When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I know that this is off topic but i was wondering if anyone or know of anyone that had a double knee replacement .if you do could you please give me some information .both of my knees are bone on bone. i need a double knee replacement. some people say to just do one at a time .i am 81 years old and in great shape ,i feel like i am around 65 or 70.i figure that i had better do it now .who knows what kind of shape i will be in when i am 83,so i figure l might just as well get it done now .i would really like to hear from you guys .thanks in advance .
My dad had a single done almost 40 years ago. Recovery was rough, he didn't do the PT right etc. Eventually he was good, and much better than before surgery.
I have know others with them done now who had none of the issues my dad had.
Go ahead and do them both. IMO you reduce your surgical risk by having it all one at once, vs. having two surgical sessions.
Be prepared for the PT part of it, do as directed and you'll be in great shape in a short time.
One of my classmates had both hips done. Excellent results she says.
Surgery at any age is very serious 81 is going to be even harder I only had one knee but a friend had both but spaced them a year apart she is 74 and is in ultra great shape rides a bike all the time recovering for her was easy.
like said before do the PT, swim when healed or bike 2 days after doc signed his work
There’s a lady at our church had both knees done at once. She was back in church with a walker in 3 weeks. Recovered very quickly. She was probably between 60 and 65 when she had it done. Dennis
Perhaps things are different where you are. It is my understanding that surgeon will only do one at a time here. I'm told, for what that is worth. The pain is large at first but goes away. And follow the PT and things will be good.
No personal experience though.
Well, You might as well go for it. They're not going to get any better on their own.
If you're in good shape and keep up on the physical therapy and do what the Docs say you should be in good shape and back up and around in no time.
My wife had hers done 2 months apart but, she was only 57. Hers were also bone on bone. She could no longer walk.
Some doctors are better than others, so if you can, get some reviews or feedback. Ask local physical therapists what doctors their patients used that did very well.
Some ortho docs do a nerve block before going in to the operating room. My wife said she had hardly ANY pain post op on the first knee. On the 2nd ,the anesthesiologist "forgot" the ortho doc wanted it. She hurt after that one. Some docs do it ,some don't. Something to discuss with your doctor.
My wife got a pre op booklet with exercises and stretches she had to do 6 weeks prior to surgery. She did them even though it hurt.
She did all her post op physical therapy as ordered, even though it hurt.
Many docs don't like to do both because you need the opposite leg for support while the other heals. In your case, maybe both are a good option? Gotta trust the surgeon you choose.
I know this because I was a radiology tech and often worked with her doctor in the OR and post op doing imaging of his patients. He was the ortho doctor that fixed bad surgeries. He's good.
Almost ALL patients that didn't do well, did NOT do the pre op exercises and avoided physical therapy because, "it hurts". Pain sucks but, this is temporary so it needs to be done to continue an active lifestyle.
Best to do your homework on your choice of doctor and follow his or her advise EXACTLY.
Good luck. You seem like a motivated patient so you will probably do well.
Hillbilly Bob,
I had my right knee, which was also bone on bone, done about 5years ago. The difference is like night and day!
No pain at all, and I can walk around all day without any discomfort. before the op it was just pain, pain and more pain.
The Surgeon who did mine was recommended by my neighbour, a soccer player, who, along with several of his player buddies
had been operated on.
Downside is un-ability to kneel on that knee, for ever! I can live with that.
Try to get your upper leg muscles working well before the op, and you'll have half the battle done.
The physio afterward is not too bad, but needs to be done.... as directed.
Great advice from Scott above. My wife has had full knee replacements on both knees, the ops were spaced 1 year apart. We know 3 people who had both done at once and only one out of the three didn't have a rough time. We also know others who had single replacements and all but one recovered well. It is not easy and you must do the PT afterwards or your recovery will be much longer and ultimately more painful. On the positive side my wife is very clear that she wishes she had done it sooner.
My wife has had both knee replacements spaced a few years apart and has been good ever since. Good luck with your replacements Bob.
I'm waiting for a hip replacement, sounds like it`ll be a few yrs before it happens.
Just to add to what Tiger100 said about not being able to kneel. That is true for many. Not the case for my wife which is good since she likes to garden. I don't know if it has to do with different types of the replacements available. Another discussion for your doctor. Good luck with it all.
thank you everyone for all the help and kind words.yes they both hurt but i am dealing with it.some people say that i am in better shape than their 65-70 year old husbands.i work for 2 hrs in the morning and later in the afternoon i work another 2 hrs as a crossing guard .this is my 17 year there.when i get out of work in the morning i go home and have a glass of milk the i go over to my mobil home that is on a half acre.cut the grass & trim.now it is time to go back to work again.i have been doing exercise for a long time now.i do the one where you reach as high as you can standing on your toes,now come straight down and touch your fingers on the groung,i do this 10 times a day,every day,then i do other exercises to.
My mother in law had both knees replaced at the same time. My wife just said "They generally won't do both at the same time." She is a medical social worker and has done a lot of rehab placements.
I would say for a doctor to do both you would need to be in great shape for your age. My MIL was in in patient rehab for a week or two afterward. She said the pain was so bad before the surgery that the recovery wasn't too bad.
It will be a serious discussion between you and your doctor. The big thing will be your commitment to rehab and recovery after the health questions are cleared.
Good luck with whatever route you go. Keep us informed.
My father was planning on having both done about a year apart but ended up so functional after the first one that he didn’t do the second. Like others have said, the guidance for him was to do the worst knee first and get it recovered then do the surgery on the other one.
He is 77 this year and is probably 5 years out from the knee surgery. Plays golf most days (and shoots in the 80’s) but he can’t kneel down and doesn’t feel able to work on cars anymore.
Best of luck with everything! I hope it goes well!
02-23-2021, 06:12 PM
