New knees, one or two at a time?

Facing the need for 2 new knees. Trying to decide if I want to do one at a time with 3 months of rehab for each, and 2 big surgeries or both at once. I've read the websites pro and con but would like to hear some real life opinions from those that have actually lived through it. From one geezer to another, what do you think?

My brother had both done at the same time. My neighbor had them done one at a time and both are happy with the results. It is up to your situation. You will likely need more assistance for a while doing both at the same time. All in all, I would go for both.

JMHO

Areo

Just had one done two weeks ago. Will need the other one done too. The surgeon didn"t want to do both at the same time unless it was a life and death situation. Also the pysio therapist says its not an easy situation trying to bring both knees back to full capacity at the same time.Age also makes a deciding factor in this.(I"m 56) With one at a time, even though the other one is wore out it is still stronger and helps with getting around. Do the exercises that they tell you to do as often as they say.this helps with the reducing of the scare tissue and also to get as much mobility out of the new joint as possible. Use lots of ice packs on the leg.Also elevating the leg will also help reduce the swelling.With a total knee replacement, the new knee is ready to go as soon as it is installed. It will carry full weight. Its only the cutting and the stitchs and swelling that will hinder you. Also there will most likely be lots and lots and lots of bruising. Had mine done on the 21st Sept and 90% of the brusing is gone now.
I"m so releived to have had this one done to relieve the pain, that words can not describe the good feeling.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Brian

I had hip replacement last Feb, met a guy shortly after who had both knees done at once, he was in his mid 80s, and the surgery was about age 80. Well satisfied with it- most important thing on either replacement is to do the daily excercises! I had about 20 simple ones to do each day. Gets to be routine, and do it until you can walk normally again. You will.

I had one done about 5 years ago. worked out well for about 4 years, but in the last year the new knee is giving me a lot of pain. I need the other one done also, but can't do it right now.

I had both replaced 3 years ago. Done 1 at a time. The risk of infection is to great having both done at once. You don't want to get an infection, just ask your doctor about that. Much easier getting around with 1 good leg. I used crutches , much easier than a walker. Do your exercises, Its going to hurt for about 2 weeks. At least until the swelling starts going down. Be sure to ice them down. Make sure you get up on them and walk around as much as you can.

I had one done 8 years ago, supposed to stay in
the Horsepital 3-4 days, but ended up staying
for 10 due to pain problems--pain was terrible-
had one of those morophine dispensers that you
could click evey 15 minutes--didn't work very good
they finally did an Epidural, in lower back, such
as they do for ladies pregnant deliveries, it
blacked everything from the waist down, and
gradually tapered that off, and I was OK.
I need the other knee done, but i'm too scared
to go back!
AND, I had it done at MAYO CLINIC !!

I have not had it done but my aunt had both done at once and advocates for that option because of the discomfort. It will make you reluctant to do the second one. She is very happy with the results now but it's a beotch for a while post op.

I had them done a year apart. The results depend a lot on how the Dr. does it. My first knee, the Dr. cut the muscle and the did the replacement. 2 mos rehab. The second Dr. cut around and moved the muscle sideways, no cutting,. Rehab 2 weeks. Sent another tractor friend to 2nd Dr. and he was back in his shop working on the tractors in 10 days. We each used walker for a week and then moved on. A good Dr. will not do both at one time. for several reasons.. Also I have received lots of good advice from my son who is an orthopedic surgeon in Scotsbluff Nebraska. If you can go the Chattanooga I can garunteee good results. Henry

My situation is exactly like Brian's and I agree with him completly,do the rehab.

