knee surgery gone wrong

[chickamin]

Its been almost 3 years since I had a total knee replacement. I left the hospital with only a 65 flex and in alot of pain. For awhile in physcial therapy I could get more flex but not without extreme pain. Today I suffer from severe chronic pain and still can only flex 65. I do not know what went wrong but right after surgery a large flex machine was dropped right on the knee while I lay in a hospital bed unable to move. Even though caused extrem pain and I lat out a horrible scream noone thaught it could of done damage. I have been to several doctors and noon seems to know what the problem is. One doctor said that the x-rays show a slightly tilted knee cap and some bone on metal at knee cap. Does anyone know if there is still a chance to get better as now doctors just seem to shove me off. The doctor who did the surgery retired a year ago?

[io74us]

va performed knee sugery 40 years ago  8 hrs on table 2 doctors knee reconstruction/did a great job//40 years later dr say I need meniscus sugery dr tell me 45 min sugery back to work in 3 days....next day after sugery leg from toes to testicles solid black and blue.....diagnoised nerve damage now on ssi disability ......after the fact doctors told me should never have had a tourniquet on again high risk of nerve damage  this dr had this on record and I personally told her this befor surgery 5 years later have denied responsibility  on final appeal  any help for me out there

[Tuckamore]

I'm very sorry if you took my post in any way that how it was meant, to be helpful and a bit understanding.

We all have bad days and you need no apologize for that. Again I am sorry if I offended you in any manner. I NEVER intend my posts to you or anyone to be offending. That is not my goal nor did it ever cross my mind.

Peace,
Tuck

[chickamin]

sorry tuck I guess  its one of those days. I do get down from it all. I do hope that you feel better yourself. At least this is a group where we all seem to be in it togeather. But sure would be nice to figure out how to help everyone.

[chickamin]

sorry if I was a little sharp last note. I have gone through so much pain and promises and down lats. Yes they dissabled me 50% lose of use of leg.Labor and industries paid for the surgery but The things they put me through no one should go through esp. when in so much pain and trying so hard to get well. I felt like I had committed some bad crime. Now I just want the pain to stop . I go to bed and can't sleep it hurts so bad. I get up it hurts to get up. Iam 58 and have always been an outdoors person. Now I can't get on a horse not alone ride. I can't ride a bike but what hurts most is to know I can't even get down like I use to going to beach kneeling down to pick up shells or sit down on ground. As it is If I fall I can"t get up. Not only pain but feeling helpless and the stares I get. Yes I have pain meds they hardly take edge off. I don't even want to go anywhere or try anymore. I get treated like I am some sort of freak. My knee doctor told me I'd never be able to go back to the type work I did as a store worker who stood all day nor any outdoor stuff I did but L&I ignored him saying there were alot of store jobs I could do and could go back to same job. No settlement no amount can replace all this pain and lose of so much. They even sent me to a psychologist to try to convince me I was fine. Finally I saw my own psychologist who saw the depression. This doctor has helped me alot emotionally but I only see him once a month and now only if I have to. Without his encouragement I begin to give up and just want to go far from everyone.Ya it hurts alot of pain but the depression hurts too. None seems fair. I wish I never listened to the knee doctor how I would be in less pain with this surgery and now ten plus times worse. I feel like I was just a piece of meat to them all something to throw away because they could't fix me. Yes I am bitter at times. Imagen, I used to live in Alaska, I was the foreman of a saw mill ,hunted Grizzly for fish and game, rouge bear and enjoyed it all plus fished and just loved hikeing and now they tell me to learn to live with it or get a good tv dish and easy chair as thats whats left, yes a doctor told me that, Yes its hell and I think somwhow some one should be able to help. None the less how can I trust anyone again where medical help is concerned.  Sorry! The one thing that makes me feel not so bad is when I see all these young kids comming home from the war with no legs and no arms and realize they must look at me and yes I can walk maybe not good but I am whole. How then can I complain.

[chickamin]

Knee problems do not run in my family. This was an injury at work. And, I don't give up.Thanks for the suggestion it is something I have not tried.

[chickamin]

Thankyou for the note. THere is one doctor in this area who does nothing but revision surgery on the knees. I have already seen one doctor in his office that told me nither one of them will do surgery on me. My doctor was very upset with this and again requested the one doctor who is the specialist see me. So he was able to get me in but I won't see him until the end of sept. The doctor who did my knee was the best in the area and he did do a good job so I think its one doctor deffending another and I am the one left to feel I did something wrong. But I will keep trying, just too young to spend the rest of my life like this if there is someone who can fix it.

[kiddthekatt]

Good morning;
   I am truly sorry that you are going through this, I can honestly say that I know what you are going through. I had 3 replacement surgeries on my right knee in 7 months to the day. I had a pkr and it broke lose in 8 weeks, had a revision and it also broke lose in 5 days, I changed surgeons and had a TKR on Oct. 2007.

  The surgeon who did the TKR also retired leaving his patients without a surgeon. My new surgeon is at The Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He is wonderful!! You can have a revision on that knee, but surgeons really hate to do it, but they do when it is truly called for. My flex was at 55 forever, I did not go to PT because they hurt me so bad I landed back in the hospital, so I did my PT at home. I am now at 120 flex and 0 extension. I worked my butt off and it took me almost 2 years but I did it.

  If you are in the position to contact a teaching hospital or college, like Tuck said, that would be your best bet. I pray that you find the help you need and get some help with your knee. Take care.

gentle hugs
Angel

  

[Tuckamore]

Hi Chickamin,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum. I am glad that you found us but sorry to hear about your knee pain.

It is difficult to speculate as to your prognosis. After three years you should be well past the healing and rehab stage of your surgery, Unfortunately I think, "what you see is what you get." "Bad knee" run in the females on my mothers side. Both aunts, grandmother, mother,  two first cousins have required knee replacements from 40 and up. My younger sister is next. I seem to have escaped a replacement but have fissures in my knee caps. So I know knee pain and have been involved with most of their post-op cares. Only one aunt has very limited flex and there is no "fix" for her.  

It's obviously causing you pain. Does it interfere with your daily activities? I have not heard of a second knee replacement in just three years.  You may be "lucky" that the surgeon has retired. Now you can seen another surgeon that should not be afraid of touching another surgeons work, if you know what I mean.

If I were in your position I would go to your state largest university hospital and make an appointment with an affiliated and teaching surgeon. In my opinion if you have any hope of a surgical repair it would be through that route. If you have already done that than and the pain is debilitating than you may want to see a PMP.

Others will post with their suggestions. Best of luck to you. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.
Take Care,
Tuck