give up ...call in for more treatments and evaluations until you get a answer. Your Complaint is important for you to have on your record. Most surgeons hope patients with serious pain issues or suffering damage from surgery will just go away.

Continue to read up on the causes of the pain. The internet can help you find the cause or causes, just plug in your question. You will be surprised at what pops up. One lead on to another lead. It could be anything from a misaligned knee implant, miss-matched components to a pinched ligament. It will be helpful for you to study knee surgery on you tube. Learn as much as you can and learn to be your own 'Self-Advocate'. No one else is going to help, which you have unfortunately discovered at this point. Start by asking for a copy of the operative report which lists parts, components, manufacturer , serial numbers and much more. They all need to know that your simply not going to fade away, that you expect solid answers. Just as though the surgeons gave you the expectations that knee surgery will be the answer to solve the original pain and discomfort you had experienced and agreed to the surgery.

Some surgeons are not very helpful after surgery with their own patients who suffer constant side effects from surgery. More joint surgeons need to design a protocol for their patients who have not healed according to plan , still suffering and establish a research/follow up program to care for those who suffer pain as a result of surgery. This can become very frustrating especially when surgery had originally given you the expectations of solving the pain in your knee . A 5 year period of recovery after surgery should have all the kinks ironed out by now.

Next step contact the hospital and file a complaint about the surgeon, this will let them know you are serious about a solution to your pain . Important to insist that the surgeon send you to a revision specialist for evaluation and have no affiliation with each other.Do not let the original surgeon do any more surgery. You could be a candidate for a revision at this 5 year point.

What you described is a big problem with some joint surgeons today. There are many just like you, just search thru the internet. You will find many joint surgeries that have harmed patients.

How many surgeries did your surgeon do on knees that year? Many think that because the surgeon has a ortho practice...they have special knee surgery skills. It does not mean that knee replacement surgeries are the only or main treatments in their practice. I want my surgeon to have done 55 or more yearly , not just a small part of the practice. The outcome of any surgery depends on the surgeons skill level. Ask any surgeon. It's not that the surgeon is not a good doctor it's simply a matter of skill and practice/ number of joint surgeries per year. I don't want them practicing on me, the results can be unsatisfactory. Surgeons need repeated performance or activity in order to obtain a set of skills required to secure positive results. There is a big difference between good surgeons and mediocre surgeons.

I hope you find this encouraging and to give you a technique to find the answers to your pain .

Please keep me posted.

The above research is helpful if the patient is in the US. The UK has a very different protocol to follow.