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Original poster

Recovery time after knee replacement?

27 replies

WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 09:36

My dad had a knee replacement done on Thursday and is still in terrible pain. He is due to have the second one done in three months but at the moment is adamant that he's not going back to have it done. It didn't help that he was conscious for the last hour of the surgery - he didn't feel any pain because he had an epidural anaesthetic as well as the general anaesthetic but it was pretty traumatic for him.

Yesterday he managed to take himself to the toilet on a zimmer frame but it was a real struggle and getting him back onto his bed afterwards was so painful for him. He's pretty despondent about it, frustrated that he can't even pull himself up in bed without taking half an hour to do it, and he's not eating either.

He's had a tough time over the past year with treatment for cancer, and I think part of the problem is that he's depressed about it all, but I think it would help him to know how long he's going to be feeling like this, and how quickly he is likely to be back on his feet. I know that it's major surgery so I'm not expecting miracles - not just yet, anyway!

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NotQuiteCockney · 23/01/2006 09:38

The not eating worries me a bit. Um, I know it's your dad, but do you know if his gut is moving?

I ask because my dad had a knee done, and then his gut just stopped going, thanks to the anaesthetic, and then he ended up with a colostomy. Still hasn't had the other knee done.

Dunno anything about recovery time, I'd expect a few weeks. Is he on lots of meds for the pain?

Marina · 23/01/2006 09:41

WWB, sorry to hear he was traumatised by being conscious during the last part of the op...was this intended by the surgical team? I just ask because my dad had the entire op done just with sedation and epidural and thought the whole thing rather funny, but he was apparently off his head on valium...
More importantly, provided your dad gets good physio support while in hospital and once discharged, and makes himself do his exercises, if he is anything like my dad his recovery will be fast...and it will not be long before the knee feels better and stronger than it will have done for months before surgery. As soon as my dad was mobile he signed up to have the second one done and has kicked himself ever since for havering about ever opting for surgery.
Good luck to your dad - please reassure him that normally this is an op where you feel the benefits fast, but...remember he's had bits of his leg sawn out so the residual pain initially will be considerable.
And if he was not meant to be conscious during the last part of surgery he needs to talk to a doctor pdq and flag this up, the poor man.

Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 09:52

NQC, I don't know about his gut - thanks for that, it's worth keeping an eye on to make sure things are OK in that area.

Marina, he was intended to be under the GA for it; they told him that the epidural was meant to be more for pain relief after the surgery than for anaesthetic during it. He certainly wasn't expecting to be conscious throughout, and hadn't been given any other sedation. My concern is that he had post-traumatic stress disorder a couple of years ago when he had emergency surgery to treat a perforated bowel, and his reaction this time is so similar to the PTSD - the depression and not eating. I spoke to one of the nurses last night about it and she was going to make sure that his surgeon knows.

The only pain relief he is having is co-codamol three times a day, although again I spoke to the nurses last night about his level of pain and they are going to get his consultant to review his pain relief.

He's having some physio every day using a machine that lifts and bends his leg - he's being really good about it. He hasn't had any exercises other than that yet because he can't move his leg on his own yet - hopefully that will come pretty soon.

It's reassuring to know that the recovery is pretty quick - hopefully he will start to see some benefits quickly enough to realise that it's worth getting the second one done.

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tissy · 23/01/2006 10:04

WWB, if he can walk (albeit with some difficulty) 4 days after his surgery he is doing well. Most people stay in hospital 7 to 10 days after a knee replacement, and should be mobile on crutches and able to go up and down stairs by the time they go home. They should also be able to lift the leg out straight and bend it to 90 degrees without the help of the machine. Having said that all patients are individuals, and if it takes 2 weeks to reach these goals, it's not a problem. Constipation is common when taking cocodamol, and this may have an effect on his appetite; also not being very mobile will make the bowels slugish, and hiospital food isn't loaded with roughage either!

If the hospital has a pain team they should be able to control his pain better, ask the nurses.

Most people are recovered well from their first knee replacement to be ready for the second one at three months. The second will be easier, as he knows what to expect, and he'll already have a good knee to support him!

hornbag · 23/01/2006 10:14

WWB, I had knee surgery about 8yrs ago and , although it wasn't a knee replacement, it was a major op. I don't remember exact details of how long i was in pain etc but I do remember that the whole thing was a lot more painful and the recovery time a lot longer than I'd anticipated.

I had heavy-duty pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs for some time afterwards. I remember trying to reduce the pain kilers gradually when I felt that I'd been on them for too long. For immediatly after the op I had been written up for morphine but didn't have it.

Lack of mobility, even when the pain has subsided, can make you feel very down too. Keep an eye on your Dad for this. Offers of trips out will probably be much appreciated to relieve the boredom!

My knee was still stiff and didn't move like the other one for up to a year after. Your leg loses its muscle so quickly when laid up - I did lots of physio and went to the gym to build the strength back up.

I had another op about 3yrs ago to remove a screw they'd put in during the first op. Even that left me feeling very sore for a while and hobbling round with a stick for a couple of weeks.

