TKR & venous reflux disease

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Has anyone heard of an correlation between total knee replacements & venous reflux disease?

2

I had not heard of that. I am a retired RN. I had my knees replaced in 2009. About 2 years ago, my legs stared swelling. My primary and cardiologist never said anything about why. As time goes by, I seem to swell more.

3

Deb-happy to be speaking to a RN! Had BTK in 2016 & did fine initially. About a yr. ago the painful swelling started, especially around my ankles and started to loose hair on my legs. Also had terrible itching on my legs & burning on the bottom of my feet that I contributed to all the tylenol I take for the OA. I have heart disease w/CABAGx3 & my harvest leg which use to just swell some at the end of the day was swollen all the time & was as tender as post surgery. The rhemu sent me to the lymphedema clinic & was dx w/primary lymphedema. I started w/compression stockings & decongestion theraphy. Primary lymphedema just didn’t sound right since I had never had problems w/leg swelling before. Because I have heart disease, I had my primary refer me to a vascular surgeon to be evaluated for PAD. He said it was venous reflux disease. Yes, I’m older, yes I’m heavier but my inquiring minds asks if there is a connection between the TKR & this venous reflux disease. My TKR was a godsend or I would be crippled now but do we really know enough about these joint replacements. And you know ortho surgeons-they only want to focus on their joint of expertise. So now I’m burdened w/support stockings & debating whether to have the procedure that is suppose to fix this . It is the same procedure they use for varicose veins which I don’t have. Please share your thoughts & start asking around. Thanks

4

I haven’t been to a Doctor who just focuses on PAD. I have thought about it though. You sound about like me with the legs, but mine didn’t start until about 7 years after my TKR’s. I’m just trying to eat healthy, exercise and try
to lose more weight. Since I had the back fusion I am doing so much better with the walking.
Good luck to you.