Steve O Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Originally I had knee replacement surgery scheduled for mid-December. After mid-November snow storm, when I had to dig the snow-blower out of the middle of the garage, I could barely move my shoulder the following day. So I changed and had shoulder surgery instead, which I'm currently recovering from. Figured the knee replacement could wait a year. One of the good things about long winters is that there is plenty of rehab time without missing the good weather. Somewhere between the time I left the gym last Wednesday and woke up Thursday morning, my good knee became my bad knee. Must have been favoring it too much doing cardio. So now, instead of limping through a golf season and getting my knee replaced next year, I'm faced with the realization that this coming golf season might already be done. Do I want to get the knees done separately and double the rehab time or get them both done at once and maybe be back in action before the end of the summer? Comments from anyone with positive or negative experiences doing both at once would be appreciated. Thanks. (60's have been great. Can hardly wait for my 70's.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snafu Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 My mother in law had both hips done at the same time a few years back. She came out of it just fine. I hear that recovering from knee replacement is more difficult. Good luck. I think I'd do one at a time, but I would take my doctor's, and a good PT's recommendation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Cotton Hill lost both knees in the war, don't think he ever got them replaced though :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve O Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 4 minutes ago, snafu said: My mother in law had both hips done at the same time a few years back. She came out of it just fine. I hear that recovering from knee replacement is more difficult. Good luck. I think I'd do one at a time, but I would take my doctor's, and a good PT's recommendation. sounds like good advice, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davefan66 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 (edited) Depends on the type of knee replacement, total versus partial. Also depends on your overall health. Getting both knees done at the same time has its advantages - single copay, one rehab period, less chance for post-op infection and one hospital visit. The disadvantage is you won't have a good leg to stand on after surgery.... Knee replacement surgery has changed greatly over the last 10 years. It used to be you'd get the replacement and spend 3 days in the hospital. Now, you may spend a single night in the hospital. They are even performing these surgeries in ambulatory surgery centers. Post-op pain and complications have lessened, as has rehab time. Again, it is about your overall health and your strength to be able to have the surgery and rehab both knees at once. Pain management is also a concern if having both done. One thing I have learned is each surgery is individual, you can't assume someone else's good/bad surgery will happen that way for you. I've taken care of people who had both knees done at different times and their experiences differed greatly from knee to knee. It's really up to you how well you do. If you're healthy and strong, you should do fine. It's about putting in the time before to build strength and after to rehab the best you can. Your MD should know whether or not you are a good candidate for both knees at once. If you're not, he/she won't do it. Edited January 21, 2019 by davefan66 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 It can be done.... my mother, in her early 70s at the time, needed both two years ago and was convinced she was going to get both done at once, there was no point in arguing with her the surgeon told her 100% absolutely no way at her age, she agreed he also made her promise to get the second one done because after the first she might not want to go through with it she did both and is doing fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 My mother did both at the same time. She was/is very happy she did. If it were me, I would do the same. Knock it out and move on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBLESS Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 After observing what happened at PT after my wife had one knee done, I would encourage you to do both at the same time. Many Docs want a week in between. The problem is that PTis long and painful, with them both being done at roughly the same time you will only spend half as much time dreading PT. I have volunteered at a local hospital for almost 15 yrs and I have come to believe that the patients who are sent to a PT facility a day or two after surgery , for about a week, as opposed to being sent home for in home visits or for self applied continuous positive movement machines have the best outcomes. In either case it's a good idea to take some kind of pain med before PT sessions. The knee doesn't really hurt until they try to get you to bend it 130 degrees. GOO D LUCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewPort71 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 My better half works at a hospital and replacing two knees at the same time has become the norm. One knee done on a Monday and second on Wednesday. PT starts right away and the patient goes home on a Friday. OP..Good luck and get ready for golf season. After all, there are priorities Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Funny this topic came up. I'm scheduled for a right knee replacement in February. The left will be done 6-8 weeks later. It was recommended that I not be a hero and do both at once. I'm having a procedure known as a Conformis knee. It involves CT-scanning your current knee. Then the new replacement bone ends are 3D printed. The idea is your new knee should feel and act like your old one, only better. https://www.conformis.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 12 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said: Funny this topic came up. I'm scheduled for a right knee replacement in February. The left will be done 6-8 weeks later. It was recommended that I not be a hero and do both at once. I'm having a procedure known as a Conformis knee. It involves CT-scanning your current knee. Then the new replacement bone ends are 3D printed. The idea is your new knee should feel and act like your old one, only better. https://www.conformis.com/ best wishes, let us know how it all goes! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 33 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said: Funny this topic came up. I'm scheduled for a right knee replacement in February. The left will be done 6-8 weeks later. It was recommended that I not be a hero and do both at once. I'm having a procedure known as a Conformis knee. It involves CT-scanning your current knee. Then the new replacement bone ends are 3D printed. The idea is your new knee should feel and act like your old one, only better. https://www.conformis.com/ You're a Robot. With the Technology these days it will take 5 minutes and a reboot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve O Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 Thanks for the input everyone. For the most part my health is excellent. Except, of course, for that nasty little prostate cancer thing. Which I so far have been able to live with without addressing. Hope it stays that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 16 minutes ago, Steve O said: Thanks for the input everyone. For the most part my health is excellent. Except, of course, for that nasty little prostate cancer thing. Which I so far have been able to live with without addressing. Hope it stays that way. ask if you want to have it done let us know how it goes and best wishes on recoveries. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 So many elderly folks in this thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 11 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said: So many elderly folks in this thread lots of Bills memories.... fortunately the Juice and Kelly Eras are in that rolodex... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve O Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 10 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said: So many elderly folks in this thread You were expecting millennials? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasons1992 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 2 hours ago, The Poojer said: Cotton Hill lost both knees in the war, don't think he ever got them replaced though ? Shins, not knees. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 3 minutes ago, Steve O said: You were expecting millennials? Touche' sir! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 37 minutes ago, Seasons1992 said: Shins, not knees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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