Anyone replace both knees at same time?

[Steve O]

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.)

[snafu]

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.

[The Poojer]

Cotton Hill lost both knees in the war, don't think he ever got them replaced though :-)

 

 

[Steve O]

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.

[davefan66]

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

[row_33]

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

 

 

[May Day 10]

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.  

[PBLESS]

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

[LewPort71]

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

[PromoTheRobot]

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/

[row_33]

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!

 

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

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.  

 

[Steve O]

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.

 

 

[row_33]

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.

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

So many elderly folks in this thread

 

[row_33]

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...

 

 

[Steve O]

10 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

So many elderly folks in this thread

 

You were expecting millennials?

[Seasons1992]

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.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

3 minutes ago, Steve O said:

You were expecting millennials?

 

Touche' sir!

 

 

 

[The Poojer]

 

37 minutes ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

Shins, not knees.

[Marv's Neighbor]

1 hour ago, Joe in Winslow said:

So many elderly folks in this thread

 

Since "the good die young," that explains it.

[apuszczalowski]

22 hours ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

Shins, not knees.

You would think he would have had them replaced using the shins of one of the fitty men he killed.....

[Seasons1992]

12 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

You would think he would have had them replaced using the shins of one of the fitty men he killed.....

 

He was too busy disrespecting "Hank's wife" all the time.........

[apuszczalowski]

6 hours ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

He was too busy disrespecting "Hank's wife" all the time.........

I miss cotton.......

 

I was just watching it the other day, both Luanne and Lucky are gone........

[Richmond_Bills]

On 1/21/2019 at 12:07 PM, The Poojer said:

Cotton Hill lost both knees in the war, don't think he ever got them replaced though ?

 

 

He actually lost both of his shins...

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Well, if you do both knees at the same time,  there’s no chance that an NFL referee / doctor will replace the wrong one.  (Hey, replacement knees aren’t ‘polarized’, are they?  ?)

Edited January 23, 2019 by Ridgewaycynic2013
Clarification...

[Marv's Neighbor]

Get ready to be patted down like a prize steer at the airports.

[Augie]

On 1/21/2019 at 2:18 PM, Steve O said:

You were expecting millennials?

I have nothing of consequence to add other than best wishes! 

[The Avenger]

I had mine done a year apart and I'm not sure that I'd recommend doing both so closely together unless there is a real reason to do so.

 

It seems that the total knee replacement experience varies wildly from person to person. I was very young to have mine done - at ages 41 and 42. I did a lot of PT BEFORE the surgeries to make my recovery go as smoothly as possible - something I cannot recommend enough!

 

My recovery and pain management were very good - I can't say that I was without discomfort afterwords but I never had any major pain problems (i didn't try and be a hero and swear off pain meds - I used them as needed, but got off of them as soon as I could). I know other people that really struggled with pain and rehab PT but that was not me. I'd be concerned that if for some reason you were one of those folks who had more difficulty with pain/recovery it would be pretty bad to have to deal with both knees at the same time - if you knew how you would recover it would be a much easier decision.

 

I don't mean to scare you - I'm sure there are good reasons to go one way over the other and you have to make the best decision for yourself. That said, give some good thought to your post surgical recovery and what you are willing to tolerate if you had to. PM me if you have any questions I can help you with - I had tons of questions going into my first replacement.

[Steve O]

51 minutes ago, The Avenger said:

I had mine done a year apart and I'm not sure that I'd recommend doing both so closely together unless there is a real reason to do so.

 

It seems that the total knee replacement experience varies wildly from person to person. I was very young to have mine done - at ages 41 and 42. I did a lot of PT BEFORE the surgeries to make my recovery go as smoothly as possible - something I cannot recommend enough!

 

My recovery and pain management were very good - I can't say that I was without discomfort afterwords but I never had any major pain problems (i didn't try and be a hero and swear off pain meds - I used them as needed, but got off of them as soon as I could). I know other people that really struggled with pain and rehab PT but that was not me. I'd be concerned that if for some reason you were one of those folks who had more difficulty with pain/recovery it would be pretty bad to have to deal with both knees at the same time - if you knew how you would recover it would be a much easier decision.

 

I don't mean to scare you - I'm sure there are good reasons to go one way over the other and you have to make the best decision for yourself. That said, give some good thought to your post surgical recovery and what you are willing to tolerate if you had to. PM me if you have any questions I can help you with - I had tons of questions going into my first replacement.

