Staple and Physio worry

Sorry that should say 'worry  ' not RoryRory

Frankenstein knee

Soobeedee....I know I have a low pain threshold, but getting those damn staples out was no joy. Others I ask say it was ok, so who knows? One thing I will be requesting stitches or glue for number two knee, true someone said they had the wound glued and it just dissolved, much like dissolving stitches I suppose.

Morning ! When the nurse removed my staples it wasn't that painful to be honest, but when I got back home poised to rub the E45 and Bio oil into the scar I was very alarmed to see that about 2" of skin over my knee cap was lifting up like a lid!! Minor panic as I had visions of my new knee bursting out of place, but a quick taxi ride back to my surgery and all was well as I was reassured that there were many layers of stitches lower down and so nothing would "burst out" and then the whole wound was steri stripped. The strips stayed on for about another week and by then the gap had healed up.(Photo shows knee with cream on it and so it looks far worse than it really was!)

 

I found it didn't hurt to have the staples out. They did tell me to take pain killers an.hour before which I did. I had alternate staples out on day 7 and the rest out on day 10. Then the wound  Was sterstripped. I was worried about it splitting too with the bending, but it never looked like it would. As far as physio is concerned, just tell the physio when it hurts too.much. you are the boss after all. With my second knee, I left hospital with a bare 90 deg bend and now(at six weeks) I have at least 120 deg. It just suddenly started bending when it wanted to. with my first knee I left hospital with a 105 deg bend and it is not much more than that because of cramp. The surgeon is happy though. With my bending exercises I did lots during the day, but I only blended it until.if hurt, then a little bit more. And I kept my pain relief up.so if you do lots of grntkd bends during the day you should be ok in the long run. Abd just tell your physio how you feel. I know everybody is different so other people might have different ideas.

just pull the muscles up I didnt lift my leg properly for a while. Pulling the muscles strengthens the ones above the knee and the 'muscle memory' kicks in. Keep doing all the other exercises.

I meant gentle bends.

PS this is my knee now post 5weeks and 5 days just to show you that it did mend! ( ignore the tram line scar as that was a cartilage removal scar from 33 years ago which was almost the equivalent to my knee replacement pain wise-thank goodness for key hole surgery!)

Good luck with the staple removal but it really wasn't a big deal compared to other aspects of a TKR!

PS forgot the photo!

Glenda

i won't lie to you . getting the staples out was very painful for me. .. but over soon...  i felt  i could move my knee better once they were out...my scar is healing great..  i was worried it would open up with all the bending but it's fine... The bend will get better with physio.... and as long as you do your home physio. food luck...take care. 

Thanks everyone. Will let you know tomorrow how it goes. At least i will be prepared