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Knee Replacement Surgery: Painful Scar and fluid on knee

Posted , 6 users are following.

Bex808
Bex808

Had a partial knee replacement (Patello-femeral) on 19/11 came home on the 21/11 after doing well with physio and getting 90deg bend but was readmitted on the 23rd with infection. It took several weeks to cheat infection. I'm now 4.5 weeks Post-op and the knee is full of fluid and very tight and hot, I also have started to feel a lot of pain and sensitivity in the scar and numbness in the outer leg going down the outer calf. Feeling pretty miserable as only managing a 70deg bend on a continuous passive motion machine. I regret the surgery despite the pain I was in before. Does anyone out there have any advice or suggestions on how to get through this??? Thanks!

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • james1947
    james1947 Bex808

    Posted

    Patience and pain control.Massaging the calf and ankles help to move the fluid that causes swelling and pain.tough luck on infection.
    • Bex808
      Bex808 james1947

      Posted

      Thanks James. The docs are considering draining the fluid, do you know anything about that?
    • james1947
      james1947 Bex808

      Posted

      Yes very painless procedure,relieves pressure that is caused by fluid trapped in joint. Played tennis awhile back and had it done in Doc office.
    • kevin35002
      kevin35002 Bex808

      Posted

      After having my tkr on 11-14, I had my first post-op a week later.

      At the time I had a skin infection over my shin and blood pocket

      Under the skin around the new joint. Dr pulled out the needle and

      Syringe and drained the blood. Although week later I had emergency

      Surgery due to another blood pocket and it burst the incision.

      Anyway the Dr will drain the fluid like he did if you were getting an I jection.

      Hope this helped

  • jen04209
    jen04209 Bex808

    Posted

    Hello,

    It's the last thing you want to hear but be patient and keep doing your stretches and exercises.

    It takes time. I had bilateral tkr in the summer and am doing better each day.

    Take care and happy Holidays.

  • John5006
    John5006 Bex808

    Posted

    Bex 808,

    I had a partial knee replacement (Medial compartment) on 6 Nov 2015, was home on 9 Nov having got a 90 bend before leaving hospital and climbing stairs, albeit on crutches.

    ?I did one thing that I've never seen advocated. 8 weeks before surgery I got a sports therapist to extensively massage my upper and lower leg muscles and the knee itself to strengthen it prior to surgery. I did this weekly right up to surgery.  I was determined the surgeon would have the best most strongest knee to work on from the start.

    ?Post Op - I returned for more treatment including extensive massage of the incision line plus all the other massage that was done before. In addition to all the post op exercises that hospital told me to do. For 8 weeks continuously my life was massage and exercises.

    The purpose of the massage to the incision line was  to prevent scar tissue forming.

    ?Incidently, my incision line was stitched with disolvable staples. My dressing was removed on 19th Nov no problems.

    ?Once the infection is over and controlled you could try gentle massage of the whole knee area. Also keep on elevating and icing and exercising, and that will mean coninuing with pain control medication.

    ?I hope you get on top of this. Problem with my suggestion is that - like so many things in the medical world,- we are all different and respond different ways to treatment.

    Hope this helps.

    John

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