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Has anyone had double knee replacement at the same time?

whitewave

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Well, I’ve been limping along with righty for a year and now lefty up and blew itself up. At my appt this morning, I found out that I need both replaced ASAP, with at least one done in early December.

Since I have a metal allergy, I can’t get the new robot, so I’m tempted to have them done at the same time.

Did anyone do this? How bad or better was it do you think? Thanks.
 

pearlsngems

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My late FIL had both done at the same time, in his 70s. He did very well but he did have to go to an inpatient rehab facility afterward for a few weeks.
 

OoohShiny

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Well, it's not like we can go out much at the moment... :lol: lol
 

pearlsngems

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But do you really want to spend time in a rehab facility with all the COVID out there?

There are increased risks to doing both at once, including spending more time under anesthesia and potentially needing more blood.
 

OoohShiny

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Did you say you've already have Covid, @whitewave?

I know someone on here did but I can't remember who.

If you've had it, I wouldn't have any worries about going in for the op.

Well, other than having someone go at me with medical implements... :???: lol
 

rainydaze

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My MIL had to have her hip replaced. She had a weeks-long recovery in rehab with little movement. She couldn't do much because with her hip fixed, the pain in her knees quickly became more apparent. She had one of her knees done, again with a lengthy stay in rehab. She still couldn't do much because now the other knee was bearing a lot of her weight and became too painful. She wished she had them done at the same time. She's going in soon for the other knee, which is terrible timing as she'll have to stay in rehab again. She's in her late 70s.

All that to say, based on the one experience I have born witness to, I would suggest considering having both done at the same time.

Best of luck with everything!
 

canuk-gal

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HI:

I know someone who has. Did very well post op--but he is around 55 year old and very fit so I think that factored into the Surgeons decision to agree do both at the same time.

cheers--Sharon
 

Matata

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If you've had it, I wouldn't have any worries about going in for the op.

The time antibodies are present for immunity varies wildly among individuals who have recovered and no one should consider themselves immune unless they have an antibody test that confirms immunity.
 

whitewave

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Did you say you've already have Covid, @whitewave?

I know someone on here did but I can't remember who.

If you've had it, I wouldn't have any worries about going in for the op.

Well, other than having someone go at me with medical implements... :???: lol

I was in quarantine because I was exposed, but my test came back negative.
 

tyty333

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My FIL did in his 70's and it didnt end up well in the end. Let me say he was also a good 60lbs overweight.

He never got back a good range of motion. I'm not sure if it was because of his weight or the fact that he could have used
at least one good knee to work with while the other one was healing. By good knee, I mean a leg that was not operated on and
in the process of trying to heal.

On the other hand, my Mom had both hers done about a year apart and had much better results. She was only about 20lbs overweight
and she still had the other leg to support her while the one was trying to heal. Even though its a much longer process she had much
better results than my FIL. If I* had to do both I would do them separately. Its a lot to ask of a body to heal multiple sites at one time.
I'm not in the medical field and I've only had the experience of these two people so take it for what its worth!
 

missy

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I’m sorry @whitewave.

Our friend did double TKR and he did great. He was about 60 at the time. His recovery went smoothly and he listened to what his surgeon told him to do.

He tried convincing Greg to do a double but Greg opted for one at a time. But anyway it’s critical to listen to to your surgeon and not overdo PT but to be vigilant about doing PT. Fine line and all.

Good luck!
 

Snowdrop13

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No, I wouldn’t do it. Bilateral hips, maybe, but knees are much more painful.
 

pearlsngems

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Success rates are lower when the patient is significantly overweight.
 

whitewave

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Success rates are lower when the patient is significantly overweight.

Yes, I had gastric sleeve in May, so I would have to see if I am a candidate. If they want a 30BMI, I am not there yet.
 

