I had my pre-admission appointment and it has left me wondering if I am doing the correct thing by going ahead with this. The doctor says 1 in 3 are not happy with the result. Talked about loss of movement in knee which doesnt sound like progress. The inplant will be stainless steel. I have been reading online about titanium and all sorts of other space age sounding materials. This may have been in the States I guess but this stainless steel sounds old fashioned. The justification is that its tried and tested but that approach would have us still using leaches. I need both knees done but approach is only to do one intially. So I am facing 3 motnhs incapicitation, off work etc with the same thing to follow in the next couple of years. I was also told that as I am only 53 I will need to repeat the procedure later in life. Sorry - reading this back I sound like I am whinging. Does anyone know anyone who has been through this and it has improved things? Just the doc painted a pretty bleak picture.
Well....From personal experience it is giving me problems 3 months after the operation....(See my thread)....But I'm fairly convinced that it will be worth it eventually...eventually....It just seems to be taking an inordinate amount of time to sort itself out...the swelling being the main problem for me....
I am having the same worries Roger as I am just behind you. I think the consultants have to give you the worst scenario but I have a friend who was driving after six weeks. As my knee is totally gone I have no choice really as the pain and swelling etc will only get worse. I was originally told I needed a new knee when I was 55 but have put it off for twelve years. I am sure when the time comes for your second knee to be done things will have improved.
Hi roger,
I had my right knee done 10th April this year. At first I didnt think I would ever get better. But now I am nearly painless and have total movement. Its still numb but mobility wise I am almost back to normal. I am having the other knee done in Oct because this is now giving me a lot of pain. Dont be put off this is worth going through.
well, it depends how badly you need this operation. I hardly could walk. Now I can walk pain free. It is a terrible , visious operation, with lots of pain and possible complications, but I had no choice. i was told in yeat 2000 that TKR is needed. I lasted until year 2014, but both knees needed doing. will have second one hopefully in December. I asked for Genesis II Zirconium implant and got it. I delayed operation by going to the gym, doing a lot of leg exercises, being on a bike for one hour at the time.
Many thanks, Pete. I will have a read through your thread. Interesting to know it is still a challenge after 3 months. As long as it is going in the right direction I guess. Roger
Carol, many thanks. It is very kind of people to respond. My sleep is broken with the pain and I can't stand for any length of time. I can walk slowly but it is sore so I avoid anything that is not essential. Furthest I have walked in the last month or so would be 300 yards and have only done that a couple of times. As you say the condition will only get worse . . . I have been wondering if I should just "man up" or if I had reasonable concerns. Good to hear about your friend. I guess I havent had any positive stories like that to counterbalance what felt like negativity from the docs.
Have a read of my blog Roger.....Others have found it quite an interesting read.
Thanks Joan, as I said to Carol it is really good to hear positive outcomes. Can I ask a couple of questions? You have mentioned totatl movement - is this getting back to what you had before? If so what kind of range did you have going in? Can I ask what is numb? Whole leg/knee/scar? Do you know what type of implant you had?
Sorry to do the 20 questions thing.
Roger
Grace, Hi, good to hear that you have had improvement from your op. I have delayed this by 4 years since first diagnosed, but your 14 years is impressive. Were you ok for walking during this time?
Also, if I can ask, what made you ask for the Genesis II implant? How did you know about it and what made you want that one? Also were you NHS, or private?
Apologies if I am prying.
Roger
That's kind I will do. Many thanks.
It looks great btw.
Roger
Hi Roger. I had mine done nearly two weeks ago and I am also 53. I was told the same as you and so put up with the pain for the last 6 years. I know from reading all the responses etc that it is going to take a longtime and is really painful. It is painful too!! In the end though I had it done as I have missed out on so much of my life through not being able to walk far or go out with my family. I have to believe it will be better in the long run although I know there is a lot of hard work to do between now and then. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
for lots of reasons would prefer to reply to our question Roger directly, please give me your email. just to tell you I am a genuine person, will not bother you afterwards. if you have an email which you do not use much, you can gime me this one. Or id you prefer to ring me, office hours ask for grace. then you do not have to give me your email address.
Am having to break off reading as I have a meeting I should have been preparing for. That's a right "page turner" you have got there, I couldn t put it down in the language of paperbacks. it was all I could do not to cheer out loud when you reappeared on the other side. I am currently following your painful progress but already it has been a huge help - inspirational even. Many many thanks
meant to ask. what kind of range of movement did you have before, and have you got that back? Also do you know if you had the stainless steel implant?
