Knee Replacement :(

[Bubblesong]

I have had surgery on hand and foot and both times I was able to leave pain behind and become more active. I am researching this and planning best timing for hip.
My 54 year hubby is going to need knees done, eventually, ( he plays on three hockey teams), so I will keep researching best knees procedures too.

 

[FishCity]

I waited a long, long time. In part, that was great because both prosthetics technology and surgical techniques advanced so much. Today is not the 1990s!

I had Biomet Signature Knee technique, with each component selected to be the right size based on MRI. It also makes suggested cutting guides for the surgeon to take into account. There may be other manufacturers doing similar things.

In addition to getting the hardware right, soft tissue balancing is very important, particularly if one has knock knees or bow legs. The adjustment to new straight legs can be challenging in rehab...I had a lot of different pain areas throughout the left leg as things started to settle out. The right, not so much.

As they say, every patient is different and each knee is different!

 

[USMC CPL.]

Well, I guess I knew it, but my first appointment with an orthopedic surgeon resulted in a diagnosis of "your knees suck". So did he, but the second opinion from a much more professional Doc still means I will have my first knee replacement in a couple months, and the other as soon as I can. He says I can still dive, which is encouraging, just wondering about what I should expect. Anyone out there with new knees that can share experience with rehab, time until diving again, etc? Thanks!

I only had acl reconstruction and was in rehab for 6 months. On the flip side I have talked to people with knee replacements and the were up and back to normal activities in a fraction of the time that it took me.

 

[FishCity]

True! Some of the folks on here are doing business travel before i was driving, lol.
I am 66 and that second knee is slower, but stairs are no issue, I can walk over an hour with no pain, etc. day after day. The knee is still swollen and gets warm and sometimes there is a tiny ache, but not the kind of pain I had before.
My surgery was March 20.

 

[lexvil]

I had a TKR on 4-27-16 and was diving 33 days later, it was a minimally invasive type of surgery done by Dr Dearborn in Fremont Ca. Did mostly my own PT I need my pool.

 

[FishCity]

Wow, congratulations. I guess I am an old crock. Still working up to a step down toe tap on a 6 inch step. Distraught over upcoming Wakatobi trip wrt fins. Different ankle stress with straight legs.

 

[large_diver]

A personal dive milestone update in the hopes that this will help inform others regarding recovery and diving....

• I had knee 1 replaced January 24, 2017
• I had knee 2 replaced March 20, 2017
• First post surgery dives were June 17th - local diving here in New England. Boat diving. Total gear weight on dry land was about 100lbs with a full 100CF steel tank, drysuit, 400g undergarment, weight belt, backplate, etc. I did about total local 15 dives in the 7 weeks between this date and late July; 14 boat dives, 1 shore dive. Standing up from the bench to get in the water and re-boarding via a "fins-on" ladder definitely took effort, but felt stable. I was noticing some soreness by the second dive during the initial few weeks, but this decreased over time
• August 19-26 - dive trip to Little Cayman. 18 dives during 5 1/2 days. 100CF tank, but obviously less overall gear weight This was my first time doing 3 and 4 dives/day. Felt no pain at all during the week

 

[FishCity]

Just left Wakatobi Resort! Happy to say that both knees were great! Only thing that is a work in progress is getting fins off whilst holding onto the ladder in a current...ended up having someone help me.

The suggested tape on toes and lycra sox worked great, thank you!!! No rubbing at all.

So grateful to all of you for the encouragement and advice!!!!!

 

[large_diver]

Just left Wakatobi Resort! Happy to say that both knees were great! Only thing that is a work in progress is getting fins off whilst holding onto the ladder in a current...ended up having someone help me.

The suggested tape on toes and lycra sox worked great, thank you!!! No rubbing at all.

So grateful to all of you for the encouragement and advice!!!!!

That is awesome news!

 

[mbs]

Just left Wakatobi Resort! Happy to say that both knees were great! Only thing that is a work in progress is getting fins off whilst holding onto the ladder in a current...ended up having someone help me.

The suggested tape on toes and lycra sox worked great, thank you!!! No rubbing at all.

So grateful to all of you for the encouragement and advice!!!!!

When I asked my wife's dr how she should get her fins off he just pointed at me But seriously, we swapped out the straps for bungee straps which are much easy to get off!