In my opinion surgery of any type is always a last resort. I had a tornmeniscus and elected to have arthroscopic surgery. The initial surgery apparently went well and the doctor said everything else was fine. nine weeks later after terrible pain for the last six weeks the doctor finds that the lower portion of my femur had died. No explanation except that the blood flow stopped for some reason, possible trauma from the initial surgery. The result was a total knee replacement. I have since been very skeptical of surgery of any type.

I have to agree that surgery should be the remedy of last resort and only after a second opinion (or two). After 30 years of deteriorating my right knee was shot and the VA said I needed a total knee replacement, should have been routine.... right? :ROctober of 2012 they replaced the knee, 17 days of hell in the VA hospital and home I went to rehab and recover. After no improvement 3, 4 and even 5 months later I fired my surgeon and got a second opinion. Long story short the Chromium knee they put in contained Cobalt and Nickel and it turns out I am severely allergic to both. In May they went back in and removed the Chromium knee (14 more days in the hospital from hell), and did a "Revision" which = a second complete replacement.Seven months later I am about 75% recovered and looking at another 5 months of rehab before getting back to where I was before the first surgery.... lucky me. :S Before you let them do a knee replacement get tested for potential allergic reaction to whatever they are going to put in. My reaction was rare but that didn't mitigate the pain one iota. :M

Had two arthroscopic surgeries to trim torn meniscus, buff the bottom side of patella and remove bone chips.For what it's worth they accomplished what was intended....at the timeNow:Both knees are shot and short of replacement they are what they are......sound like a bowl of rice crispies---snap, crackle, pop Seems the more mobile I stay the better they feel (well not better just not worst).But I've lived/functioned quite well with pain since birth....it's really got to be bad before it bothers me much.Ah life......what else you got to do but live it!

I had arthroscopic surgery a couple of times before they decided a new knee was in order. The doctor I had did something wrong and told me the operation was a success but the patient (me) died....needless to say I got a different insurance and a different doctor, who told me my knee was a mess. I think it should help providing you have a good doctor. Best of luck.

It is a good way to buy time I found in my case. If bone gets to bone it is over and it is replacement time I expect. The VA needs to cut costs and they are. Long term we know the results of that. As the VM era veterans age they are loading the system.I know one guy that put off replacing then developed major heart problems and no doctor would do surgery so he was in serious pain with no options because he had put off having surgery. As medical services get reduced if I needed surgery near term I would be getting it scheduled. If the budget deal in the works cuts future retirees as much as I read tonight there are no sacred cows left.

Experienced Arthritics Here? | Good Sam Community

24 Replies

Gale_Hawkins
Explorer
Dec 26, 2013
If one has replacement or other needs from my personal experience I would consider getting it done sooner than later.

Knew one guy that developed serious heart problems so he could not find anyone to do his replacements. Healthcare cost containment will not make it easier I expect going forward to get some surgeries.

Closed and locked windows can be hard to enter.
PatStab
Explorer
Dec 26, 2013
Oh yes, I've had the cortisone shots around my ankle, 7 at a time. but the most
painful was in the heel of my foot, worse then having a baby, I thought it would kill me it hurt so bad. As they say you must be strong to get old!
PatStab
Explorer
Dec 26, 2013
I just keep putting along. I take arthrotec and tramadol. I've had flat feet all my life and they are not good, right one is bone on bone when I first stand up now. I had a podiatrist I went to in Houston who said there are no good
ankle transplants yet. Not much they can do so I hope I can keep going. I'm very active and won't give up. also have osteo arthritis in L4 and L5 in my spine, likely because of everything being misaligned due to the feet. The backs
of my legs are odd looking due to the abnormal gait I have. But it is what it
is and thanks to the miracle of pharmaceuticals I just keep going like the energizer bunny!
Chock_Full_o__N
Explorer
Dec 25, 2013
noe-place wrote:
I was diagnosed with osteo-arth. in my left knee last summer. They told me the cartilage in my left knee was pretty much all gone and meniscus was torn in two. The ortho-surgeon OFFERED to replace the knee and all but guaranteed I'd be back to 100% in no time. That sounded like the "too good to be true" offer we hear all the time so I told him I'd wait until the pain became unbearable. I saw an ad on tv involving injecting a material into the knee to replace the missing cartilage so I checked into it and gave it a try. Two months after my last injection my knee is 99% pain free (the meniscus was NEVER repaired) and I am only waiting another couple of weeks to start running again. I am currently playing golf as often as I can get out with NO problem from the knee. Walking involves minimal pain. They did tell me going in that the injections were NOT guaranteed to help but I had nothing to lose plus insurance paid for ALL OF IT. I go back in six months for follow up and so far so good.