Like you I am dreading the epidural approach I really do not want to be around for that. You said in your blog you would have been out of it for a day and half . .. is that such a bad thing 
Awwww...that's really nice of you to say that Roger...I'm humbled, and my thoughts were, that if it helps just one person, then I've achieved my goal.
Thank you so much!
My range of movement before the op was almost, but not quite as good as my other leg (which is ok)...However, it did hurt when I bent it fully....and was progressively getting worse, seemingly by the day......My movement now though is probably getting close to where it was pre-op...however, it hurts to bend it past a certain point.....The physio people told me, you can't break anything or do any harm when you bend it past your pain threshold...But that's easier said than done I assure you.
Oh, and if you've read my blog you'll know I was frightened silly about having the spinal thing....But I would recommend it. Really!....It's actually fascinating in a weird sort of way. If I had to have the other one done (god forbid)...I wouldn't think twice about having the spinal.
Oh and yes...a day and a half is a lot of wasted time once the op is done...The idea is, to get you up and moving as soon as humanely (yes I did spell that right) possible...
Oh, and I forgot.....my implant is not stainless...it some kind of other metal (the ward sister did tell me but I can't recall it)...and plastic.
Hi Roger, I had left TKR in March 2010 aged 53 & ended with all sorts of problems afterwards, which took a total of 16 months to sort out. I had stainless steel & plastic implant, which for some reason even at my 6 week post op check up felt loose & was rattling & banging about all over the place & just didn't feel right, wasn't sure how it was supposed to feel as this was all new to me, the surgeon that performed the op told me if it wasn't giving me any pain then not to worry about it & I should use it as a party piece?? Not really what I was hoping to hear, at that time I had very little pain but as the months went by the pain & the instability increased dramatically, I was then referred to another surgeon who advised me that I needed to have my patella resurfaced as this was not not changed during the original surgery? Had this carried out which made no difference at all to relieve the pain or the instability, I was then referred to another surgeon who told me the poly liners in my joint would need to be changed to a differnt size & this would then cure the instability, you guessed it, no difference again, it was finally decied in April 2012 that I needed revised surgery on my left knee as nothing else seemed to have worked? It was explained to me that the new joint (again stainless & plastic) had a bar fitted to the bottom part of the joint & a hook on the top part which would interlink & would be virtually impossible to work itself loose, this is as well as having steel rods inserted into my thigh and shin as is common practice on a revised surgery, oh dear, seems they were wrong again? I still have exactly the same problem with this joint, in between all this my right knee needed replacing & I had that done in Oct 2012, no problems for the first 3 months but would you believe it, this joint is now loose, went through the same old crap as before, having the liners changed again but still no joy, I've had 3 surgeons in 4 years & not 1 of them can explain why these surgeries have failed so drastically or why the joint "Stretches out" as they put it, I've now been told the only way to aleviate all this is to have revised surgery on both knees yet again, it seems the new joint is called a Zimmer & it's a hinged prosthesis that comes in 1 complete part & operates as a hinge would on a door & apparantley very little chance of instability with this joint (de ja vue) due to ruptured tendons & quads I have now had 7 major surgeries in just under 4 years & still in pain every day with both knees, I'm now 18 days post op after having my left hip replaced & so far so good, all being well I'm having the right hip done within 3/4 months? The hips also diagnosed with arthritis are apparently another reason for the pain in both knees? I'm hoping that if the pain vanishes after the hips are fully recovered, I may just put up with rattling knees & give further surgeries a miss? Sorry if this all sounds so nagative as I know quite a few people that have had great success stories after TKR's, I was told originally that 4% of people don't benefit in any way from having a TKR either with reduced pain levels or improved range of movement, how unlucky am I? Hope you make the choice that's right for you Roger as it's totally down to you? Good luck 
dear Tom, oh my God, poor you!
Where did you have the op? we will be avoiding this hospital.
By the way , I also had a torn quad. still not OK, blamed on too vigourous exercise.
I have done extensive checks on surgeons, implants, told hospital what I wanted to have. requested consultant do do the operation , was lucky with hospital, must admit.
If you ever need another op, ask to be send to Stanmore in London. specially revisions should be done by very eXperienced surgeons like Prof T Briggs, Mr Carrington etc.