I have had major knee problems since the day I was born and had over a dozen knee surgeries but have been lucky and not had one for 8 years. Needless to say, I am having a total knee replacement on August 23rd at the ripe old age of 42. Not something I had planned for this year but my knee cap came apart in May and there is just not any way around a total replacement. For those of you who have had a knee replacement in your estimate what period of time do you think before you could go on a safari after you had the surgery? When I say safari it would be PG only and would require some walking, no shooting from the truck. I realize every body is different but just wondering what you guys experienced. Thanks in advance.

They can take a good year to really heal. I know there will be some folks saying BS, just go, but one of my knees has been done twice.

It took 14 months for the aching pains to pretty much reside. I reckon some people may heal better than me though. The first go was done wrong and I was in terrible pain for an entire year before the Dr's agreed with me and decided the first surgeon didn't do a very good job.

It all depends upon the individual and their ability to heal.

I had my left knee replaced in August of 2006. At that time according to the x-rays, the orthopedist said that I would have to have my right knee replaced with in a year.

In March of 2007, I was guiding Javelina hunters in the Trans Pecos of west Texas outside of Fort Stockton and was able to out walk my c;ioents and was even able to run a little. Something I had not been able to do for several years.

When I went back to the Dr. that did the surgery for my one year check up in August of 2007, in looking at the x-rays taken on that date, he said that I might never have to have my right knee worked on.

It is now July 2018 and while I do occasionally have some pain in the right knee, I have not really slowed down and have not had to have it wporked on.

Again, it all depends upon the individual.

quote:

It all depends upon the individual and their ability to heal.

Very true statement.

I have some friends, and relatives, who have had knee replacements.

Some are doing things as if nothing has ever changed, and go on about their lives as if they had their original knees.

Others seem to have slowed down quite a bit.

I think a lot of it has to do with their mental ability.

You are young, and I think if you put your mind to it, you can do practically anything you wish.

Best of luck.

I've had both knees replaced--2008 and 2013. i wish I had not waited!

In 2013 I had a full replacement of the left knee. The evening of the surgery I was walking with a walker and of course I was pretty doped up. I walked every day, did all the therapy and more. Two months to the day I went on a six mile hike with the dog. A month after that I was hunting buffalo and hippo and plains game in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Do what the doc and therapists say and more and you will make a quick recovery. Another story to illustrate. A lady I know had her knees done and only exercised her knees once a week when she drove to the therapist. A year later she was barely hobbling around and was in pain. She did nothing to help herself.

I am lucky I have found great docs and they work their patients hard. I was exercising my shoulder the day after a repair of a rotator cuff tear. Same was with other surgeries. (The years as a competitive weight lifter took its toll on me).

Bottom line, do what the docs say and more and you'll jumping around in 2-3 months and hunting. I speak from experience. Those that complain of how bad the surgery was didn't do anything to help themselves.

Good luck.
Cal

I had both knees replaced in January of 2016. Rehab took less time than I expected; about six weeks. From then on it was up to me to do the things necessary to gain strength and muscle mass. Since I am now 76, the process was a bit slower than I would have expected twenty years previous, but being pain-free for the first time in over a decade is worth it. I have one small difficulty. I can't kneel on my left knee without pain. My Wife and I walk the English setter three to four miles a day now. I think I am pretty much done with climbing the Rocky mountains though.

I have one. A stationary bike is your best friend for the first phase of rehab. Got addicted to that and now cycle(mtn bike) 5X/week in season. I packed an elk out solo(3 trips,6 miles round trip) at 6 months but don't recommend. And I'm no kind of special athlete. Ski, etc with no restrictions now. Check on what type/brand of joint they are going to put in. More J and J in use without problems than any other brand. Got to have the positive attitude.

I went through various knee problems (due to too many years behind the plate on the diamond) since 1989 when I had my first two knee surgeries, one on each knee. At that time the doc told me that arthritis was inevitable. He was right, as I dealt with osteo ever since, had 3 more surgeries, and during the last 6 years (age 51) started getting cortisone injections as often as the doc would give them. I was also taking 2 Aleve tabs every morning as well. He never would give me more than 3 shots per year, but that was fine because they would usually last about 6 months before needing another one anyway. About 1.5 years ago the cortisone quit working more than for about a month.

