Coolief
Posted , 7 users are following.
has any one tried coolief procedure
0 likes, 8 replies
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Notes on Coolief
joanne23352 Eimmarg
Posted
what is it?
gillian65440 Eimmarg
Posted
Not sure what this is, but I'm still applying an ice pack to my knee, which three months on from my tkr operation, seems to be more effective than just after the operation.
CHICO_MARX Eimmarg
Posted
COOLIEF (Cooled Radiofrequency Ablation) is an FDA-cleared procedure and seems to be very successful in alleviating osteoarthritic pain in joints, especially knees, allowing the patient to put off a joint replacement for an amount of time. It basically temporarily deadens specific nerves in the area causing the pain. It is a quick procedure (15-20 minutes) done under sedation, not general anesthesia. Go to the website and find a COOLIEF-certified doc in your area.
I had it done on my hip but it didn't work because my hip pain is referred from L1 and not the hip itself. Doc told me that he has knee patients who get the procedure done every 18-24 months to stop their knee pain and put off their TKR until they really need it or their orthopedic surgeon discovers a situation that requires the surgery without delay. If there's something in your knee that needs to be addressed, you can't just put it off with COOLIEF as long as you want to.
I had my first TKR over 3 years ago...very successful. My second knee is bone-on-bone but I have zero pain. Ortho told me that I would need the other one done sooner or later. At 71, I can afford to use COOLIEF if I start experiencing pain and put it off a bit, if necessary, and other modalities (steriods and Synvisc) won't work. Unless there is some urgent reason to get the TKR (necrotic bone, risk of fracture, etc.), I would do my homework to see if COOLIEF could help.
Eimmarg CHICO_MARX
Posted
wow that was amazing im so impressed with your knowledge it gave me hope i am so desperated doctor just dont give you info or alteratives
CHICO_MARX Eimmarg
Posted
You "climb the ladder of care"... OTC anti-inflammatories and topicals like Voltaren Gel. Next comes cortisone shots and then Synvisc (or similar) injections. Typically, then comes the TKR but COOLIEF now gives you a final option before the inevitable replacement.
Again, this is all OK if YOU are in control of your care. Your ortho can take that out of your hands if he/she finds that your case is more complex and/or dangerous to your health to put off a TKR any longer. So, in those situations, COOLIEF may not be an option. Heard some people on the Forum describe various complicated knee issues that required immediate attention. Remember...everyone is different.
In the end, if you have a straight-up knee situation with no other issues, consider COOLIEF. In my case, I already know that I will try it when #2 starts giving me trouble. Doc already told me that I'm beyond steroids and Synvisc so it's COOLIEF or TKR. Since I don't want to do the replacement in my 80's, I have some wiggle room to see if COOLIEF works for a few years. However, the inevitability of the TKR is always that dark demon lurking in the shadows.
PS: I'm 3 1/2 years post-op and everything is fine. Did I get rid of the horrid pain? Yes. Was it an easy recovery? No...and I was totally unprepared for it as are so many others. Did I do all the work required? Yes...especially the muscle rebuild after the ROM work and I was doing 11,000 steps a day at 8 months and climbing two stairs at a time at 14 months. You have to put in the work to get the results. Time, work and patience are your tools.
Just remember that 300 short years ago, life expectancy was 45-50 years...not enough time for anyone to experience joint and spine problems. Medical science has now enabled us to live a lot longer and even fix the stuff that breaks. For that, we should be thankful. But the human body will take many, many millennia to evolve cartilage, tendons and spinal discs to match our life spans. Unfortunately, in our present day, none of our "parts" were meant to last this long. We are alive and walking because of technology...nothing else. If it wasn't for science, we'd all be in wheelchairs or dead years ago. I'll take what I can get...thank you to all those brilliant scientists who keep me moving.
Eimmarg CHICO_MARX
Posted
amen im just so scarred of all choices mean while pain is unbeareable and i know doing the same thing over and over is insanity ahhhhhhhh
vicki08153 CHICO_MARX
Posted
thankyou for sharing this knowledge. I'll definitely keep it in mind before i consider a tkr on my second knee
lailoni60871 Eimmarg
Posted
Yes, I tried it 1 year after TKR when the pain and inflammation continued. My Orthopedic surgeon had referred me to a pain specialist. It lasted 1 month.
I was told it could possibly give me relief but I was not one of the lucky ones.
It is worth a try.