KNEE surgery

Suggestions for recovery from full knee replacement surgery.
Much more than I anticipated.

How long to resume normal activities.

Would you do it again on the other one.

Jim

I was back At work in eight weeks. I could’ve went back in six but I took eight. Make sure you do all the therapy exercises. And work hard at it. The benefits will pay off.
I would say you’ll be back shooting in eight weeks maybe sooner

Best of luck!!!!  My brother's wife had a replacement knee, and she did all the exercises, etc., as instructed.  I think she was out of action for six or eight weeks - will ask.  She said the important thing is to follow the instructions.  Now it works fine, and she has no pain.

It varies a lot by each person..even different for both of your knees.. 

You'll know when it's time to have them done when your friends at a match will volunteer to score your targets

I had both of mine replaced within 2 months of each other over a year ago. really had 0 issues with either other than the second one  required a bit more PT than the 1st (which was none).  

the two things that helped me were going up /down steps and using a step stool for stepping up backwards.. seems all the Docs care about is your pain level( i had none) and the amount of flex you have in your knee( they like something around 120 degrees).. I have plenty of friends who have had both done and seems everyone had more problems than I.. I literally could walk the evening after surgery( not that the nurses knew that)

get your flexibility back in that knee. You do NOT want them to"manipulate" the knee( look that procedure up).. stretch the knee as much as you can every day.

Ugh

They had me, and everyone else in that day's surgery, up walking the day of surgery. The second day we were going up and down steps. If you have a stationary bike pedaling helps a lot. Might need to start going backwards, until you can push the pedals in a circle, and then start forward. Also put your heal down first when you walk. And for the first couple of days, ice that knee down. 

The surgeon and PT folks are looking for about 120 degrees of bend and a fully straight leg at the other extreme. PT normally comes with a pain pill  prescription. Take it, you will need it. PT will bend your knee to break any scar tissue that is limiting your flexibility. 

Best of luck, I will most likely be getting my right knee done this fall.

Good point by RE about the stationary bike. i used an air dyne to build  the leg back up. Going both forward and backward. Still use it. You can start with the seat high up(less knee flex) then lower it as you gain back your flexibility.  Better to do it yourself than rely on the PT folks alone

Jim I am younger than you. I am only 52 but I have had a very hard time with my knee!
July 2020 total knee
Sept 2020 replacement of the implant due to a defect
Oct 2020 3rd open surgery to break up scar tissue
The Tourniquet turned off my quads and I could not lift my leg straight up for over 3 weeks and that was probably the  worst  
Now with that said it’s May  of 2021 and I’m playing golf and I am starting to not notice that I had a replacement. It is still swollen and somewhat stiff but no pain. So yes I would have the other one done even with the pain I have suffered. 
Advice on rehab would be take double the prescribed pain meds 1 hour before rehab so you CAN OVER DO IT! Yes it will hurt but the scar tissue will form if you dont

Ouch

Just make sure that you’re NOT allergic to the metals they use.  A person I know WAS allergic to one of the metals in the alloys and his bones near the implant died from it.

Gee, thanks. Lol

I shot a 2700 4th Sunday after mine. 50 yd. match
 Frank Goza was impressed.

I am too, impressed I mean!

Doing the exercises they prescribe religiously is more important that dry firing. It will be the difference between a good outcome and perhaps not so much. My wife had one done and is working hard to stave off the second one. Moving to a one story house like we just did might make the difference.

weber1b wrote:Doing the exercises they prescribe religiously is more important that dry firing. It will be the difference between a good outcome and perhaps not so much. My wife had one done and is working hard to stave off the second one. Moving to a one story house like we just did might make the difference.

Lol! We’re in a bilevel! 14 steps isn’t helping, ugh.
But, it does give me a 10 m air pistol range downstairs!

I helped my father through two replacements of one hip, and one replacement of a knee.  He was in his early 80s for the knee.  The level of pain he had from the knee was far more than the hip:  in order to control the pain the doctors had him on a lot of painkillers, and it showed on his face.  For the first several weeks after the surgery, he was sorry he had it done.  After that, it got better.

I had both knees done at the same time and was back to my normal routine in 5 weeks. Do the therapy!  I had already had both hips and one shoulder replaced before the knees. The knee recovery was no worse than the others, easier than the shoulder.

I had both mine done in the past year, three months apart.   Three months of physical therapy for each.   Really not much pain.  Just a matter of rebuilding strength.   I feel a heck of a lot better than before the surgery.

As someone who has has seven knee surgeries, with one replacement, and another on the horizon, I will tell you that the end results depends on you, and the quality of your physical therapist. If you have a good pain tolerance, and are committed to having a good knee, and work hard on your exercises, you will do fine. Keep moving and walking, (you wont hurt it) and try to stay active. My surgeon told me that maintaining a reasonable body weight is important. Hard to do when you like beer and pizza! Bottom line is the therapy hurts!! However when it is all done your knee will not hurt anymore, and you will get your life back. Good Luck