After MRI's, etc, I was in the same shape you are, pretty much bone on bone. When you get to that point, no reconstruction, arthrocscope, nothing will do you much good. It was time for total knee replacements (age 57) so that's what I did, 3 months apart. It was a real b&%^# for about a month, and rehab was pretty brutal. I used a walker for exactly one week, a cane for 3 days, then started walking on my own, slowly. It has been a total success. I have no knee pain for the first time since 1989.

7 Knee surgeries from 1981 - 2008 then a left knee replacement in 2012. I went to Wyoming and hunted antelope 4 months later and did a plains game hunt in the East Cape 11 months post surgery.

LittleJoe,

Don't feel too bad. I'm getting a hip replacement this year and I'm only 49. Honestly it probably should have happen a few years ago but, the doctor kept telling me to push it off. Now there is hardly any cartilage left.

Something to look forward to one day
So far so good
Couple of back surgeries and still keep on ticking, packing bear baits in, packing elk and deer out etc.
Just trying to keep up in gym four days a week.
Glad to hear most of you doing well because I can see that one day I’ll will have to get something else done as well as none of us is getting younger

No knee replacement. But a major reconstruction.

As Yogi once said, 90% of [recovery] is half mental.

Good luck.

The upcoming hunt will be both carrot and stick.
Remember you are going through this so you CAN do stuff like this!
Do not be shy about using a trekking pole for support.

Little Joe:

Wish you the best with it. sounds like these guys have experience with new knee's and good advice.

Looks like I may get a R one done about the same time. Doc Friday said he'd do it, but, wants an MRI the prior doc said wasn't needed.

I've been fighting mine since Aug 1970, @ 26 I was deer hunting CO mtns. Walked too many miles, too much uphill with a light enough pack on. Just about split the seams on my jeans from the swelling. Three days later it was just as bad and I walked the 11 miles down the hill.
Then the next Jan i joined the Army long before they were healed. Know I've lost at least 5 yrs of my life's doing being crippled with bad knee's.

Figure it out for yourselves, Aug 20th it will be 48 years I've fought these things. I've begged for them to be replaced for over 30 years. Cortisone never helped a bit. I've had some over 65 Synvisc injections to both knee's. Every six months since it was invented. They lasted 2-5 months each time until Jan. Never helped a bit and I've hurt bad since.

I had both arthoscoped about 1990 to get the torn cartilage out. Best advice I have is: IF your knee's pop, lock up and grind. Get them 'scoped as that's knots of the cartilage tearing up the insides of the joints. Much like broken strands in a cable or rope.

I just had a second rotator done April 20th. Guess when i fell it got torn. I'd had both shoulders replaced in '14 & 15". Be aware of what meds they'll be giving you. During recovery at the cuff fix. Nurse was injecting something into the IV line. "what you shooting me up with?" "Fentanyl" "you can't give me that shit" "Too late now!".
Count on it, I was so dizzy I couldn't get dressed, or barely from the w/chair to the car without help, had to get a w/chair to get me in the house. Barely got in here and started having breathing problems. Huffing n puffing like I couldn't get a breath. Those lasted more than 10 hours til I dozed off for the night.

When I bitched at the dr's PA after the doc refused to see me on followup I fired the sob. He was going to put the R knee in for me in June. I'm at least two months late getting that done. I have lots of meds I've had problems with. Just be aware is all I'm saying. Make damned sure everyone knows if you have problems with some meds that they don't give you something your system can't handle.

Fellow in Austin had a knee put in, his infected for months. He died from it. Within 3 months of my age: 74 now.

Best of luck to you and anyone else.

George

When I awoke from my replacement I had to pee really bad but was doped up and groggy. I told the nurse I could not make it to the toilet nor could I relax and go laying in the bed. She told me to swing my legs over the bed side and stand up and steady muself on the walker. She then reached under my gown and put my penis in a urinial and said "just relax and go." I told her, "I can't do this with one of my former students holding the bottle." She replied, "I was hoping you didn't recognize me, Mr. Pappas."