FL_runner

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Most surgeons will recommend one at a time for most people as rehab is easier. What did your doc suggest? Anecdotally my mom had one knee done about a year ago and has done very well! Her other will need replacement eventually but having one pain free knee has made it so much easier for her.
 

whitewave

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Most surgeons will recommend one at a time for most people as rehab is easier. What did your doc suggest? Anecdotally my mom had one knee done about a year ago and has done very well! Her other will need replacement eventually but having one pain free knee has made it so much easier for her.

He seemed to lean to one at a time, but he did say two at the same time might be an option. (He wants me to focus on losing as much weight as I can in the next month).
 

OoohShiny

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The time antibodies are present for immunity varies wildly among individuals who have recovered and no one should consider themselves immune unless they have an antibody test that confirms immunity.

Do the antigen tests only test for SARS-CoV-2 exposure or also for T-cell immunity?
 

Myshinybestlife

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Things to consider: weight prior to surgery, history of heart condition

Pros- a shorter recovery and return to an improved quality of life
- a lower risk of deep infection and respiratory complications

Cons - increased heart attacks, mortality, blood clot of lungs and legs (pulmonary embolism (PE), and deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) )
 

AprilBaby

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I had mine done 5 years apart. First one went terrible. Long recovery, 2 surgeries. Terrible rehab. Second one was a piece of cake. I was up with good recovery and rehab by 3 weeks. It’s very very painful. What would I do? No idea. It would depend if it went like the first or the second time. Get it over with in one shot? Heck yeah! But if it went like the first time I would be out of commission over a year. Tough choice. I wish I could tell you how it would go. Btw, the second one was 5 years because it took that long to forget the hell of the first experience.
 

whitewave

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Things to consider: weight prior to surgery, history of heart condition

Pros- a shorter recovery and return to an improved quality of life
- a lower risk of deep infection and respiratory complications

Cons - increased heart attacks, mortality, blood clot of lungs and legs (pulmonary embolism (PE), and deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) )

DVT run in my family, which is why the bariatric surgeon ran a Factor V Leiden anti coagulation full panel before my gastric sleeve. All is well there, but I still did heparin shots twice daily for 5 weeks I think. Several weeks.

I’m also on a beta blocker for electrical issues. No diabetes, no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol etc.

I’ll just have to see what he says next month.
 

AprilBaby

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Watch The morphine drip with electrical issues. My BP runs low and when I hit the morphine pump I passed up and then had to see the “electrician”. :lol:
 

OoohShiny

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Things to consider: weight prior to surgery, history of heart condition

Pros- a shorter recovery and return to an improved quality of life
- a lower risk of deep infection and respiratory complications

Cons - increased heart attacks, mortality, blood clot of lungs and legs (pulmonary embolism (PE), and deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) )

Are those Cons offset somewhat by being able to be more active with knees that work properly? lol
 

Myshinybestlife

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Are those Cons offset somewhat by being able to be more active with knees that work properly? lol

:mrgreen2: that's why I started with the pros. I would trust the surgeon to recommend the safest option based on the assessed risks. There are risk/benefit with every option, even though no one has a crystal ball, you want the benefits to far out weigh the risk. Personally if I need both done and deemed to be a good candidate for simultaneous knee replacement, that would be my choice. Get it over and done with deal with it once and for all.
 

AprilBaby

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The pro is yes, you don’t have to do it twice.
 

whitewave

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Watch The morphine drip with electrical issues. My BP runs low and when I hit the morphine pump I passed up and then had to see the “electrician”. :lol:

Oh wow. Lol. That must have been something.
 

whitewave

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:mrgreen2: that's why I started with the pros. I would trust the surgeon to recommend the safest option based on the assessed risks. There are risk/benefit with every option, even though no one has a crystal ball, you want the benefits to far out weigh the risk. Personally if I need both done and deemed to be a good candidate for simultaneous knee replacement, that would be my choice. Get it over and done with deal with it once and for all.

Yes. I’m likely going to go with whatever he suggests, but mentally I’m assuming and preparing for one at a time, which is just going to drag everything out.

