Anyone thinking of getting a new knee?

[Tom]

I'll be having words with the surgeon about why Jiffy Knee wasn't offered/discussed as an option.

 

[xrated]

My wife had knee replacement surgery in Jan, 2020 and she went through a very difficult time with pain, range of movement, etc. She was a trooper when it came to the PT part of it, post surgery, but it was still way over a year before she started feeling mostly "normal" with the new knee. After seeing what she went through, I've thought to myself that if the time ever comes for me, I would have to think long and hard before committing to having it done. The "new" Jiffy knee procedure being discussed in this thread gives me some hope that if that day comes....it may or probably won't be as bad as what she went through. It's definitely something that I would search out (Jiffy knee procedure) vs. the traditional type. Thanks for the info..

 

[Oldgator73]

I'll be having words with the surgeon about why Jiffy Knee wasn't offered/discussed as an option.

Along with the Jiffy knee do you also get free Jiffy Lube? It would be great if they install grease points on these knees.

 

[Tom]

Along with the Jiffy knee do you also get free Jiffy Lube? It would be great if they install grease points on these knees.

I've been asking for WD40 injections for some time, but can't get anyone to bite.

 

[Rene T]

I've been asking for WD40 injections for some time, but can't get anyone to bite.

I’ll do it for you pro bono

 

[Tulecreeper]

Had two surgeries on my left knee, lateral and medial, back in the mid-late 70's before they had arthroscopic surgery so a big scar on the outside and two on the inside. Hurts when it's cold. And if I've been squatting or kneeling for any period - like when I'm hunting - standing up again is real uncomfortable and it takes 10 minutes of waking for the pain to go mostly away.

 

[Chef Duane]

I've had both knees done. One about 15 years ago and one about 8 years ago. Both are Stryker Marathons. Have had a good experience with them as my knees were shot. Old football injuries and being a Chef standing for 12-14 hours a day. Now that I am retired I'm off my feet whenever I want. The surgery is a piece of cake. You go in, they knock you out, and you wake up 5 hours later with a new knee. The rehab is what is most important. Be dedicated to it and you'll be fine. I'm 65 now and can run 30 miles and hour and jump 20 feet in the air!

 

[Larry N.]

I've been asking for WD40 injections for some time, but can't get anyone to bite.

Aren't their teeth sharp enough?

 

[oldwildman]

I had both of mine done a little over a year ago. 6 weeks apart. A lifetime of construction work takes a toll. The first couple of months were rough but it steadily got better. Have full range of motion. Still getting used to kneeling on them. I can do it without padding but, while it's not painful, it just feels like I'm doing something wrong. With knee pads, no problem. He even put what he called 'buttons' on the backside of the kneecaps so I think that helped a lot.

I can walk as far as the rest of me will allow. Only use Aleve and Tylenol from time to time. Glad I did it!

 

[JudyJB]

Aye, weird is right. I have swelling, stiffness, pain and numbness all at the same time.

Oh gosh, I hope I don't need to wait 18 years for things to get better

No, it did not take 18 years, but "getting better" was slow and steady. And for the second knee, I only spent 4 days in the hospital and then went directly home. For the first knee, they sent me home after 3 days when I had horrible abdominal pain, which they diagnosed as constipation. I was doubling my pain meds that night and was readmitted 18 hours later with acute pancreatitis, NOT constipation! Apparently, the propofol anesthesia kicked off pancreatitis, so I spent another two weeks in the hospital getting over that. Lesson learned is that you can have TWO things wrong with you at once. Orthopedic surgeon did a great job on my knees, but he was a lousy diagnostician of medical issues. Everyone made the assumption that pain was due to a common post-surgical problem, not something rare.

And the pain with numbness was indeed weird. Anything that rubbed my skin for several minutes was agonizing, even though the area felt numb.

 

[JudyJB]

I had both of mine done. Didn’t work too well. ROM is terrible. Am I better off with the new knees? It’s questionable.