I am 58 years old.I had both knee"s replaced March 27.Both of mine were totally gone.Walked bo-legged so bad that I couldn"t walk 20 yards without stopping.Got out of recovery at 5:00pm.They had me up walking at 7:00. Walked 30 or so yards down the hall.Pain was kinda bad.But didn"t hurt nothing like they hurt before surgery.The next morning they had me up and walking down the hall,Up three steps and down.I did everything I had to do to get out of the hospital the first day.Yes they had me high as a kite and I stayed that way for 3 days.Third day I was released ,got in the pickup and my friend drove us out of the parking lot....And I took over and drove 100 miles home.I never looked back.I had a attitude like I don"t have time for this.The first day I tried to get around my home with that DUMB walker.My home wasn"t made for one.So I threw it away and started walking without it.Had to hold on to things to keep my balance, But got along pretty good.I was living by myself.I fed my cattle a round bale of feed and fixed fence the first day home.Yes....I was stubborn ,Didn"t have time for it.First week was a bi$$h.Had to stay on pain meds.That is a big thing.Stay on them till you get over some of the pain.Started Physical therapy the 4th day.Take your drugs a hour or so ahead of going to it.That will help out a lot.My first session I could do 120 degrees.Believe me my knee"s never hurt as bad as it was before surgery.Yes they will stretch them till you think they are going to break off.That"s what your meds are for.TAKE THEM BEFORE GOING.Did I say this before.At 2 week and time to get staples out.I drove myself to the doc"s. I walked into the clinic and up 20 some stairs to get there.Yep they had a elevator , but I had some things that I had to prove to myself.I couldn"t go up stairs before surgery.Going down was worse.Doc asked me where my walker was.I told him I was about to kill myself on it.So I threw it away the first day.He couldn"t believe I was walking so good at 2 weeks.Told him that it felt so good to walk and be pain free that I was loving every minute of it.I never looked back...Got off pain meds at 3 weeks.I never did the ice like I was told to and never done the exercises at home either.BUT I worked everyday like I did before.HAd 30 cows to feed and a farm to run.I got most of my therapy out in the barn yard.Had to got slow.At 2 month I was walking like no tomorrow.Never looked back.Steps were the biggest thing that I had to master.and that took maybe 3 month before I could go up and down them without hurting.But never turn side ways and go up and down.Go straight up and straight down them.Yes it hurt but the pain went after I got my muscles tightened up some.Now at 6 month you could never tell I had both done.Get them both done at the same time.OK.You go through surgery once,you go through the pain once,Therapy once,and it"s over with.And the bill will be about 2/3 of the price if doing them separate. If you need any advice Please get ahold of me.I have been there and done that..The only thing I got to complain about is that I wished I could of been talked into it 10 years before.Good luck....Never give up...idontno

IDONTNO, I'm 58 Too, knees hurt but not as bad as some. Sounds like your outlook carried you through as much as anything. When the time comes, I'll get both done and get it over with. Milking cows will wear your body out!! Did you get Genuine GM Parts?

A friend of mine (Augustus McRae, not really a friend, but someone I admired for his outlook on life) wound up losing one leg due to an injury suffered in a fight; doctor wanted to remove the other, but he said he'd rather die first and he did.

Have had both of mine replaced several years apart. First was done by a older surgeon the old big cut way. Got along well and was back milking cow in a short time.Several years later had the other one done by different surgeon. The old one had retired. New young buck used the new less cutting way. I quizzed him hard about his method. He assured me he had all of the answers. It was pure h--- Put me on one of those Morphine drip deals and I was a complete nut. I did not know who I was for three or four days. I had checked with my primary care Doctor before I went in for isurgery. Sure glad I did as he stepped in and baled me out. The surgeon had one of those ice water circulating packs on my knee for quite some time and I did all of the exercise. Came home and tharapist came to house every day and then went for rehabilitation which was pure h----. You have to ask surgeon a lot of question. If my second would have came out the same as the first I would have been happy. The second surgeon asked me what kind of a replacement was used in my first and said, "That is the older type the one I use is much better". He was a lier so far as I am concerned. I went with a cane for some time, then a walker, then walker with wheels and a seat and have a electic wheel chair for going any distace. Yes I have no knee pain but the last one done sur never carried its load. Sure I do not have a big scar on the second one but I never was in a beauty contest. Good Luck. But asked some of the other patient of your selected surgeon how they got along. My second surgeon was kicked out of hospital because of anger contol.
gitrib

One of my retired co-worker's called me several weeks ago and said his wife was going to have both knees done. She's home after 2 weeks after spending one week in the hospital and the second week in rehab. She's an avid tennis player. Hal

It's a good thing you don't live in Australia. You'd have never gotten those knees done at your age. Depending upon your occupation, age, cost of surgery, and the pot of money available for that year, you're chances would have been REAL slim of getting it under their Premium Healthcare Plan. I know because one of my best buddy's in Melbourne has one knee that has to be done and he's been reapplying every year since 2002.

My neighbor had one knee put in last year. After she was home for a few days, it got infected. They had to rush her back to the hospital and remove the new knee-joint . They blamed it on bad parts and teflon getting into her blood. They sent her back home in a wheel chair with no knee at all and she had to wait three months before she was healthy enough to put a knee back in.
A year later, she got her other knee done and all went fine.

That alone convinced me I'd never get two knees done at once, any more than I'd get two eyes worked on at the same time. If there's a screw-up, at least you've still got one leg to hop on, or one eye to see out of.

A little off topic. I am a bit younger, but my knees have been giving me trouble. How much do these new knees cost?

Christopher

I forgot a few things....Get off ur butt and get moving.DON'T feel sorry for yourself..Get up...You don't have time for this.Move,move,move.The longer you say it hurts ...the longer it is going to hurt...Just think how it felt BEFORE the surgery.I still have phantom pains and will for a while yet.BUT I can walk without a cane,or holding on to things.Haven't been able to do that in 10 years...Please give me a shout if you need a pep talk. [email protected]

Christopher ..Mine were around $70,000.00.Thank god I had good insurance.But they didn't pay rehab.I wished I never went to rehab..It was a waste of my time...But all people are different too....