But I guess in a year, I’ll be thin and with two good knees, but still won’t be able to drive at night lol
 

mrs-b

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Yes, I had gastric sleeve in May, so I would have to see if I am a candidate. If they want a 30BMI, I am not there yet.

Hi @whitewave :wavey:

Well done you!

Re knee replacement - I was scheduled for a double about 15 years ago by a VERY cavalier dr. Assured me I needed it asap, even tho I'd only been in pain for 2 weeks, and scheduled it for....Christmas eve! About 2 days before, I couldn't get over thinking "This just seems too quick to me..." - and I cancelled. About a week later, all the pain went. Turns out, it was a Crohn's flare hitting my knees. Have kept the same knees ever since, tho my right knee is pretty sketchy at this point. Left one isn't great either, truth be told, but I can still exercise normally and do aerobics and walking every day for over an hour. I don't have a limp, tho I wish I could have greater flex so I could do Child's Pose in yoga, plus various other movements. I remember my sister before her TKR - all sorts of limping going on and very uncomfortable. Mine aren't great, but I'm not in constant pain, or anything like that.

My best girlfriend was an orthopedic nurse for many years and she was adamant that anyone getting TKR should try to lose as much weight as possible before the op. She said the improvement to recovery for every 10 lbs lost was exponential and dramatic, and the decrease in pain during rehab was very marked.

Personally, I wouldn't have double at this point, even if I WAS convinced I needed it. The lack of mobility is too much, and it can lead to post op pneumonia - not a path I want to go down!

Good luck - I'll be thinking of you when you go in. Have you considered stem cell treatment?
 

MMtwo

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My grandma did, way back in the 1980's. She was hit by a car walking down the sidewalk in Detroit. I'm sure that the surgery was in the infancy back then, but she did great afterwards and traveled with her grandkids.
 

Beautiful-disaster

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My grandmother had bother her wrists and knees replaced in her 50’s which was pretty traumatic... big scars - long recovery.... that was 30yrs ago now.
She had both knees done again in her early eighties by the new method and she was up and walking around within three days. It was amazing. She was so much more stable. We called her the bionic woman.
 

whitewave

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Hi @whitewave :wavey:

Well done you!

Re knee replacement - I was scheduled for a double about 15 years ago by a VERY cavalier dr. Assured me I needed it asap, even tho I'd only been in pain for 2 weeks, and scheduled it for....Christmas eve! About 2 days before, I couldn't get over thinking "This just seems too quick to me..." - and I cancelled. About a week later, all the pain went. Turns out, it was a Crohn's flare hitting my knees. Have kept the same knees ever since, tho my right knee is pretty sketchy at this point. Left one isn't great either, truth be told, but I can still exercise normally and do aerobics and walking every day for over an hour. I don't have a limp, tho I wish I could have greater flex so I could do Child's Pose in yoga, plus various other movements. I remember my sister before her TKR - all sorts of limping going on and very uncomfortable. Mine aren't great, but I'm not in constant pain, or anything like that.

My best girlfriend was an orthopedic nurse for many years and she was adamant that anyone getting TKR should try to lose as much weight as possible before the op. She said the improvement to recovery for every 10 lbs lost was exponential and dramatic, and the decrease in pain during rehab was very marked.

Personally, I wouldn't have double at this point, even if I WAS convinced I needed it. The lack of mobility is too much, and it can lead to post op pneumonia - not a path I want to go down!

Good luck - I'll be thinking of you when you go in. Have you considered stem cell treatment?

Thanks! I did stem cell treatment last August on my right knee when they repaired my meniscus. That knee is crushed bone on bone but doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as the left one.

DH got home early today, so we went to Sam’s and per my conversation with the nutritionist yesterday evening, bought 5 kinds of Premier Protein shakes and quest bars, and my doc said do keto.

I lost 10 pounds this month, so I’m going to challenge myself for more this month.
 
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