I have a sort of cure for poor range of motion. About 4 years after my right knee replacement, I had a little more than 90 degrees of bend, maybe 100 degrees. I had toe surgery for something unrelated and was wearing one of those orthopedic boots that keep you from moving your foot, and I went for a solo tour of the icebreaker Mackinaw that is docked permanently in Mackinaw City. Towards the end, I climbed down a ship's ladder, which is sort of like a very steep metal staircase. I was holding onto the railings with both hands, but I caught the boot on one of the steps, so I was hanging with my right heel touching my rear end. (Visualize that and you will know how much it hurt.) There was no one around , but I managed to get free. Immediate gain of a LOT of bend!! Lady at entrance tried to get me to sit down, but I figured I was better walking around for a while so knee would not get stiff. Prosthesis was fine, but I tore scar tissue and probably stretched a few ligaments. Sore for a long time, but I still have a lot of good bend with that knee.

 

[Oldgator73]

I had that done by an orthopedist under anesthesia. Didn’t work.

 

[darsben]

I'll be having words with the surgeon about why Jiffy Knee wasn't offered/discussed as an option.

There are very few surgeons using the Jiffy knee and the prosthesis doesn't have a proven long term use to make sure that 10 years down the line it doesn't go to sh**s and have to be removed.

 

[old_toys]

reading about all the pain involved that you guy's have been going through with the knee surgery, have any of you-all tried the ice water pump therapy units they make for knees?
here is a pic of my rotor cuff surgery and I used one of the units supplied by my surgeon and I needed absolutely no pain meds.

 

[stripit]

There are very few surgeons using the Jiffy knee and the prosthesis doesn't have a proven long term use to make sure that 10 years down the line it doesn't go to sh**s and have to be removed.

There is nothing special with the new knee replacement, same identical hardware all the doctors use, whatever brand they are used to using. Difference is how they achieve the access to the knee for replacement. No cutting of tendons and muscle, just sliding them out of the way and sliding them back. I walked in and walked out 4 hours later, 2 hours was pre surgery get ready stuff. 45 minute surgery and 1 hour recovery.

 

[stripit]

reading about all the pain involved that you guy's have been going through with the knee surgery, have any of you-all tried the ice water pump therapy units they make for knees?
here is a pic of my rotor cuff surgery and I used one of the units supplied by my surgeon and I needed absolutely no pain meds.

Yes, that was part of the required home recovery unit. That thing is sweet, quiet and has a great ablity to ice the knee easily, no mess and I use frozen water bottles along with the water in the tank it has. They last about 4 hours.

 

[Chef Duane]

reading about all the pain involved that you guy's have been going through with the knee surgery, have any of you-all tried the ice water pump therapy units they make for knees?

I had the ice water circulation procedure on my second knee to keep the swelling down right after surgery. Used it for about a week to 10 days or so. Seem to work pretty good. I also had one of these things I had to strap to my knee every night. Motorized contraption that would flex the knee periodically. I guess it worked but I didn't get much sleep during the night.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

I discovered that Aspercreme Original works really good on my knees.

Tried the one with Lidocaine in it and that didn't work.

Only the Aspercreme Original works for me.

 

[jymbee]

This thread would seem to reinforce my impression of knee surgery in general in that no two people experience the same level of discomfort post procedure. I know people who claim it was simply no big deal to others that relate it was the most painful procedure they're ever undergone.

Obviously if one asks a former knee surgery patient "how'd it go?" they have to understand that their mileage may vary-- a lot one way or the other.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Had two surgeries on my left knee, lateral and medial, back in the mid-late 70's before they had arthroscopic surgery so a big scar on the outside and two on the inside. Hurts when it's cold. And if I've been squatting or kneeling for any period - like when I'm hunting - standing up again is real uncomfortable and it takes 10 minutes of waking for the pain to go mostly away.

I'll add to my post here. When I had the two surgeries done way back then, I was in the hospital for 6 days each time before they would discharge me, and I was in a soft cast from my groin to my ankle for 2 weeks. And there was no physical therapy. I was simply told to just start using it as normal and it would eventually get back to normal. That never quite happened.

And there have been numerous times I have bee at doctors over the years and had them ask, "Why is your left knee bigger than your right knee?" When I told them it was left over from knee surgeries 30+ years prior they were shocked to say the least.