I had my right one done at age 37. That was two years ago. I don't think I would do two at a time. Before I limped quite bad. Doing only one it was a bit of a challenge to learn to walk without limping. I had it done ate 3pm and was in a regular room at 7pm. At 9pm I walked with a walker. The first day after I used a walker, the second day I used one crutch, the third day I used a cane. A week after I was on the M, two weeks after I helped the vet castrate calves, and five weeks after I went bowling. Mine was about 35 grand, but the insurance paid most. Mine is a stryker triathelon. At my six week checkup it a range of 132 degrees. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I've had a lot of knee work done, open knee, scopes, etc. Havent gotten an artificial one yet but plenty of operations. I'd never consider getting both done at once. Its the little things you forget about. Before my first knee surgery I was in a knee imobilizer for 2 weeks with a cast on the other leg. Just trying to get to a beside toilet is aweful, then you have to have someone empty the thing. Grrr. With one leg out of comission you can still use crutches, with both, if you have any problem at all you are an invalid until you get one of them working.

One at a time so that they have a reference as to which direction the toes are supposed to point.

Good question. Got to have a lot of help moving around if you replace both. I had one replaced and had a tough time thru therapy. Couldn't imagine having both replaced and not having one "good" leg to help move around. But others had both replaced with few problems. One lady was walking almost as good within a week as I was doing in two months. Others had more problems than I had and consequently went to a nursing home for a period. I had lost a lot of flexibility before the replacement and getting the tendons/ligaments to move again was extremely painful, so if you have full range motion it likely will be easier. Heard a couple individuals comment that they had so much trouble with the first one that no way would they ever do another. Going in twice increases the chances of getting an infection, but if you do get an infection when both are done, it is hard to immagine how one would cope. I had a spinal and certainly wouldn't like them poking in again for a second operation. Probably going to need someone to even wipe your rear for a few days if you do both. But if you are the type of individual that will never lay down and quit if things become tough, and have a lot of available help, I'd probably do them both.

I think you have been hearing some bull$$$t

I had a knee done, no problem getting on the list if it needs to be done

I had one done 2 1/2 yrs ago. Had real good luck. Home in 2 1/2 days. Could walk without walker (they din't want me to)in a week. Do ONE at a time. Risk of complications is too great. What if you have problems with one that prohibits your re-hab on the other? Now you got a BIG mess. Even the one without complications will never be right because of lack of or no re-hab!DON'T DO IT!!!

My wife has had both of her knees replaced, one each year several years ago. She had a real rough time with both surgeries/rehabs, probably mostly because she cannot take much in the way of pain meds. We used a huge amount of ice to help her pain for some time after the surgeries. It took her months both times to get so she could get around fairly well, and that was with the other kneed either not worked on yet or pretty well healed. I cannot imagine how she could have recovered anywhere nearly as well if they had been done at the same time. She is doing quite well with the replacement knees now, with almost no knee pain, but that first year for each knee was sure no picnic.

Her surgeon would not do both at one time either. A few years before, he had lost a patient that had insisted on having both done at once. The doctor said never again.

On the other hand, a friend of mine had both knees done at once with no problems. In fact, less than a month after the surgery, he was climbing stairs alternating feet and no longer using a cane. But my guess is that he is an exception, extremely healthy except for worn out knees.

It depends on how well you heal, how well you take pain, and probably a bit of luck. If I ever need new knee or hip joints, I will only do one at a time, but that is just my opinion and I am pretty conservative about most anything.

What does your doctor recommend? Hopefully the doctor has done many similar surgeries and has a good handle on what works well and what isn't so good. I would listen to what the doc says, and then probably still decide to only have one done at a time. Good luck!

You may be talking about getting it done on the National health scheme then you may be right but if he has private insurance then there would be no delays, Our Footballers can injure their cruciate[spelling] ligament and be in hospital within days for an op.
One is Govt. money ..slow.
the other Insurance... fast.
The costs would be less than the US.

My wife had both done at the same time in July of 2004, both at the same time by two different doctors. She is very happy with the results, no problems, other than one doesn't bend quite enough to ride a bike. She walks with absolutely no pain after being in misery for the last 20 years or so. We were in Washington DC over labor day, wearing pedometers, we walked in 4 days sightseeing an average of 8 miles a day. Not bad at 74 on artificial knees. The recovery was kind of rough, I had to render a lot of assistance, but she said she would do it the same way again.At that time they were doing the older, more invasive procedure. We hear with the new procedures it's it's a much faster recovery. In short she's very happy with her new knees.