True story.
I thought this thread could use a bit of humor.
Cal

quote:

When I awoke from my replacement I had to pee really bad but was doped up and groggy

Was your hospital scrimping on catheters?

When I went under the knife for a lower back fusion I woke up with a tube up the spout - never felt it going in as I was out cold but sure as hell felt it being withdrawn.

The pretty nurse had a sadistic gleam in her eyes (probably countering my lecherous looks) as she withdrew the tube.

As an orthopedic surgeon and a guy who had a knee replacement at 45, I will tell you it is very individual. I was pulling a North Carolina black bear out of a swamp 6 weeks after my replacement surgery. I have patients who are doing great 6 weeks after and some who are still weak 6 months after the procedure. I think if you have a good attitude and you are motivated, I think 4 months is reasonable. The problem is if you have a complication such as an infection or scar issues. The big issue for you is that you have had 12 surgeries on that knee. That means all bets are off and that you are at much higher risk of having a problem than the average person who may have only had one or two surgeries prior to their knee replacement. Given travel costs and deposits, I would wait and see how you were doing after a month before I booked anything, or if you do book a safari, I strongly suggest the travel insurance.

Knee replacements are an ass kicker. Expect 6 months to feel your knee is coming back and 12 months to feel like you are hitting your stride again. That is of course assuming you're getting after physical therapy and resuming physical activity as able.

Brett

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

When I awoke from my replacement I had to pee really bad but was doped up and groggy

Was your hospital scrimping on catheters?

When I went under the knife for a lower back fusion I woke up with a tube up the spout - never felt it going in as I was out cold but sure as hell felt it being withdrawn.

The pretty nurse had a sadistic gleam in her eyes (probably countering my lecherous looks) as she withdrew the tube.

No.

He is just a dirty old man

He fancied that nurse for a l0ng time ago

Don’t feel bad Cal, I am proud of yiu

Observations from some years of doing TKR's

What you start out with before surgery is what you end up with !

If you are a mover and git it done type guy you will end up as a mover and git up and get er done knee !

if however you were a not so active guy someone with a touch of kinesiophobia ( fear of moving ) you will end up a " not so active guy !

no it's not magic ! it does not improve your golf handicap. It does take away pain...... getting it to work properly takes work in the form of rehab.... this in itself something you have to do , no one can do it for you..... yes the rehab guys and gals can show you what to do but cant do it for you !

[QUOTE]Originally posted by shoulderman:
As an orthopedic surgeon and a guy who had a knee replacement at 45, I will tell you it is very individual. I was pulling a North Carolina black bear out of a swamp 6 weeks after my replacement surgery. I have patients who are doing great 6 weeks after and some who are still weak 6 months after the procedure. I think if you have a good attitude and you are motivated, I think 4 months is reasonable. The problem is if you have a complication such as an infection or scar issues. The big issue for you is that you have had 12 surgeries on that knee. That means all bets are off and that you are at much higher risk of having a problem than the average person who may have only had one or two surgeries prior to their knee replacement. Given travel costs and deposits, I would wait and see how you were doing after a month before I booked anything, or if you do book a safari, I strongly suggest the travel insurance.[/QUOTE.

Individual is right.

I had an assistant who was on crutches for weeks. On the other hand, I was just at a board meeting for a client in Vegas. A board member had the surgery three days beforehand. Had he not told us, I would never have known. He functioned normally although I am confident he was not ready to run a marathon.

I feel the need to add something to what georgeld posted about pain killers. After my double knee replacement, I got a prescription for hydrocodone which my wife dutifully filled. The directions said take one or two every four hours or as needed. The scrip was for 100 of the buggers. Being a rational human being who is scared to death of becoming an addict, I decided to try plain old aspirin as a pain killer. It was sufficient. I still have all 100 of the hydrocodone pills in my safe, keeping them as a reminder not to fill pain killer prescriptions. I might change my mind if I were in constant pain dying from cancer.