6 days after partial knee replacement

Hi Ellen. I am now two weeks post op and the pain has subsided quite a bit. I had a total replacement but I'm sure the pain the pain must be similar to a partial. At five days I was in lots of pain but from about the seventh or eighth day the pain lessened quickly, if not completely. Obviously everyone is different and I am quite young for a knee replacement at just under 61, perhaps that makes a difference too. My meds are Gabapentin, Dihydracodiene, Amytriptlin, Paracetamol and Ibroprufen, not sure of the spellings. Never mind what the doctor said, they can only generalise and what you feel is what you feel. Hang on in there, it is not an overnight fix, it is sometimes long and hard going I am told. Have faith though, you will get there. Incidentally, I have also read that a partial replacement is more complex that a total replacement, again though only what I have read. Good luck with your recovery.

 

Any invasive surgery is painful especially the knee. So partial or full replacement you need time to recover and for your knee to heal and it doesn't happen overnight, carry on with ice and painkillers and of course exercises.

Hi I had partial on the 6th Sept I'm still in pain and having trouble bending my knee also can not lift my leg up can from Sitting with a lot of effort but not from lying down. I have physio tomorrow and dressing off tomorrow every one is different go with what your body is saying don't rush. Hope you feel better soon ps I'm on tramadol 8 a day plus naproxen and Zapain good luck

I was told the same thing. I was lead to believe i would be back to work in a month,maybe two. I had bilateral partial knee replacements. It took 3 weeks of the cpm machine and a walker. 4wks i was driving. Nov 16 was mine. I was doing great in January then had a huge set back of swelling which limited my mobility. I could list all the set backs but the important things are this: i AM back to work FULL TIME for 3 mo now. I only get a little swelling each day that is normalized by next day ( i stand ALL day 12hrs). I still get tired at 7-8hr mark. My strength is better n better. This last month i went back to PT for some strange knee feelings and its just a few weak muscles. The STRONGER muscles were throwing the alignment out.

Partials are NOT easier, just different, in recovery. I have the best PT guy EVER. He listens n troubleshoots. No one knows how bad this recovery is except the knee recipient and then, EACH and every one of us experience different things. But all of us experience pain,swelling,tightness to varying degrees. I had a lot of scar tissue to break up.

Families add to the distress of patients recovery because of what they hear the doc say. Just calmly talk to ur helper. This forum and a friend who went thru it, stopped me from going cuckoo.

Count the achievements,no matter how small, push thru the setbacks-there are many, and do you due diligence in exercises EVERY DAY in small frequent amounts. At the end of a year +/- you can breathe with it all behind you. I have full extension and flexion and climbed ladders to rebuild my porch roof in July. It took 6weeks with working full time. I celebrated! Pre surgery and knee pain, it would have taken 5 days-remodeling houses is a hobby-but i have FINALLY transitioned from beating myself up how long it takes me to do things right NOW, and celebrate i can still do them, just DIFFERENTLY!

I wish you a speedy recovery!

There is no pity party going on. Whack your husband with your stick? (Well, at least in your head!)

The knee is the largest weight bearing joint you have. Any sawing and drilling of it is going to be quite some rehabilitation,

Surprised your surgeon said it would be a piece of cake! Maybe he has experience of people coming in and giving him such feedback, however, everyone is different.

Are you on pain medications, and if they are not enough then get more quick...you need them to do all the exercises which are important for you to do,

Hope you feel better soon.

I had a full TKR.  From what I've read from others here, it's true that there doesn't seem to be much difference in recovery from a full or partial knee replacement.  I could be wrong but I haven't heard much to the contrary.

"But the doctor said..."  Screw the doctor.  This is YOUR recovery and everyone is different.  Discouragement can come in the form of Post-Operative Depression...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-post-operative-depression-604195

Jedi Mind Trick.  Kick its butt out the door.

Just remember is not to compare your recovery to that of anyone else.  There are no rules here.  Get rid of all expectations.  This is YOUR recover and yours alone.  OWN IT!  Then you'll be able to beat it.  Time, patience, strength.

Well, if the doc had not any sort of knee replacement himself, then he has no clue! Mine was a TKR but I imagine there is not that much difference in the trauma. Everyone has a different experience. My GP thought I should not need pain any strong pain meds after 2 weeks! With other surgery, that was true for me, I cannot take most pain meds anyway, but the knee surgery was even worse than childbirth to me.

​There was a man at physio I met who said he never had pain from his TKR and he appeared to have no swelling and a perfect flexion! He is most definitely NOT the norm and it is hard to believe, watching a film of the surgery that anyone could not feel pain after. Others report pain at first but later seem to forget how bad they were, maybe the meds take away the memory. I recall every bit of pain as not well medicated! My pain became more manageable with time. Any kind of knee surgery can be painful and difficult. Hope you soon notice things improving and ignore well meaning but ill informed comments.

You bet it was big. Lots of cutting, chilling, bleeding and rehabbing. Can't imagine a Dr being so tactless and mean. I've never had a partiall but in my 5 complete rehabs I've shared gym time and equipment with a number of people who had PKR's and never saw any of them suffering much less than I was. Just don't let ANYONE abuse you mentally or physically. Take your time and do it right. Nothing worse than someone who hasn't been through it trying to be the expert and cheerleader.