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Total Knee Replacement 8 weeks Post Op

Posted , 148 users are following.

pegs_girl
pegs_girl

Hi 

I am 8 weeks Post Op and wondered how you were all getting on!!

I am pleased wit my progress other than having what is commonly know as a Bursea behind my Knee, this is causing me pain on bending but mainly through the night.

I am achieving a 140 bend, can walk properly up a full set of stairs going up, but still coming down with both feet on 1 step and need to work on this.

Physio have now reduced my visits to monthly and the consultant is really happy with the 'end' result, albeit i do have to go back in 6 weeks to check the Bursea. i have been told this may be drained or surgically removed if it doesnt go down on its own accord!! 

The on going issues i have is through the night i do have pain that keeps me awake and i rarely get a full nights sleep.

For all of you out there who have either just had the Operation or are due too i can only advise to be patient, the pain and disability gets better in my opinion after about 4 weeks, each day after this i found so much improvement, i am back driving, dont use any sticks at all now, and can walk quite a distance, i still have a slight limp when walking and am working hard on 'marching' when i walk advised by physio, apparently if i concentrate on swinging my arms when walking it makes me walk straight without a limp. I am still off work and dont imagine going back for a further 6 weeks. I use an static bike twice daily and try and beat my time each day, this is helping with my muscle wastage.

I could never imagine i would feel this way 4 weeks ago but now i am doing so well i know its been worth it. My scar looks good and is just a thin line although its a bit purple looking, i still have swelling on the knee but not much, and my Knee does look a funny shape!!

I hope you are all doing good and that my experiance helps you with your recovery.

Good luck and stay positive...

20 likes, 341 replies

341 Replies

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  • richard68654
    richard68654 pegs_girl

    Posted

    I am 12 weeks since TKR and very pleased. I should have taken a more serious attitude as it is painful. Following the pain medication advice is essential and the exercise routine is critical, it is hell in the early weeks but sure pays dividends. Expect to have disturbed nights - I still do but it's improving. I could not empty my bladder after the op so had 5 weeks with a catheter - I would not wish that on my worst enemy. After 5 weeks I had further surgery - TURP - prostate and that was a success. I can climb stairs, walk, albeit slowly with just some clicking from the knee and an ache when I overdo walking. My surgeon signed me off after six weeks, my physiology after 4 weeks. I expect discomfort for a year but it will be worth it. My advice- take the meds as prescribed and follow the exercise routine however tempting it may be to skip a session. 
    • alan45396
      alan45396 richard68654

      Posted

      Hi my husband had tkr 7 weeks ago doing everything right mo walking aids / driving/ climbing stairs/ swimming/ problem is night pain.. He cannot sleep for more than an hour n wakes up all through the night, never had this tupe pain in the beginning, pain during day he can cope with , his tim is 110 so no problems there, hardly any swellings, dr put him on Amyltriptine but it didn't get hom to sleep, today dr put him on Tramadol for night use only said no more ge can do.. This doesnt seem right ., he has stabbing pain behind and side of knee .. Anyone any advice .. Hes tried pillows etc running out of ideas
    • lesa70198
      lesa70198 alan45396

      Posted

      I have had this same problem. I would manage during the day and then be unable to sleep because of those shooting pains and aching. Tramadol did not work for me more than 3 times at a time. Catch there is that you are not to take them more than every 6 hours. I spent many a sleepless night I'm sorry to say. I had bilateral tkr. I have found that stretching the quads and hamstrings helped with the pain, also moist heat seemed comforting. I discovered this, actually, at PT one day when I was having a lot of that sort of pain. I almost didn't go because I was suffering with pain that day. He did a session of stretching. Keeping one leg down and lifting the other so that i was feeling a REAL stretch, then the other leg. He then massaged the leg from the knee to the ankle, followed by moist heat. Pain ....gone. I wish you luck. Being unable to sleep is very depressing. I was up and down a lot but didn't want to bother my husband , so sometimes went to the couch. Hang in there. Wishing him luck.
    • alan45396
      alan45396 lesa70198

