Total Knee Replacement
 

Has anyone had one? Was it as bad as I'm hearing it will be? I don't need gory details, because I'm pretty queasy thinking about it already, but I would like to know general details about how long the hospital stay and recovery were.

Additionally, has anyone had viscosupplementation in an effort to delay the knee replacement? Were the injections painful? Did they help? If so, for how long were you able to delay surgery? While I understand everyone's case is different, I'd love to hear from those who've actually been through it.

Well I did not have a knee replacement, but my husband had one about 5 years ago. When he was 14 he jumped off a big rock and landed on his knee. He went to the hospital and they did nothing but wrap it up and tell r.him to keep ice on it. While right after I had our daughter it started really bothering him. He went in to find out what was really wrong. His knee cap was completely shattered. They found fragments of his knee cap through out his leg. He had a three hour surgery to remove and replace his knee. Two hours after his surgery he was able to go home. He was on so many drugs he wanted to go on a walk to see how he would do. Me and his mom almost had to tie him down. After the drugs went threw his system he felt really stupid for trying to walk around. He was in a lot of pain the first night. But after a couple of days he was feeling better. It still hurt him but he was able to get up with crutches and walk around. After two weeks he was walking around. Today his knee bothers him during the winter, but not at all as bad as before he had the surgery. He is doing much better. He knows his knee will never be 100% better but he recovered fast and does not regret having the surgery. Now my husband is a big man, about 6'2 and 300 pounds. He was back at work after a month. But he was walking around after 3 weeks. I hope I did not say anything that scared you any more then you probably already are, and I did not go threw this myself. But I hope I helped and I hope everything goes well for you.

Dani,

thanks for sharing. you didn't scare me any more than i already am. we're hoping the viscosupplementation (which is basically an artificial hyaluronic acid injection) will allow for some relief throughout the end of the year and on into march of next year, when our surgeon of choice has his first opening. i'm glad to hear your hubby is doing well now. and being back at work within a month doesn't sound too terribly awful.

I can't say I've had one but I have watched a couple of knees be replaced, up close and personal.

It is amazing how much this type of surgery resembles carpentry.

I won't say anything else because you've said you are queasy.

My mother has had both knees replaced. We call her the Bionic Woman. She can still walk, so the surgeries were kinda important.

My mother, my aunt and my neighbour have all had knees replaced and they are all much better than they were before. My mom had a partial replacement and she was walking with a walker the next day and in two weeks had progressed to walking with a cane. My aunt and my neighbour both had full replacements on both legs in the same operation. Both were walking within two weeks. My neighbour's legs were so bad, that she could barely stand before the operation and was so bow-legged, she was actually a couple of inches shorter! After the operation, she could stand without pain and her legs were straight. Don't delay the operation! Get it done and experience a world of difference!

Wow, both knees at the same time and up walking within 2 weeks?! That's great news! What about the pain immediately after surgery? Were heavy narcotics necessary to get through the first few days? I really really hope not! Have they had any problems since the replacements?

I don't know about right after the operation, but my mom was giving herself injections the next day at home by herself. That was over Christmas (operation was on the 23rd) and she was up and smiling all through the celebrations, so whatever it was, it was manageable.

when we're talking TOTAL knee replacement, are we talking patella, or the whole fricken knee here?

Total knee, the whole freakin thing.