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Hi all:
I’m a candidate for TKR for both knees and planned on having surgery when I moved to Pittsburgh to be closer to my mom in her eighties. She had a prior knee replacement here and an excellent surgeon who I saw for an initial evaluation and cortisone shots.
Well life intervened, and a few months after I came here, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a year of treatment. After recovering, mom started going downhill and I took care of her until her death. A stressful estate process and then COVID postponed things further. I’m really on “ my last legs” now and called to schedule an appointment with the surgeon. Well guess who decided to retire given the COVID situation? Yes, the excellent surgeon.
So now I have decisions/ choices to make. I can see a different surgeon from the same office whose online reviews seem good and it is an excellent practice. I would stay here for the amount of time it will take for two surgeries and rehabilitations. I have lived here in a place that is handicap accessible which will help.
I don’t have any support here, however, so it will be whomever I hire when I come home.
My dilemma is whether I should just return to the state I moved from (but in a different city) and start the process there.
I found a surgeon’s name online there who is well thought of and affiliated with an excellent facility.
I have a few friends there but I don’t expect them to actively help as they’re employed and have their own family responsibilities. The plus would be that I can restart my life sooner in a place where all the sadness I’ve experienced here is behind me. The downside is relocating with two bad knees and then adjusting to a new home along with all the other relocation changes ( health insurance, drivers licensing, car registration, new doctors in other specialties, etc)
Third choice ( bear with me lol) is to have the first surgery here when COVID settles down. I wasn’t planning on moving back until the pandemic was resolved to an extent anyway so I have an evaluation scheduled next month with the doctor here. After recuperating, it might be easier to relocate and then do the second after the prescribed amount of time in my new location.
With all I’ve been through and my lack of support, I’m feeling a little hesitant to make a decision. It feels overwhelming to approach major surgeries and moves all together.
Any suggestions are most welcome.
Thanks!
Patty
Unfortunately I am well acquainted with knee replacement surgery. I've had two partial and one full knee replacement and am currently awaiting a time that I can have another partial to a full replacement. Knee surgery HURTS, A LOT since you are putting your full weight on the surgery site when you stand.
I would find the most prominent hospital in your new city, then find who is the head of surgery for knee replacements. It's worked well for me. Next month I will be having my 45th operation, all due to arthritis.
Don't have the surgery in your past location, primarily if you have issues you will be travelling back and forth, and you may have other issues in your future.
OP, I had a TKR on my left knee in February 2020, then a TKR on my right knee in July 2020 (postponed from May 2020 because all elective surgeries were canceled for more than a month). I was pretty terrified about both surgeries, but they went fine.
OF COURSE you want to find a great surgeon, but the success rate for TKRs is pretty high from everything I've seen, and I live in the boonies of southwestern New Hampshire and my surgeon was GREAT. So I think most surgeons who do this kind of surgery ROUTINELY -- as mine did -- will be fine.
Anyway, I had to stay in the hospital overnight both times, but was home by early afternoon the next day. With my 1st, I was driving within a couple of weeks (and I drive a stick-shift, so that's saying a lot); with my 2nd, I was driving within a week. Just no problems at all with that, both times.
I used a walker for maybe a week the 1st time; the 2nd time, I was using a cane by day 2 as the walker was more cumbersome than anything else. Within a week, I wasn't even using a cane.
I DID have a lot of pain, but mostly it was at night when I was trying to sleep, but it was tolerable because I was working but my work was teaching 2 asynchronous college classes (which means no scheduled meetings -- a TON of work to do, but completely on my own time/schedule). I wanted to drive so did NOT want to use an opioid, so I didn't after the first day or two -- which of course made my pain stay at a relatively high level compared to what it would have been otherwise. But driving -- which, for me, means independence -- was WAY more important to me than having less pain.
Feel free to ask questions and I will answer them as well as I can, but now, ~14 months past my 1st surgery and 9 months past my second, I have total use of both knees and can do pretty much anything I could do when my knees were good -- which was years and years ago. Anyone seeing me do regular daily activities now would have no clue that I have 2 artificial knees. So I am a happy camper.
Unfortunately I am well acquainted with knee replacement surgery. I've had two partial and one full knee replacement and am currently awaiting a time that I can have another partial to a full replacement. Knee surgery HURTS, A LOT since you are putting your full weight on the surgery site when you stand.
I would find the most prominent hospital in your new city, then find who is the head of surgery for knee replacements. It's worked well for me. Next month I will be having my 45th operation, all due to arthritis.
Don't have the surgery in your past location, primarily if you have issues you will be travelling back and forth, and you may have other issues in your future.
Good luck
That may or may not work out for the OP. I think the main thing is to look for someone very experienced in the technique/approach that will be used. If the OP wants a robotic surgery and someone else in that department is more experienced in robotic knee surgeries/replacements, it is better to go with that person than someone who may have a ton of experience in knee replacements, but does not tend to prefer robotic surgeries. It may also be that you figure out you prefer approach X, but the surgeon is only super experienced in approach Y.
That may or may not work out for the OP. I think the main thing is to look for someone very experienced in the technique/approach that will be used. If the OP wants a robotic surgery and someone else in that department is more experienced in robotic knee surgeries/replacements, it is better to go with that person than someone who may have a ton of experience in knee replacements, but does not tend to prefer robotic surgeries. It may also be that you figure out you prefer approach X, but the surgeon is only super experienced in approach Y.
I agree the most important question to ask any surgeon imo is how often they have performed the procedure you want done.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned is surgeons who have a heavy patient load of professional athletes. If you are in a city, with professional sports teams probably wouldn't hurt to check out the groups advertising as sports doctors.
OP, it sounds as if you've got plenty of good options for the surgery. Around Chicago, I believe Northwestern and Rush are at the top of the list. I would plan on doing my rehab (at least two weeks) at or near the hospital that does the surgery, that way you're not expecting a different doctor to address problems that may occur from the initial surgery.
One other thing I would do, as soon as possible, is to meet with your surgeon at least two months prior to your expected surgery date, and have him write a script for PT to get your leg muscles strengthened as much as possible before surgery, it should make recovery that much easier. I'm currently doing four sets of 25 reps of "parallel" knee bends 3X weekly for this very reason. And to be honest, my knee pain is much less now than it was a couple of months ago when I started. YMMV, however, see your Dr. before starting any exercise program, LOL. And probably the biggest factor is getting your body weight down to the recommended BMI for your height and build. Again, your knees will thank you for it (believe me, I know how hard it is, but am working on it).
I'll do one knee at a time--no question both would be too much. Robotic assisted surgery is being done here in Pittsburgh so I will absolutely ask about it. Your experience is very encouraging to hear. Thank you for sharing it!
I'm leaning toward having the one knee done here in Pittsburgh first, mainly becuase I'll be better able to get around with less pain after I recover. Moving isn't easy and the thought of it while I have two "bone on bone" painful knee joints. Perhaps one fully replaced and recovered and cortisone shots in the other will get me there in better shape. Thanks for sharing your experience, Loveautumn--its really encouraging and helpful as I make decisions.
Thanks, Roselvr.
I appreciate you sharing your experience. I think I probably hesitate to stay now that my mom is gone and my sibling is estranged due to estate issues (long story). It's painful to be here.
I think I am reminded that my mom moved here at my age to be closer to my sibling and then regretted never returning home as she encountered health issues and felt comfortable with her doctors here. She ended up dying here. I'm afraid of the same fate, I guess.
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