TKR on Dec 2nd

[B raves78]

Hello,

I will be having my right knee TKA on Tuesday, Dec. 2nd.  I am pretty nervous about the post op.  I am 48 years old and in pretty good shape but not like I used to be.  I have rheumatoid arthritis which is pretty much under control but my right knee is bone on bone and I can't take the pain anymore.  I will be having the surgery at the New Albany Hospital in New Albany Ohio.  It is an orthopedic hospital that does mostly joint replacements and has an excellent reputation. 

One of my worries is that they tell me that if I have my surgery in the morning that I will go home the next afternoon.  That scares me a bit since I don't have much support at home and I my bedroom is on the 2nd floor.  There is no where for me to sleep on the first floor.  My Mom will take me and will bring me home and will stay with me some during the day when my two daughters are at school.  They are 17 and 13 years old and will be at school from 7:30 am until about 2:00 pm.   How much help will I need when I am home and for how long?  I hate asking my Mom to come over every day to just be there if I need something.  I am very independant and find it about impossible to ask for help.  I did take my church up on their offer to provide food for the first two weeks every other night.  That is mostly for my girls so that they will have something decent to eat while I heal. 

I have been ready the posts and suggestions and it has been very helpful to read all of your stories. 

Theresa

[Teresa_S]

Hi, as a RN, I am suprised how short a time people are allowed to stay in the hospital. I, got out of surgery late on Wed (around 8pm) and would be discharged Fri Morning, but I ended up needing 3 units of blood, on Friday, so went home on Sat morn (I live 200 miles away). I went home to a husband, who leaves at 4 am, and gets home around 8pm M-F and most Saturdays. I had two kids at home, the girl was 13 and my son was 15, also a great dane, and a fox terrier. My daugher and her husband brought me home, and I really had NO help at all. IT CAN BE DONE, if you are going to be alone at home, you won't want to be upstairs. It is easy to make the recliner into a place to rest. There are bags to put on walkers, that hold things, and you could have it already set up a tray by the chair, pillows, a reacher , some snacks remotes, phone.etc. You have to get up to go to the bathroom periodically, so make the trip count, and bring back whatever you need. Just take your time. I had nobody to wait on me, and I did it. I had home PT, and blood draws for one week. You might keep your cell phone in your pocket, of pocket on walker bag, in case you need help. . 
Many othere spend lots of time in the hospital, have loads of help, and peiople to drive them, and cook, clean, carry for them, etc. Maybe they are luckier, but one thing about doing it yourself, is that you become independent much sooner.  I did not have that opportunity and I made it fine. I wasn't very hungry so that wasn't a problem, and at first , rest and pain meds are best. GOod luck, you will do fine. I ams ure your MOM will want to help when she can. Teresa

[digginit]

Wow!  Are you possibly having a "minimally invasive" procedure?  That would make an overnight stay make a little more sense.

I'm 42 and had my right TKA done on 9/30 -- 8 weeks ago.  Was supposed to go home after 2 days, and that would have been okay.  I would not have been ready after 1.  I asked to stay one more day, and my surgeon didn't bat an eye.  Three days was perfect for me.

At that point I had no difficulty being home alone.  Wouldn't have wanted to navigate stairs for a while though.

~dig

[Plumb]

For me I had a three day stay in the hospital and a 7 day stay in a sub acute rehab.  Everyone has a different outcome on what they can and cant do.    The first 10 days were the worse.

[rozzzie]

The New Albany hospital is wonderful!  I had my fisrt knee done 3 years ago in Dec 1.  I was told that they usually let you out  the next day, but I didn't have my pain undercontrol yet and stayed another nite and went home without problems on Sat. and felt well enough to go out for lunch on the way home (a 2 hour drive)

The first week or so you only want to go up and down stairs once a day, so make sure you have everything you need.  You are not going to be want to do alot at first, but you can fix yourself a snack and could reheat meals.  Have the kids do the cleanup.   Make sure you have some lunches for you and a few dinners in the freezer to supliment the dinners the Church is going to provide.

Will you be getting in home PT or will you be going directly to outpatient PT?  Since it's your rt knee y will need rides to pt for close to 6 weeks.  I waited almost 6 weeks, but think I could hve driven after about 4.

Sending a big HUG and wishes for you sucessfull recovery.

Rozzzie

[bavage]

I have to say that what you are telling us doesn't sound right. I don't see how you can go home that soon. The doc has got to examine you for infection, pain, weepage, etc.
Is your ins. company behind this.

As for 2nd floor living, that's not a good idea. You should be able to care for yourself, only you will be very slow and deliberate. Prepare to lose some weight. Stay close to the bathroom and have the kids stock you up with liquids and snacks.

Your situation isn't the best but a good attitude will go a long way. Good luck.

[Robin M.]