Thanks for the input. I'm leaning towards one at a time. At least another month before my shoulder heals. Giving Cannabis oil a shot. Started Saturday, both knees are noticeably better now. If they continue to improve may wait until next winter to start the replacement process. 

Edited January 23, 2019 by Steve O

[BUFFALOKIE]

On 1/21/2019 at 10:46 AM, Steve O said:

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.)

No *****, my mom came out of the hospital missing one leg. Amputated, above the knee, due to complications during knee replacement. One month before her retirement. That was three years ago, now. Prosthetics and rehab were ...lets say, not effective...

 

My mother who was the rock of this dysfunctional family is now invalid and "waiting to die".

 

Hallelujah, holy *****. Good luck brother.

[JohnC]

On ‎1‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 1:21 PM, 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/

I know of a person who had the same procedure done with the CT-scanning done to get a properly form fit. He is doing well with his only complaint being that his knee clicks with certain movements. The doctor told him to wait some more and then he will review his case. Other than the clicking he is doing well. 

 

Good luck to you. 

[row_33]

12 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I know of a person who had the same procedure done with the CT-scanning done to get a properly form fit. He is doing well with his only complaint being that his knee clicks with certain movements. The doctor told him to wait some more and then he will review his case. Other than the clicking he is doing well. 

 

Good luck to you. 

 

Clicking more or less than before?

 

 

[JohnC]

1 minute ago, row_33 said:

 

Clicking more or less than before?

 

 

This individual didn't have any clicking before the operation. After the procedure he did. And it was noticeable. He and the doctor agreed to wait and then revisit the issue. He told me that he is not going to allow a full procedure but would consider an orthoscopic procedure if it was determined that it might help. He believes that this is a product defect. 

[row_33]

14 minutes ago, JohnC said:

This individual didn't have any clicking before the operation. After the procedure he did. And it was noticeable. He and the doctor agreed to wait and then revisit the issue. He told me that he is not going to allow a full procedure but would consider an orthoscopic procedure if it was determined that it might help. He believes that this is a product defect. 

 

Yikes, if in doubt keep fighting for an answer

 

a few friends with knee injuries could make them click at will, I hope they have gotten them done right in their mid 50s

 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

47 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I know of a person who had the same procedure done with the CT-scanning done to get a properly form fit. He is doing well with his only complaint being that his knee clicks with certain movements. The doctor told him to wait some more and then he will review his case. Other than the clicking he is doing well. 

 

Good luck to you. 

 

The hype of the Conformis knee is that it's modelled on your own knee...with any defects corrected. My knees click quite a bit now. I would hope that the model removes of those defects. Around here I've gotten great reviews from other recipients on this procedure. I'll let you all know the it goes.

[Steve O]

13 hours ago, BUFFALOKIE said:

No *****, my mom came out of the hospital missing one leg. Amputated, above the knee, due to complications during knee replacement. One month before her retirement. That was three years ago, now. Prosthetics and rehab were ...lets say, not effective...

 

My mother who was the rock of this dysfunctional family is now invalid and "waiting to die".

 

Hallelujah, holy *****. Good luck brother.

This is horrible. So sorry for your mother. And for your family.

[JohnC]

13 hours ago, BUFFALOKIE said:

No *****, my mom came out of the hospital missing one leg. Amputated, above the knee, due to complications during knee replacement. One month before her retirement. That was three years ago, now. Prosthetics and rehab were ...lets say, not effective...

 

My mother who was the rock of this dysfunctional family is now invalid and "waiting to die".

 

Hallelujah, holy *****. Good luck brother.

I'm really sorry about your mom's situation. You bring up a harsh reality point that there are no guarantees when having a surgery, any surgery, serious or more mundane. Again, I'm sorry for what happened to your mon and your family. 

[The Avenger]

23 hours ago, Steve O said:

Thanks for the input. I'm leaning towards one at a time. At least another month before my shoulder heals. Giving Cannabis oil a shot. Started Saturday, both knees are noticeably better now. If they continue to improve may wait until next winter to start the replacement process. 

 

One thing to note is that when you get the replacement the bone on bone pain ends and you're able to spend a lot more time on your feet, but range of motion generally does not improve. Once you start to lose range of motion in the joint you should seriously consider having the surgery because waiting isn't going to help. I really wanted to wait as long as I could because I was so young but eventually had no choice - it got to the point where I could have the surgery or suck it up as long as I could and then do it - my quality of life and ability to spend a day doing anything with my kids that involved me being on my feet all day convinced me that it was time - sucking it up was not an option. You'll know when you need to make your move.