Sorry I can't answer your questions directly but I hope my experience will be of some help. Heres wishing your Dad a quick recovery

Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 10:24

Hornbag, I had knee surgery on both knees together several years ago too, so I know a little of what he's going through - it's really nasty, and mine was nothing compared to what he's had done. The one good thing is I know what kind of things he is likely to struggle with when he gets home and I've been able to make some suggestions that might be useful - like get a commode seat to put over the toilet because the first time I used our toilet at home I got stuck, and couldn't get off for an hour.

Tissy, he was certainly able to get himself to the loo yesterday - took ages and was really painful but he was really pleased with himself - I'm hoping that it will have given him a bit of a boost. He isn't constipated at the moment (I was reading his notes and they go into a bit too much detail about such things!) so hopefully the pain killers haven't bunged him up. Agree that hospital food isn't hugely tempting but we've tried taking him in lots of fruit (which he usually eats loads of) and he's not interested in it at all.

I'm hoping that you're right and that he'll find the second op easier to face; at the moment though he is in such pain and is adamant that he's not going back.

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Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 10:26

I meant to say thank you to everyone for your posts too; I'm reassured by them and hopefully my dad will be, too.

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hornbag · 23/01/2006 10:45

WWB it sounds like you're doing everything you can and are aware of the problems -good luck.

PS -reading your bit about not being able to get off the loo reminded me of the struggle I had trying to get my pants on when I had my leg in a straight brace! Also trying to carry a cup of tea from the kitchen to lounge when on crutches. I can about it now but not much fun at the time

batters · 23/01/2006 10:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 10:50

Ah, the cup of tea conundrum ... I'd got as far as making one on my first day at home on my own, when I realised I couldn't carry it into the lounge whilst using my crutches so had to drink it in the kitchen standing up! It was at this point that I demanded dh buy me a bum bag and a flask so that I could make the tea, put it in the flask, put the flask and a mug in the bumbag and get back into the lounge that way.

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Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 10:52

Batters, I agree. One of my concerns is that he will put so much pressure on his new joint that it buggers it up and he ends up worse off than he is now. If you don't mind I shall use your MIL's story to try and hammer it home to my dad once he's feeling a bit better.

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juliab · 23/01/2006 11:14

Hi Wig Wam
This is my first MN post so pls forgive any huge mess-ups.
Wanted to let you know that my mum (who's 83) had her left knee replaced in early Dec. Everything you are describing now (apart from being conscious during the op - horrible!) could have described my mum then: the not eating (think the painkillers make you feel sick), the hideous pain, the constipation (painkillers again), the frustration. Even when she came home a week later, she was miserable, unsteady and white with pain.
Anyway, the reason I'm telling you this is that, now, six weeks later, she is doing great. Looking very well, full of confidence, no sticks, no frame, eating well, hardly any pain and totally back to her old self.
I'm sure your dad will improve too. I think it just takes longer than they, and we, expect it to.

batters · 23/01/2006 11:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 11:20

Thanks for your post, juliab (and welcome to Mumsnet [smile}). They had told my dad that it would be very painful but it hadn't really prepared him for the reality of it, I think. It's reassuring to know that your mum's recovery has been so quick - she's a few years older than my dad is too (he's 69) so maybe that will reassure him that his will be fine too. Hopefully when my dad gets to that stage he will realise that he would be silly not to have the second one done too.

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juliab · 23/01/2006 11:39

I'm glad that helped, WigWam. Have to say, though, that my mum is not that keen to have the second knee done, either!
I think it's a bit like having babies: as soon as it's done, you say never again and it takes a fair old while to forget the hideousness and focus on the good things that come afterwards.
By the way, when your dad gets home, do insist that your GP visits - we had to be right pains in the to get my mum's GP out but it was worth it to get her on better painkillers etc.

cod · 23/01/2006 11:40

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Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 11:54

Sounds like it's a pretty rough few weeks cod - having seen the way my dad is I can believe it. I'm hoping that the "soon got over it" bit and the obvious benefits of having it done will outweigh the rough bits. He's just so despondant about it at the moment though. I'm hoping that a few weeks down the line he will feel that it's the best thing he's ever done too.

Thanks for the point about the GP too, juliab. It's also reminded me that I need to tell him to make sure that he gets follow-on physio when he comes out; I didn't get any after I had my surgery and it made things so much worse.

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bubblerock · 23/01/2006 11:57

My Gran is 79 and has had both hips and both knees done (not at the same time!) and she was poorly whilst in hospital but after that her recovery was amazing. I think that because she was in so much pain before the ops she was really positive about going into hospital and really could see no other option other than living in permanent pain.
It does sound like your dad is hating being immobile and that's understandable but he will get better - and remember Men aren't as good as us with pain, just hope he doesn't get a cold too

cod · 23/01/2006 12:04

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Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 12:06

Oh, man-flu on top of it would be the icing on the cake

He's usually pretty strong and stoical about things; he put up with the chemo and the radiotherapy without a single complaint, even though they made him ill - this has really knocked him about though. As much the being conscious through the later part of the surgery as anything else, I think.

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Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 12:06

That's a good idea, cod - thank you. I wouldn't have thought about the HV but something like that sounds helpful.

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cod · 23/01/2006 13:05

Message withdrawn

Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 13:08

Oh yes - occupational therapy or something, isn't it.

Am busily noting down all of these things to ask at the hospital about.

Thanks!

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cod · 23/01/2006 13:11

Message withdrawn

Original poster
WigWamBam · 23/01/2006 14:37

OK, thanks.

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