I have torn menisci in both knees, plus multiple other things including moderate-severe arthritis. I never used to have trouble with my knees, but somewhere around Oct 2012 they started acting up. Since then I have had at least 10 cortisone shots and a complete round of Supartz injections (lubricant) which gave me not one ounce of relief. At this point I am using a cane and my knee pain varies from about a 4 to an 8. The only way I get any sleep at all is by taking 2 Percocet every night.

At this point, I think I've done about everything I can do. I've got an MRI scheduled and I imagine my doctor & I will be talking surgery after that. :(
noe-place
Explorer
Dec 24, 2013
I was diagnosed with osteo-arth. in my left knee last summer. They told me the cartilage in my left knee was pretty much all gone and meniscus was torn in two. The ortho-surgeon OFFERED to replace the knee and all but guaranteed I'd be back to 100% in no time. That sounded like the "too good to be true" offer we hear all the time so I told him I'd wait until the pain became unbearable. I saw an ad on tv involving injecting a material into the knee to replace the missing cartilage so I checked into it and gave it a try. Two months after my last injection my knee is 99% pain free (the meniscus was NEVER repaired) and I am only waiting another couple of weeks to start running again. I am currently playing golf as often as I can get out with NO problem from the knee. Walking involves minimal pain. They did tell me going in that the injections were NOT guaranteed to help but I had nothing to lose plus insurance paid for ALL OF IT. I go back in six months for follow up and so far so good.
down_home
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2013
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down_home
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2013
emzee wrote:
downhome, you really need to write things down and give it to the doctor. You are getting no where with them and you need help. Write how you feel, tell him/her your worries. Please just ask them to read the note first because you may not get through to them by talking out your problems. God bless.

It doesn't work that way. He said we can ask but that doesn't meaan they have to.
Things are going better but everything has piled up at one time. Missed all of this year getting out and RVing.
Outside appt for one Knee. Hopefully the outside Doc can do something for my spine. going to take time.
I kept putting off going outside VA despite my VA Doc saying I needed to and so on. Going to go outside for Endicrconoligist too. Maybe too late but we'll see.
bsinmich
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
My DW has had 3 TKRs. The first one she just wore out in 10 years is why the 3. She only has 2 legs. She has absolutely no problems with the knees.
wannavolunteerF
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
I have had arthroscopic on my knee several times... it always helped... first time I tore my meniscus at work (approx age 40), recovery was fairly quick as I did the recommended therapy religiously. second time, tore meniscus again, different doctor who also cleaned up a lot of rough cartilage on back of kneecap, recovery was again fairly quick and painless, excluding my discomfort during therapy. third time, second doctor cleaned up more arthritic cartilage in knee and trimmed meniscus more... recovery was slower (age was now 50+) and I admit I didn't push therapy as hard (my fault).. I also went back to work in a very stressful situation and didn't keep up my walking and moving every hour as I did previously.

the surgery helped each time, and bought me time prior to TKR. I am hoping to hold off on TKR until I am in my 60's, so that new knees will last and not need repair/redo when I am in my late 70's or 80's. (yes I expect to be around that long, and have family history to back it up) for me, the steroid injection I had did not help at all, and the synovisc ones were not an option with my allergies.

My opinion is the surgery will help if there is a specific diagnosis to correct, but will not necessarily prevent the need for TKR at some point. I will say the arthroscopic requires 4-6 hours at hospital and home walking (maybe with crutches)that day. TKR requires a lot more hospital time and may require inpatient therapy somewhere.

Staying active and continuing to do the leg lifts, walking and bike riding recommended after previous surgery is helping to keep the TKR held off until I am really ready.
Gjac
Explorer III
Dec 17, 2013
Gale Hawkins wrote:
48% of our happiness is inherited

Formula for Happiness
Wow Gale sounds like you have been doing some serious thinking about stuff other that RV's. I appreciated your posts and the links. I totally agreed with them. I think if I had your MH I would paint on the back "Life, Liberty and the PURSUIT of Happiness."