All you ever wanted to know about knee replacement surgery

Back in 2010, I did this blog entry about my painful left knee.  I knew that some day I was going to have to face getting a total knee replacement.  I was able to stretch that waiting period into an extra three and a half years and the time finally arrived on February 6, 2014 for surgery.  Besides the bone spurs and the bone-on-bone osteoarthritis pain, I also had begun to to get a valgus knee deformity.  I had a nine degree bend in my knee that was only going to get worse with time, use and more wear and tear.  It would get harder to correct with the passage of even more time.  I finally made the decision to just move forward and schedule the surgery. 

I really dreaded this surgery.  My brother-in-law Dave had had his knee replaced last summer, and I knew the recovery process was going to be long and painful.  I also made the mistake of watching this knee replacement video on YouTube.  It's not for the faint of heart, but it is amazing to see how it is done. Knee replacement surgery is very brutal.  The surgeons aren't gentle and kind.  They get in there and cut, hammer, chisel and grind the bone, muscles and tendons.  They push and shove and wear protective gear while they are working because lot of "stuff" is flying around. It is MAJOR surgery and causes MAJOR pain since it involves bone, nerves, muscle and tendons.  The surgeon inserts titanium steel and plastic and he screws it to the bone, glues it and hammers it into place.  Fortunately, my surgeon was able to correct my valgus deformity and now my leg is straight again!

I did my homework and felt like I had found the right surgeon and the right replacement hardwear.  Given my valgus knee problem, I wasn't a candidate for a ConFormis knee (a custom made knee replacement.)   I got the Vanguard BioMet total knee replacement that looks like this:

 

Pre-surgery

Hours after surgery

Continual Perpetual Motion machine
 (CPM) that forced the knee to bend while
 in rehab and for two weeks at home

3 days after surgery

One week after surgery

two weeks after surgery

three weeks after surgery

6 1/2 weeks after surgery

Everyone who has had this surgery has told me that it takes about six months to a year before the new knee feels "normal."  I'm not there yet.  In fact, as this point (almost seven weeks from surgery) I'm still not glad I did it.  I hope that with time, more therapy and less pain, I will be glad I took this major step.  Here's hoping the bruising, the swelling and the stiffness become less with each passing day. I'm hopeful that my new knee will take me through the next 25-30 years and that I can get back to my regular routine, gait, and activity level.
Oh, and an interesting side note...the price tag (not including out-patient physical therapy) is $51,636 for the hospital, surgeons, anesthesiologists, in-patient rehab and home health care.  We'll get to meet our out-of-pocket deductible, again this year.  Thankfully, we have good health insurance through my husband's employment!