Ok, who all have either had a knee, hip or both replacement surgery and......

[a kennedy]

how are you surviving or how have you been since the surgery?? Husband is starting the process.....has had cortisone shots in both knees and neither knee was helped. He's been taking supplements, i.e. Gyclosime (sp), curcumen (sp), so we're back at the Dr's office.......

[Arkansas Granny]

1. I haven't had replacement surgery myself, but a close friend had a hip replaced a couple of years

ago. She said that after dreading it for months, it was the best decision she ever made. She has had a very good experience with her surgery and rehab and is now pain free.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My left knee was the first of my joints to be replaced.

I've had it several years, and the pain is gone!

It was very painful before the surgery and that took care of it. I've been very happy with the results.

The recovery was not quick. It was several months before I felt like myself, but it was still more than worth it.

Physical therapy is a must! And, if he's carrying some extra pounds, it would be lovely to shed those, if possible.

Best of luck!

[GeorgeGist]

3. Had 2 ...

doing fine. Physical therapy afterwards can be difficult but must be done or you'll lose mobility in the knee. Don't recommend having both done at once.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. A friend at age 80 had knee replacement

She said she had been putting it off cause she did not think she would live that long..lol.
she is 89 this month.
She said......best decision she had ever made
and
absolutely have to do the exercises to get the leg working as it should
and
had the other knee done a year later

she is not even 5 foot tall and weighs maybe 90 pounds.

[mnhtnbb]

5. I'm going on 9 years post hip replacement.

My husband had a hip replacement 6 months after mine. We're both fine. Doing exercises is key.

Hips are very different from knees. Knees can be a lot more challenging. I've had friends who had knee
replacements and are still having stiffness more than a year later.

I think it's well worth your time to investigate reputation of orthopedic surgeons in your area who are doing the most knee replacements.
Some are better than others. The guys with the long waiting lists for surgery are probably the ones to look into first.
Talk to physical therapists in the area. Talk to nurses in the area. See if you can find out where they go--and to whom--
for knee replacements.

[a kennedy]

6. Thanks, we are starting to get name of doctors. We are going to start doing

Last edited Tue Jun 21, 2016, 05:18 PM - Edit history (1)

a lot of talking to lotsa folks that have had it done......but that's a great idea talking to nurses and P T'ers

[sarge43]

7. Two hip joints replaced, arthritis.

Took a while to get my mojo back, but pain free, so worth it.

[mrmpa]

8. One knee replacement..............

only question is why didn't I do it sooner. I was 55 when it was done.

Broken hip repair, only question is why did it have to happen at work? Workers Comp doctors are the worse, still a slew of problems 8 years after the fact. They only repaired it, they wouldn't replace it.

[Laffy Kat]

9. One hip when I was quite young.

It was a quirky OA thing. Would absolutely do it again and now they're even easier. Go for it.

[Citrus]

10. TKR

Right knee replaced after a fall at a Target store. They've admitted liability, but are trying to mitigate damages in really nasty ways.

Anyway...

Surgery in Oct. '14. Fabulous surgeon and my scar is barely noticeable. (No lazy-surgeon's staples. He used glue and little things similar to butterfly bandages.) I chose an Adventist hospital because they pioneered "Clean Air Suites" for joint replacement, which gave me a little security. (They're also vegetarian-friendly, which made meals easy for me.)

I wasn't able to finish physical therapy because my insurance coverage ended, and this has been a big problem with my long-term healing. So I highly recommend getting lots of PT, and even getting additional PT if possible.

I had a lot of pain, but only for a few days and was off the narcotics within 2 days. Ibuprofen was sufficient after that. The worst for me was the nerve pain as things started to regenerate. I took Hypericum daily and it worked like a charm. (Hypericum is a homeopathic remedy and a specific for nerve damage.)

I had an identical knee made. It's called "Signature" and Biomet makes it. It added only a small amount to the tab, and was worth it. I had to get some extra MRIs done of hips, knees and ankles so the new knee would be perfect fit for my body. (Otherwise, you get whatever fits the closest.)

Some people have little pain, others have massive, extensive pain, and most of us probably fall in between. Choose the surgeon, hospital and physical therapy people carefully and wisely.

[csziggy]

11. Had total replacements on both knees in 2012

My knees are great - the rest of my body is falling apart now.

The physical therapist they sent me to before they would approve surgery told me to get mine done as soon as possible, before I lost more muscle tone. I'd had the medial meniscus removed from the left one in 2001, the right one in 2005 and was bone on bone. With the pain I couldn't stand for more than an hour a day.

I had the left one replaced on May 20, the left on on July 26 - closer together than the surgeon had planned but I was doing so good he scheduled the second one when I went in for my first recheck.

With my weight and with two bad knees, my patient advocate got me into a rehabilitation hospital for nine days after each surgery. If at all possible, I recommend this. In a Medicare approved facility they do three hours of therapy a day and that gets you going much better than a few hours a week of home PT and trying to do the exercises on your own.

The worst problem I had afterwards was that with the wheelchair and walker my hands kept going to sleep. My doctor thought it was a pinched nerve in my neck but when the neurologist checked me I had severe carpal tunnel problems. So in November of 2012 I had my first carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve relocation surgery. The next year they did the other side.

Now my lower back is acting up - partly from an old injury. I have yet to do anything about it - no time for surgery! And while I like my doctors, I would just as soon not have to see them for a while.

[a kennedy]

12. OMGosh csziggy........

[Boudica the Lyoness]

13. I had my ankle replaced 8 years ago.

It's considered experimental by some insurance companies because it is more difficult than hip or knee.

My ankle was crushed by a horse in 1985 and had become bone on bone and locked in place. The pain was very bad and I was going to have amputation because I consider 'fusing your foot to your leg surgery' barbaric.

I finally was cleared for replacement and it worked like a treat. I had to have my achilles tendon lengthened so I could once again move my ankle.

It took two yeas for the joint to get as good as it was going to get. It was a very long recovery, but well worth it. I have full range of motion and can do anything but run. I think I could though if a tiger was chasing me. Or a lion. I can also still kick arse.

[Massacure]

14. My mother and two grandparents have both had knee replacements

My mother had one knee done last year, and two of my grandparents have each had both of their knees replaced over the last 15 years. The common theme is that the recovery is extremely painful. None of them regret their decision to have the knee replacement done though. My grandpa was able to resume golfing, but my mother isn't able to kneel when planting flowers.

[ArtD48]

15. My mother had a knee replacement and it was fine until she passed away about 20 years later.