Hi Teresa,

Best of luck with your surgery. I had a TKR in May. I was in the hospital for 4 days. Early post-op I was able to walk the steps but limited it to twice a day. If you have time I would make some meals and freeze them. Take your pain meds as scheduled and ice and elevate your knee alot. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Robin

[B raves78]

Yes, I will be having the minimally invasive partial knee replacement surgery.  Dr. Lombardi specializes in this and the rapid rehabilitation protocols for faster recovery after surgery.  So it is not my insurance company saying that I can't stay longer but it is his normal protical.   They tell me that if I am not ready or the pain is not under control then they will not send me home.  I just don't like that they are pushing for me to go home the next day even though I have voiced my concern that I will not be ready.   They have suggested that I make arrangements to sleep downstairs for a while after I go home but that is not an option.  I live is a condo with no room on the first floor for me to sleep.  The couch will be too low from what I have been told and I do not have a recliner.  The PT has told me to stay out of recliners even if I did have one.  I am going to make a couple of calls tomorrow to see if I can transfer to the Riverside Hospital Acute Rehabilitation center if I don't have my surgery there.  The other options were rest homes with rehabilitation facilities in them and I really don't want to go to a rest home. 

I am hoping that I am just over worried and will not have too much trouble.  I have been excising my legs more and trying to get them stronger before the surgery in the hopes that it will help me recuperate faster.  I am very glad to know that he does not use staples to close the wound so I will not have to go to get the staples out.  My PT os not at home and my first session is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5th.  I am borrowing an Ice Man machine to use at home so that will be nice to have. 

Thanks,
Theresa

[digginit]

Hollie9 just recently had minimalli invasive TKA.  Her recovery has been nice.  You should check out her thread in post-op diaries.  She'd be a good brain to pick. 

~dig

[bavage]

You should ask your doctor what equipment will be coming home with you. If he mentions a CPM         ( Constant Passive Motion ) you will have to stay near the bed and you won't care about being on the 2nd floor as I think you will be in this thing 5 to 8 hours a day.

They will push you to stand and walk around immediately after you wake up and your actions will be a large factor in determining when you go home.

It would be a good idea to lay in supplies like liquids, food, ice, books,TV. And, as silly as this may sound,have you thought about how you will use the commode? I didn't and it resulted in some very funny and embarassing moments.

good luck.

[digginit]

I stuck a note about you on Hollie's thread in post-op diaries.  You might be able to get some useful insight from her.  She's doing GREAT after her minimally invasive TKA!

~dig

[B raves78]

Thank you all for your responses.  It helps to hear from others who have experience with this operation.  I have been told that my doctor does not use the CPM in the hospital or at home and that I will have to do the leg pumps on my on as soon as I wake up and on-going. 

I will check out Hollie's postings next.

I called Riverside Hospital's rehab center and they don't do this level of care but for acute care.  They told me that they send their joint replacement patients who are not ready to go home but are ready to be released to the Arlington Center.  They have experienced staff for knee replacement patients.  This center is very close to my mothers house and I liked what they had to say about it so I called and talked to them.  They put my name down as a possible patient so now I have a back up if I am not ready to go home but am being released.  It kind of upset's me that my doctor's practice believes in releasing patients in one day and yet will not suggest any rehab facilities at all.  I am sure they are protecting themselves in case patients are upset with a facility they recommend but I would have appreciated some guidence.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. 

Theresa

[hollie9]

Hi Theresa, I am 6 weeks out of a minimally invasive "quad sparing" TKR.  I spent less than 24 hours in the hospital and walked unaided to my car and have walked unaided ever since.  No problem.

A friend who had surgery the same time had other diseases, rheumatoid type stuff, fibromyalgia, sjogren's and more.  She was released but then put back into the hospital because of her problems with pain meds.  They didn't just have her fend for herself.  Her knee was fine but her other illnesses and meds for those illnesses caused her trouble.

I found out about my Dr. Coon (www.osiresearch.com ) from a man who had a TKR, was released to go home within 24 hours and he then walked up the steps in his house effortlessly. 

I can't say this will be your case since I don't know what your doc is actually doing.  My success is related to the "quad sparing" nature of my surgery...the quad tendons, ligaments, muscle are not cut so the quad is just as strong after surgery as when you went in.  This is why the man I mentioned could easily climb his indoor stairs.

I have had 125 degrees flexion and full extension since week two.  My flexion is at least 135 now.

I have had almost no physical therapy since my husband had open heart surgery soon after my surgery so I went to the hospital daily and walked, walked walked (unaided) to be with him.   Now that he is recovering I have little time for my own PT and walk a lot for husband's needs.  Despite that my knee is feeling more and more normal and my range of motion is great.  I am not able to walk up a step on my opped knee yet (although right after surgery the epidural is still effective and I probably could have then), husband's PT tells me I am still too early in my healing.  But I am able to walk up with my other leg and my opped leg is fine for going down a stair with all my weight on it.

I went to Dr. Coon located in Red Bluff and St. Helena, California.  He developed this quad sparing technique and teaches it to other doctors.  I noticed on his medical certificates that he attended med school in Ohio.  I hope you are having a "quad sparing" MIS so you don't need to worry so much. 

Please contact me if I can be of help.  My post op diary is located in the Post Op Diary section on this board under Hollie's Quad Sparing MIS TKR.

Hollie

[digginit]

Good luck tomorrow!  Let us know how you're doing....

~dig

[Plumb]

Good Luck. Hope everything goes well.  Let us know how your doing when you feel up to it.