      Posted

      My husband is now 8 weeks post tka sticking to Tramadol 2 at night help him but he wakes a lot .. He has had 2 fluke nights sleep last week hasn't happened since, think he must of been overtired..he went to pt yesterday who says he's overdone it .. So would explain pain bad this last few days , his rom 115 - he takes 1 Tramadol twice in day with paracetamol , he doesn't want to continue with these but can't find an alternative ..there seems to be no real pain management advice ... Apart from that he's still swimming waking driving , he says a nagging almost toothache type pain in day but at night it makes him call out sometimes when he moves , swelling almost none now but last week was a bit as he overdid the standing ...icing up a lot less.. The pt gave him 2.5 kilo weights to hang from his ankle and do stretches with yesterday .. I read a hand held infra red massager could be a good idea for healing inside tissue does anyone know about this , if so it'll be worth the investment 
  • Nanawhodat
    Nanawhodat pegs_girl

    Posted

    Did anyone's doctor let them go home the day after surgery
    • martinarvelo
      martinarvelo Nanawhodat

      Posted

      I have heard of it happening. . not personally, though. Usually it's at least three nights in hospital . . they need to make sure you have not lost too much blood, etc. . . . 

       

  • debbie171066
    debbie171066 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Thanks for your post im nearly 5 wks post op and to read your post has made me feel loads better. You really get low thinking you arent progressing enough but you have proven to me i will. Im still walking with my crutches but trying not to in the house. The swelling has been bad and my bend isnt yet 90! Im working on it so much and would love it to be 90 when i go to physio in 2 days time! Fingers crossed! Thanks x
  • kim01222
    kim01222 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Hi

    I am 10 weeks post op have 130 degree bend and completely straight when stretched out. I can ride my bike climb stairs ect . I even knelt down today for the first time. I am returning back to work start of April. Would have been nice to return sooner but I'm on my feet a lot of the time.

    Does anyone sometimes get the feeling that something is moving inside your knee when walking or is this the numbness.

  • SusieQ64
    SusieQ64 pegs_girl

    Posted

    Hi there, was great reading your progress... I am 4 weeks this Wednesday. I had a left TKR. I'm at 100 degree bend, walking with one crutch. I'm struggling with the broken sleep.. But otherwise I'm happy with my progress.
  • davidp1949
    davidp1949 pegs_girl

    Posted

    HIgh, apologies if I have butted into the wrong place, this is my first attempt at using a forum of any sort. I had a TKR on 18 Feb, so about ten weeks ago. The pain is still bad, a sharp nasty pain, not at all what I expected, if I wear long trousers, I immediately feel like a pressure on the outside of the knee joint, I mean the outside of the leg.  I wondered if anyone else has this sort of pain, this far into recovery period.   P.s. I am 66 years old
  • mary7663
    mary7663 pegs_girl

    Posted

    I am about the same time frame as you and no longer go to PT.  My days are pretty good but I find nights are Not.  My knee gets stiff and still painful when I wake.......to change positions......not easy. My bend is probably about 130 and I am substituting PT with water aerobics. 

    I also no longer receive emails from this board........I changed nothing!!

  • rbleegrip
    rbleegrip pegs_girl

    Posted

    Hi pegs,read my profile,please I'm 3 weeks after opening and everytime i try to do exercises the next day I have swelling,did you have anything like this at all ?? I see you get to 140 I can only dream of this ,I'm a positive guy but with the swelling cant really get much bending going on although after resting for ghetto whole day I can almost get 90 without to much pain , did you have these issues at all ????

    • pegs_girl
      pegs_girl rbleegrip

      Posted

      Hi. Yes this is part of the healing you need to ice before and after any excercise you do.

      Don't over do it though. Start with short excercises like sitting on the bed put your good leg behind operated leg and lift your operated leg using your other leg as support until you can lift it straight.

      Keep up good work. Keep taking pain med and ice.

    • rbleegrip
      rbleegrip pegs_girl

      Posted

      Lol,I'm way passed using other leg to help lift as I had minimal invasive surgery where they do not cut the quad muscle,somehow they go between it and other muscles and pull haem apart and yes ice is the best friend with painkillers for shore I'm just amazed you got to 140 that's a great result but did you experience my type of problems in the beginning?,did you have good ROM at 3 weeks etc,thxs for replying too

    • pegs_girl
      pegs_girl rbleegrip

      Posted

      Yes I had the same problems. It's just a case of pushing yourself when the swelling is down. I had a static bike also and "cycled "10 miles a day. Only thing is it kills your backside. Ha

      Not sure what ROM is..sorry

    • rbleegrip
      rbleegrip pegs_girl

      Posted

      Sorry ROM is range of movement as in degrees that you can bend,you must be past 90 degrees to ride a bike too and I'm hoping it won't be long before I can do this as it is the best exercise for knees really

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