TAR surgery in near future

I am also moving towards a TAR using Infinity but in Atlanta. It is best to make sure the surgeon has done at least 100 TAR's or more and get testimonials.  And then trust God for the rest

I about killed myself doing research about TAR's and in the end have delayed it now hoping for a natural healing or "holding".      I wish you the best and will pray for you and all TAR folks

David

I’m 12 weeks post op on my first TAR. Had back to back TKRs last summer so was nervous about getting a new ankle so soon after I got my new knees. But ankle was so bad it was inhibiting knee recovery so I went for it. I’m 56YO previously active woman who hasn’t taken a walk in over two years due to issues with severe knee and ankle pain (lost all cartilage in my major joints due to another medical issue). I consulted with five different ankle surgeons before going with the one I used out of denver. Very pleased with results so far. The crippling pain is gone tho I do have a fresh case of plantar fasciitis from trying to weight bear too quickly. My doc used the Infinity implant and the Prophecy system (TARs are way more precision-oriented than TKRs, so apparently the “system” used to perform the TAR is also important.) Also, unlike TKRs and hip replacements, it’s much harder to find a surgeon who’s done the same level of volume that u can find with Knees and hips. I personally think the surgeon is critical. The one I went with knew and had experience with a number of implants and he explained why he wanted to use infinity for mine given other health complications and replacements. I was stunned at how little pain I had (except for when nerve block wore off so nurses upped my oxy dose). I stayed on oxy for a week preventively bc I had such extreme pain last summer with my knee replacements. Weened off super fast and haven’t needed anything beyond occasional Tylenol since.  Biggest issue for me was the boredom of required elevation 23/hours a day, above heart, for upwards of 4 weeks. Then I got cleared for submersion and made the gym’s outdoor pool my best friend. Helped with ROM and overall body movement to overcome the stagnation of a month on my ass—literally. Unlike TKRs which require immediate weight bearing to heal, TARs need time to chill—which means less pain overall. I’m still on crutches due to weak glutes and quads (and the plantar fasciitis), but I began doing weight machines and stationary bike and it feels awesome! It’s too soon for me to say how well this will work out in the long term but so far I’m thrilled. I was out of options and tired of sitting on the sidelines and popping pain meds. So my advice is to really be thorough with choosing your surgeon. You don’t want to be anyone’s Practice case. Also—be prepared with mobility gear—walker, crutches, knee scooter were the ones I used. I put a basket on my knee scooter so I didn’t have to always ask people to get me good etc. (tho truth be told it’s kinda nice to be waited on). Sorry for the long winded reply. I know I was desperate for TAR info before mine and was only able to find a couple folks who’d had them and could share their experiences with me. One was 11 months out and had just hiked four miles then made dinner without any issues. And finally, everyone is different so “results may vary.” Me? I’m glad I did it. Good luck!

Well, after much more research and reading technical papers, my wife has decided to go with the Vantage TAR -- and Dr. Mark Easley at Duke as the surgeon.  He was one of the inventors of the device two years ago.  Her first appointment is in a couple of weeks, and we'll see if she is even a candidate for the Vantage.  I think that's one of the problems associated with Implants Gone Bad -- that the surgeon chosen is effective for a particular TAR device -- but it may not be the right one for that particular patient.  Of course...no one owns up to this dirty little secret.  But that will be our first question to Dr. Easley, and we'll evaluate his answer carefully.  Thanks for the replies -- Lauren, your reply especially convinced her to go with a more experienced surgeon.

- John.

Ps. There’s also a Facebook group for total ankle replacements. I just joined and got some decent tips and insights from others. Cheers!

P.s. Any chance your wife's doc at Duke is Dr. Easley? If so, some folks are saying good things about him in the Total Ankle Replacement Group on Facebook. Just an fyi.