Revision needed on left TKR after only 5 yrs

Posted , 10 users are following.

I’m sitting here so mad,  my left knee has a Loose part after only 5 years , so it’s going to have to be totally redone.  Well guess what now my right knee has a stabbing pain in it so I have to go to the orthopedic June 19 to get another x-ray to see what  is wrong with this knee . I am so mad this knee was only done 3 years ago!!!!   To go through this all again is unbelievable I’m gonna try to wait as long as I can .  I mean I can walk OK but pain keeps me up at night, sucks so much . Going to try to hold off one year if I can unless I have an infection in the right knee😑😡

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26 Replies

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  • Posted

    Fran, so hate to hear that!  Can't imagine what you are going through right now.   

     

    • Posted

      Thank you, yes feeling pretty discouraged at this point,  it was bad enough knowing I had to do the left one again, but now with the possibility of having to do the right one again I totally just can’t believe it 😕

    • Posted

      fran i know its infuriating for you. in 11 years i just had 6th knee 5th kn left leg and1 on right. however right knee and right hip need replacing too. so it could be worse. i am 56 still working so its very hard. truly hope this makes you feel better
    • Posted

      What kept going wrong ? That’s awful for you , I don’t know how you managed! Hope all goes well with hip , didn’t know till I was on this forum how often things go wrong ! I did ask my specialist but he said very seldom! 
    • Posted

      Wow 5 times on left leg!!!!! My heart goes out to you! Was the revision surgery much worse? I’m hearing it is also a longer surgery and recovery! Is this true? 
  • Posted

    Oh no. I cant imagine. I hope things resolve themselves for you. I had an easy time of it, but even so,it's not something I'd like to go thru all over, at least for 10 years. I did read that there is a class action suit about one brand of replacement knee. You should check to see if that's the one you have. My slncere sympathies.

    • Posted

      Thank you! Yes I did hear of class action suit.  I am just so discouraged about this I was so sure I was all set with both knees done. As it is I have arthritis in both big toes and was hoping to have that taken care of, but nope back to knee issues. ☹️
  • Posted

    Fran, I am 19 1/2 months post L. TKR and my ortho is in the process of ruling out infection and loosening of my implant. Had the blood/lab work done, no signs of infection. Went to see him because of pain in in my knee/tibia after my PCP ordered an AP & lateral  x-ray which showed "periprosthetic lucency along the margins of the tibial component". The femur component is secure and intact. I had a left hip and L leg EMG done yesterday which showed NO peroneal nerve entrapment but did show S1 lumbar radiculopathy. My back is hurting somewhat too. I go for a nuclear bone scan tomorrow to see what is going on. What tests did they do to diagnose your L. implant being loose?. I don't think I can stand to have a revision!!! I feel your anger and frustration....it doesn't seem fair! 

    • Posted

      Sorry to hear , what does that mean? Periorosthetic lucency ? That it’s loose I presume , must say my back has been killing me the last month or so and getting worse 6 mths post op . Had one 7 years ago and don’t remember back pain! But older now . All these complications ! I hope your bone scan goes okay it’s all such a worry and debilitating when in pain, let us know how you go 
    • Posted

      I had the nuclear body scan and blood work when left knee was hurting and there was no infection just loose part😡 he wanted me to have same scan every 3 months $$$i said I will come back when it’s so bad I can’t stand it! Now on R knee I have to do in to probably have another scan and blood work to see what’s going on,  it really hurts!!! I’m so afraid of having revision it’s a longer surgery and I hear recovery is also longer, and can have more complications 😖 after all the pain and therapy I already went thru I am so not wanting to do it again!!!! 

    • Posted

      Hi Fran! I just had my nuclear body scan and I am waiting on the results from my Ortho. I ask how often one should have this test done and they said maybe once a year. The ones that get them more often are usually cancer pts.
    • Posted

      Oh good to know , thanks.  well i just had one a few months back so hopefully won’t have to do it again!!! Good luck with your results👍🏼

    • Posted

      Jenny61596, I am 20 months post a cementless L. TKR and just learned that it has failed! Yes, I definitely think I would have been better off without the TKR. I plan to live with the failed implant. The bone did not grow into the implant like it was suppose to.....I have no infection or swelling, just soreness and pain down my tibia when I bend over.
    • Posted

      I have no idea what sort I had done! Cement or not , didn’t know there were two types!! Bad luck your didn’t work I hope it isn’t too painful ! 
  • Posted

    Been there, done that. The stem moves and touches the nerves inside the bone. I have a rare tumor that caused mine. The surgeon said he lifted the lower part out with his finger tips and just tapped the top part and it fell off. Basically, they just go in and do a other tkr and you go through the same misery as the 1st rehabbing it. Just be careful. The day after I had my revision, I fell and twisted the femur into and had to have another surgery the next day to have a hip to knee plate screwed into the bone so I was having both tkr rehab and broken leg rehab At the same time.

    I don't blame you for being angry and upset but once you get that tempered, you can just put all your energy into recovery. G ood luck and let us know how you're doing

    • Posted

      Wow sorry you had to go thru all that!!! I know nothing I can do but  It’s just that it took me so long to get me knees done in the first place the thought of doing it all over again makes me crazy!!  And scared! Did you find recovery any worse than first time? I have read horror stories about it😑

    • Posted

      When you consider I also had a broken leg to deal , no it was about the same except I came out at about a one or two and hit 0 within a couple weeks. I didn't finish the story completely. 10 months later when they to the plate out I wound up with a staph infection and eventually had to have the prosthesis removed again and antibiotic infusions twice. This time I came out at a perfect zero and only had to work on the bend. This had nothing to do with the revision as I was the carrier of the staph. All in all I've had 11 surgeries and 5 complete rehab s on the leg and it was all due to a one in 2 million tumor. I still take ms contin and Oxycodone 2 x's daily and my knee looks like it was hit by a machete. I've been in the surgeons office while wearing shorts and had people stare and point at my leg. I had one lady tell her husband she was ready to go and she was just waiting on the Dr to talk about getting her knee done. My surgeon was telling me that he was seeing a 42 yo male that was possibly going to have to have amputation because of the same tumor and he had So many synovectimies (cleaning out the synovial tissue in the joint) he wasn't sure be could handle any more. So, you see, a basic revision isn't so bad after all. Especially if it will give you another 10-20 years reasonably trouble free.

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