Anyone had a knee replacement

[ExitPursuedByTheRoyalPrude]

I am building up to having my knee replaced and just wondered if anyone had been through it?

No, but I've looked after thousands of people who have.
Am I any use?

My mu has had both done.

One under GA and the other under epidural.

Thanks. Sorry for the delay in responding but needed to be at my computer rather than on my phone.

I am 54 - is that young for a replacement? The consultant has said I will need one but it is up to me how long I go on. I wondered if doing more damage would cause problems when I do have the replacement?

What is the recovery time like Sauvignon?

Is your mum pain free now Bella? I hear such good reports from people but my father has been housebound since a knee replacement as he has an infection in it and can barely walk - so this is obviously putting me off.

My consultant was a little bit negative about the future with a knee replacement - I have two horses to look after and he said I wouldn't be able to spend all day at the stables but could cope with a couple of hours Not quite sure what he meant by not coping?

Ho hum.

I've been told I need one as have an area of bone on bone. However, it's not that sore and because I'm on a lot of painkillers for another reason it doesn't bother me. I don't think that by waiting til you have no option makes the op any more difficult IYSWIM?

I have had Ostenil injections once a year for several years and it really helps a lot. It's a synthetic synovial fluid that lubricates the joint and eases pain. Unfortunately, even though it really helps me it has fallen out of favour and isn't easy to get where I live now. I'm lucky enough to have made friends with the Physio Practitioner now and we get round it! It makes me cross, though that the surgeons would rather operate on a 48 year old woman than give injections that work for many months..

I was chatting to a man I know slightly last week. He was 6 weeks post op and said it had been very slow. Much more so than having his hip done.

Hope that is of some help. In a nutshell, I'm going to wait until there is no alternative. I'm a victim of some very poor surgery and won't be having any more any time soon.

54 is young, but not ridiculously so. You should expect to be in hospital for about 3 days and to leave on crutches.
You'd be looking at around a 6 week recovery period.
Everyone is different, I met a patient in Sainsbury's last Saturday who was in her 50s and she was completely mobile and crutch-free, looking great at 5 weeks post-op.

I've just had an operation to clean up the debris in my ankle caused by osteoarthritis. I wondered, are posters' conditions here caused by osteoarthritis?

I was supposed to have a micro fracture as well, which causes the bone to bleed and helps to create new cartilage. Unfortunately the surgeon couldn't find enough unworn bone to use for this.

Matildathecat I am also 48. If I had sussed out what was happening to me 5 years ago when the pain first started, it's possible that they could have done this procedure and reversed the denigration of my joint to some extent. But because it took 4 years (of increasing bone on bone movement) to find out and year to get the op, there isn't much they can do for me and I now face further denigration as time goes on.

Waiting until you have no option doesn't seem to be the best choice. You don't know what else will be going on for you by then. My father has the condition also, they have offered him 2 new knees but he can't face the surgery as he has the fear about hospitals.
He has chosen to be housebound, depressed and dependent on his elderly partner rather than take the initiative.

My mum is waiting for a date for a knee replacement. She is 78.
It's likely she will have an epidural as she has a heart condition. However, I am quite concerned about how she will cope afterwards as she already has problems with her balance (had a toe amputated on each foot) and I have heard that if you don't exercise enough post-op, it can cause problems.

On the other hand (and a brighter note), MIL has had both knees done (I think she was around 65 when she had them done) and carried on playing 18 holes on the golf course for many years.

My mum hasn't done as well as she could have tbh. She had them done about 10 and 7 years ago. She is now 70.

She didn't do the exercises as much as she should have done that they gave her when she came out of hospital. She said it hurt too much. I think she should have been more active (easy for me to say I know... But she gives up very easily). She cannot kneel on her knees and when she bends down it is done with an ooh and an argh.

I know someone who is a little younger than my mum and she has had both done. She is very very active and has never had any problems. She cycles, plays tennis and golf.

Interesting stories. I am bone on bone with my knee. But hip is going as well. Broke my heel several years ago and walk on the outside of my foot, apparently, which has put abnormal pressure on my joints.

My knee gives way occasionally and locks up all the time. Standing up is always interesting as I gave to wait for my knee to ' locate'

One of my friends has had both knees done. She was under 50, but her arthritis was crippling her.

I think looking after two horses is going to be a little optimistic for some time after the operation (from my friend's experience anyway).

Exit my mum's knee gives way also. One such time resulted in a nasty fall and a broken sternum!

It sounds like you must be in a lot of pain already so I wonder how much longer you would cope with the horses if you didn't have the operation.

I am always falling over.

Sigh

I suppose I will have to have the op. will be in the summer when the neds are out so less work to do.

Thanks so much for yor input.