Knee infection a year after my knee replacement.

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Hi, has anyone had or knows of someone whos had a knee infection after recovering from a knee replacement? I was diagnosed last September and my consultant needed an urgent aspiration of my knee to identify the 'bug'. Unfortunately they couldn't grow a culture so I saw a second consultant who confirmed I needed surgery 'to have any quality of life' Now I am waiting to see a third consultant, who specialises in inections to see whether I have a one stage or two stage surgery.
What I am asking is how long has anyone had to wait for an nfectious knee revision?
How did they manage with the two stage surgery? Which means the knee replacement is removed and another one inserted some weeks later when the infection is cleared.

It happened to my Mum
Unfortunately it never really healed well and she spent the last 3 years of her life in a wheelchair
She was in her 70's though with other health conditions

Thank you for replying Hoppinggreen. So sorry about your mother, its a major operation much more difficult than an ordinary knee replacement and the recovery time is much longer. I am worried about it but I cant stay like this, getting less and less mobile, more and more pain. Luckily I dont have any other health problems, I am nearly eighty though.

My dad had a bakers cyst on his knee which got badly infected. He was in hospital for about 6 weeks getting industrial quantities on antibiotics. It destroyed his knee and cartilage and he had a replacement in his late 70s. All went well, he did physio and was able to carryon with life, including walking 18 holes of golf.

edit: he had to wait about 9 months for the infection to have cleared before having the replacement.

Sorry not quite what you asked. Good luck OP.

Johnogroats · Thank you. Your reply was very helpful. I know it will take weeks (or months) to clear the infection and I am not looking forward to it but its so good to hear your father was able to carry on witn his life and play 18 holes of golf. I look forwadd to taking my dogs for walkx in the countryside.
How long did he have to wait for the surgery to treat his infection?

I haven’t had a replacement but I had an infected hip joint a few years ago when I was about 42. It was horrific, I spent 10 days in hospital and at one point I was worried I’d lose my leg. Then another 12 weeks on antibiotics. You have my sympathy, it’s not sitting I’d ever wish on anybody.

Hi OP Dad was lucky to have private insurance so he got the op as soon as his infection cleared. Costs him and arm and a leg but he gets his money’s worth! To be fair his knee is 100% - at the time of the infection we were all very worried.

Thank you for replying. Your answers are helpful. Its not going to be fun but hopefully I'll get my life back eventually.

I hope it works out for you
I think part of my Mums problem was that for a while she had no knee effectively while the infection cleared so was wheelchair bound for a few months (can't remember exactly how long) and even after she got the new knee she never really walked properly. Issues with other joints meant that weight bearing was always difficult for her anyway

I have no advice for you but I was wondering how you got on as I am just going to hospital today for an aspiration to identify the bug so they know how resistant it will to antibiotics. I had my second TKR this May and after a good recovery starting getting new pain in the joint after about 12 week and was diagnosed just last week with an infection in the cement used to secure the implant.

I live alone and worry about how I will cope in the interim stage before they put in the new implant, I had no used it could be months, my consultant mentioned 6 weeks! I would love to know how your surgery went, how long you were in hospital for and how you are now.

sorry I’m a bit light on details happened to my mums friend
she had some kind of temp plastic one put in
them sure it was about 6 months then she got another

not a lot of other details think the whole process was over 12 months
but she was ok after