Help from NHS.

I didn't get any PT here in tenerife either. . .unless I was prepared to drive 90 kms. to the hospital every day, and 90 home . . so apart from two or three sessions with a private physio who showed me the necessary exercises, i did it myself.  it does need perseverance daily . .without any excuses . . and in spite of the pain.  yes, there IS pain, except for a very few people who are fortunate.  However, I was NOT prepared to accept the sort of agony the physio wanted, wich actually brought me to scream level, so dismissed her and carried on, always up to the point where you think OMG that hurts, but never beyond what you can stand.   . . It does become a full time job, pushing the knee back, when seated watching tv . .practising walking straight without a limp and placing the foot properly on the ground after months or maybe years of strange walking due to the problem which led us to a TKR . . but it's worth it in the end.  Yes, you certainly need good pain medication, which I didn't get, so insist on that!  It prorbably is true that the scarring can stop the bend,  or the extension, but  it isn't likely to happen overnight, and if you keep on with the exercises, you should be OK.  However, it is not OK to think . .ah I'll leave it till it stops hurting.  then it definitely WI LL be too late. 

Hi patch,

?My experiences were similar to yours but only up to a point. I had a partial knee replacement on 6 Nov 2015. I was 'done' as an NHS patient in a private hospital. The private healthcare hospital game me a booklet similar to the one you describe which - among other things - gave me photos of the various exercises which I had to do daily. BUT hospital policy was that I had to get a 90 degree bend before I left hospital. I either had continuous PT care in the three days in hospital or there was some degree of supervision. I had disolving type staples as stitches and had my dressing removed on 19 November 2015. I returned to hospital for a PT review on 24 November 2015 and saw my surgeon on 29 December. I was then permitted to come off crutches and drive my manual car again and return to work driving a bus on 26 January 2016. no problems at all. Pain and frustration along the way yes.

?However, I did do one thing that the NHS never ever told me about - only my sports injury massage therapist - that was as soon as the dressing was removed and I was cleared of any infection in the incision line I had 7 weeks of massage of the incision line and surrounding area, this was to prevent scar tissue forming. I also went onto Youtube and checked out short videos to do in addition to what the hospital PT booklet said to do and I devoted all day every day at home to doing all these exercises.

John

Job done, no problems.

I had no aftercare from the NHS either.  It seems to be a lottery depending where you live - some people get loads of aftercare and others none.  I had my operation in a private hospital paid for by NHS, discharged after 4 days with just paracetamol and a sheet of exercises and  told I would be sent an appointment for physiotherapy by the local NHS hospital.  What I actually got was a phone call from a Community Physiotherapist after three weeks, telling me I was not entitled to physiotherapy at the hospital as I had  had elective surgery.  She paid me 4 visits at home over the next 6 weeks just checking progress and giving me a few new exercises to do.  She was very nice but clearly overstretched as she was the only community physiotherapist, working part time with a large area to cover.  I saw the consultant at 12 weeks who just watched me walk down the corridor, measured my ROM at 0/110 and said he did not want to see me again.  Since then I have been on my own. 

 Fortunately I have now got through it all.   Don't know what my bend has ended up but has improved a lot since then.  Howeve a bit more support and encouragement would certainly have helped to allay the problems and worries we all encounter during our recoveries.

Similar experience with NHS. 50 years old, bone on bone both knees and had left one done in April. Had physio in community but only assessed me and gave exercises never actually did any physio with me. Was told gym physio had waiting list so put my name down and starts when I am 11 weeks. Tried my hardest at home and with inspiration from people on here but at 9 weeks walking with limp and one stick outside. Physio told me at 3 weeks I was not presenting like someone at 3 weeks and called me a cry a a baby when I burst out crying. Saw consultant last week who was happy with 90 but said he wanted leg stratighter. He is seeing me at 12 weeks as I got an infection in one stitch hole but after that he said he doesn't want to see me unitl 6 months. I am a teacher and not sure how I will work so booking private physio therapy this week as feel like I have a stiff leg with little bend. I do my own physio 3 times a day and ice and elevate. It's sad as it's obvious the NHS is so stretched. Everyone is doing their best. Nurses on the ward were unhappy though and often forgot meds and even my food one day. I couldn't even get hold of specific meds I needed and my husband had to source them. My knee is far from ready to be left alone by professionals. I have to have my second one done and it's scary. Praying the first one improves. 

I was discharged from NHS hospital after 3 days with crutches and a leaflet of exercises.  Told them I lived alone and was scared and physio said "you'll be fine".  If it hadn't been for my parents (both in their 70s) I don't know what I'd have done. I am 5 months post op, had 5 phsyio sessions: 3 with physio who watched me do each exercise from leaflet then measured bend then stopped sessions til saw consultant again as knee not bending enough.  Consultant booked me in for manipulation and on bending machine for 24 hours in hospital. Physio on ward was surprised at lack of physio and even more when discovered had been seen by physio who did not specialis in knees.  Was then assigned a 'knee' physio.  Have seen them twice and big difference in bend and straightening leg.  This forum has been a godsend with advice and support.  Have had 2 questionnaires to complete and asked if the person who devised it had either been throuexpectgh TKR or knew someone who had.  The questions and expectations confound me - I even asked if they were having a laugh when at 4 weeks was asked if I had managed to get supermarket with a trolley! Good luck and ask questions of hospital staff and you GP.

Oh my what an experience. I've had lots of knee surgery not a knee replacement but I had micro fracture's and the surgeon said my physio would be harder than if it had been replaced. He told me to get a micro skate board, sit up right on chair and just move the knee forwards and backwards. I gave my skate board to a friend with TKR who was not happy with physio, she said it was the best thing ever. Only cost about £9 from sports direct and as its little you don't mind it hanging around. Good luck

Hi patch. Yep, the NHS in Australia is not great either. I was left unwashed, for 5 days. No mention of a sponge bath or getting up assisted for a shower. I asked for a bowl to clean my teeth and the spitting water stayed on my bench for 24 hours until I asked for someone to empty it. I was discharged with only paper prescriptions on a 4 day Easter weekend without hope of having scripts filled. Had to call paramedics as I was climbing walls with pain. I complained to Health Care Complaints here. They said they all had up to 160 complaints each piled up on their desks. As for physio I was given 4 visits at my insistence. The medical folks are very busy and money is scarce. Be proactive, informed and make YouTube your friend. We really need to take total responsibility for our recoveries. You were let down by a system which is overstretched. Push yourself as much as possible and remember drugs are your friends during the first month's of recovery. x

Absolutely disgusting! I have just had my PKR done as an NHS patient but at a private hospital due to them missing the waiting lists. The physio and surgeon insisted that full physio started the week I left hospital as the private one was an hour and a half away they said go to the NHS physio - its self referral here - called, was advised 4 weeks for a call from physio who would decide if I needed to see them then a further 4 weeks wait to see one if they deemed it necessary - I was so disillusioned contacted the private hospital and am going to have physio there despite the long commute- the attitude of our NHS sorry to say in my experience has been abysmal from start to finish I had been fobbed off since 2014 that I didn't need a new knee and had been in agony all this time - I know they are short of money but all I wanted was honesty - sorry to say it like it is but I feel after all the ruined years I have had due to their negligence I owe them nothing