Upcoming Conformis IDuo surgery. Soooo many questions!!!!

[Disneymad]

I am scheduled on July 11th for an IDuo.  I have no idea what to expect.  I have had surgery 2x on the same knee already,  both times for my meniscus.  I have a large area of dead bone at the top of my tibia.  I understand that this is somewhat unusual as most times it is the femur.  I also have arthritis behind my kneecap, which is why my Dr is doing a duo.

A little info for you.  I am a 45 yr old female, very overweight (but currently on Weight Watchers and down 12 lbs.). I am not very active, obviously.  I have been dealing with my knee issues for 2 yrs now.  Stairs are out of the question unless I go up or down 1 foot at a time.  I cannot walk for long before sharp pain sets in.  I have started swimming though.   

I want to find out what to expect from surgery and immediately after.  How soon can I walk, how long in hospital, do I need toilet raiser, crutches or walker, icey thingy to keep it iced all night, and on and on and on.

Can you all PLEASE help me!  First post ever, I've been a lurker.  Please let me know if this should be somewhere else.  Thanks in advance!!!!

[Disneymad]

Has anyone had any type of Conformis surgery??

[Lottiefox]

You could try posting this down in the TKR/PKR section of the board. I am sure there are some people here who've had the Conformis although the Duo is probably relatively rare.

I think you need to ask the specific questions of your surgeon so you can get as prepared as possible. I would certainly anticipate needing some help immediately after the surgery although many replacement surgeries get you up and weight bearing as soon as you can, rather than keeping you on crutches. You'll probably need some help from crutches for stability though at the start. Icing is usually beneficial for swelling, so an ice machine or simple ice packs wrapped in a towel may help. The usual guide is 20 minutes per hour, not sure about keeping it on all night, you don't want to frezze the tissues! Most replacement surgeries get you to stay in hospital a couple of nights at the least, so they can manage your pain and get you started on PT. Do you have PT set up for when you're home? Its crucial to start bending the knee asap but your doctor will have his rehab protocol - thats another question for him.

I really would stress talking with your doctor prior to the surgery - we can only ever offer general guidelines here and thats no substitute for being an informed patient from the person who is going to be cutting on you! Keep up with the weight loss too, a great way to destress the knee.

Good luck

Lottie

[seahorseforu]

Hi
How did you IDuo surgery go?  I had my Iduo done back April 2010 and it did not work.  I am now scheduled for a complete replacement this Nov. 2011.  Just wanted to see how you made out and what city did you have your surgery in?

Hope you are well and fully recovered.
Thanks
Seahorseforu