I'm having knee op on the 26 July really worried about having the spinal block will they put me out if I ask plus how long is the average time off work I'm giving myself 3 months
Some people may be ready after twelve weeks, others will still be struggling. difficult to know until you have had the operation and several weeks have passed. re the spinal, whether they would give you a general instead is something you would have to talk to the anaesthetist about. the spinal is OK. . it really doesn't hurt that much although the idea is unpleasant, but I would make sure that they are going to keep you partly sedated at least. I wasn't, and it's a long and boring operation and in my opinion better not to be aware of the noises etc. going on around you. I think I had a very slow surgeon . . . it seemed like an eternity, but was in fact three and a half hours. Freezing cold in theatre as well! Hope it all goes well
Thank you will ask about sedative
I would think (hope) they would give you general anesthesia if requested. They gave me a really good sedative before hand and I was out before I even reached the OR. Can't imagine being awake but not feeling for the entire proedure. Although my surgery was only like an hour and a half from what I was told.
I would speak to your surgeon and the anesthesiologist. There may be a reason why your doctor only wants a spinal block.
Depends a lot on where you are. . . . Being totally awake is not a lot of fun . . . no pain of course, no feeling at all . . but cold, and noisy, and watching the clock and wondering how much longer!!!
I know really freaking about it I have a consent forms to sign on the 25th so will talk to them then they say it's quicker recovery
It does sound scary on the nerve block. When I had my surgery, I got nerve block first before wheeled into surgery and then they put me under and surgery took 35 mins. I woke up in recovery room about 10 mins after that. Nerve block lasted almost 10-12 hrs.
I had the spinal and nerve block. I was worried about both but have to say I felt neither. It was the easiest surgery I've ever had. No nausea, I was awake right after, felt semi normal and my leg didn't hurt because of the nerve block. You won't feel anything so don't agonize about any of that. You'll do fine👏
Oh yeah, to add, they gave me something to relax and sleep, I don't know what. I dozed during the nerve block and when they wheeled me into the operating room I wanted to be aware so I could look at all the instruments. I looked at one person and boom, woke up in recovery. My surgery took 1:15 minutes. The nerve block laste d well into the next day. I really didn't have a lot of pain until I got home after the three hour ride, ouch.
I had a long discussion with the anesthesiologist before the surgery and she lined out all the info about general and spinal. I always woke up nauseous from general so I choose spinal. You have to make that choice but they do so much to make you comfortable. Don't worry.
I had a block and sedation. Cannot remember a thing. Was great!
That is a long time! You myst have been sooooooo bored! 😊
that was quick!!! I just wonder why my surgeon took three and a half hours. . No wonder I lost so much blood!!! And I know he didn't nip out for drink, because I could hear it all going on . . I know all about their weekend activities etc. . . where they were going, what they were going to do . . . Boooo r i n g
that must be different from what they gave me then . . I was out of theatre by quarter to five, and by six O clock . . . least said the better!
My doctor doesn't use a tourniquet. He had knee replacement two years ago and sad the worst part was tourniquet pain. He used something else to control bleeding.
I have had a spinal block twice and the first time I was terrified because I didn't know what to expect but it was absolutely fine. It doesn't hurt and it works so quickly. They also gave me a sedative to make me sleep
because I didn't want to hear all the noises. The spinal doesn't make you feel sick like a general anaesthetic does and your awake straight after the operation. The second spinal was just as good. Tkr is a tough operation and recovery is hard but the spinal block is nothing to be concerned about. Good luck for your op and keep on this forum they will really help you through it.
Thank you it's been a long time coming what with high blood pressure back and forwards for over a year
Haven't heard of people getting a TKR with just a spinal block until recently. I hope you get some good replies on this to guide you.
While there is no "normal" recovery time or when to go back to work, this may be helpful...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-recovery-bell-curve--563756
Remember...statistics apply to entire populations, NEVER to specific individuals.
Three months is a very fast recovery and not to be expected, although we have had some people who have pulled it off. However, they tend to encounter a lot of pain and swelling every day, ice and elevate at night, try to sleep and then wake up and repeat. Difficult path. Again, everyone is different and it also depends on the job, hours on your feet, etc. Desk jobs do better than nurses, teachers and construction workers.
Honestly, the whole recovery takes a year and most go back to work around six months. You have to do your PT to regain your 0 / +120 ROM plus exercise to rebuild your quad, glutes and core strength to support the new knee. All of this takes time and that is different for everyone.
Hi Denise,
I had a partial knee replacement and my op was around 2 to 2 and half hours. I have a heart arrythmia and so with me there are risks that others might not be exposed to and I was very happy with a GA.
My sister on the other hand has no such beastie in her heart , lives in a different area of UK and had a spinal and had a TKR. She only commented on the noises. I was off 11 weeks and that was with no complications during the recovery/healing process. That year mine was done, Christmas 2015 intervened and my consultant was away on hols and so I might have been back at work a bit earlier, not much, but 10 to 14 days earlier maybe.
May the force be with you.
John
I had a spinal block for a tkr in February. My op lasted over three hours but felt like ten minutes! I was also sedated, given a heated blanket and earphones to listen to music. The whole experience was amazing and I would highly recommend it. I felt very alert directly after my operation and very little pain because the spinal block keeps pain at bay for several hours afterwards. Please do not worry about it and I hope that everything goes well for you.
Hi I have had three ops using spinal block and would prefer them any time to my experience with anaesthetics. I'd ask to speak to your aneathatist and get some Valium type sedative on board for the duration, I was allowed to take me iPod with me so could tune into music, stories etc, to be honest they were good to have but only to lull me back to sleep when I rose to consciousness. I think the time it takes to recover is individual, knees are different to hips insomuch as ligaments and tendons are very much disturbed. I made sure I had adequate pain medicine which enabled me to exercise religiously ASAP after the op and a year on I'm 100% happy and fully functional, I'm still doing exercise or my knee stiffens up, I don't think I would have been ready for work at 3 months but then I have badly knocked knees which made the op it more complicated and I'm 66years old. Good luck, I was really scared before my op but now I can't wait to have my other knee done