I received my cadaver transplant 15 years ago and it continues to function well. My right knee, in significant pain when walking, has been scheduled for April for a knee replacement. Does anyone have experience with a knee replacement? Thanks for any advice or information.
Sara Eads
I am 18 years post transplant and do need a knee replacement. My nephrologist is encouraging me to have the surgery. You will have to let me know how the surgery goes. In 2013 and 2015 I had to have surgery to have a hernia repaired in my transplant incision. No problems with the surgery or after. Made sure I had antibiotics during the surgery. Good luck with the surgery. Please let us know how everything goes
Will do if I don’t “chicken out”. My nephrologist is, also, encouraging me to do it. I’m 77 and that makes me nervous. But, I’m very active and this knee pain is no fun and is limiting my activity. My neph says his mother at 80 elected not to have knee replacement because she didn’t think she would have that many years left, but now she’s in her 90’s and wishes she had done it. I’ve had gall bladder surgery, thyroid and parathyroid surgery (twice), hysterectomy and ovarian cyst surgery and several skin cancers. What causes me to pause regarding knee replacement is worry about incision healing in the leg. Even surface skin cancers that i’ve had removed on my legs at and below my knees take a very long time to heal. Evidently circulation in legs is not optimal.
Hi Sara,
I’m 68 and am 8 mos post tx. I’m having serious knee pain in both knees. Ortho doc is leaning to replacements. I’m going to check out Platelet rich Plasma (PRP) injections next week with the University of Colorado Sports Medicine clinic. They would concentrate PRP from my own blood and inject it into the space where cartilage has worn out. I hope this works because I am on blood thinners and immune suppressed (of course). Knee replacement is too much risk for me if there are other alternatives. I, also, want to be able to compete in the Transplant Games held in Salt Lake in August.
Wonderful to hear you are going to the Transplant Games competition! Have you viewed X-rays of your knees? Mine shows bone on bone in my right knee. I am not familiar with the PRP injections of which you speak. My ortho surgeon told me not to have further steroid injections since they provide no relief and the risk of infection is always there. I, too, am on a blood thinner, namely Warfarin. Of course, I’ll have to stop this temporarily. I’ve done it previously for other procedures, but it does make me nervous. I had a pulmonary embolism in 1992 and a clot in my leg 2 weeks after my transplant in 2003, but since then I’m “gold”. I was a workaholic in the 90’s and would often spend 10-12-14 hours a day, even on weekends, seated at my desk getting up rarely. My transplant is 15 years young and was from the family of a 43 year old donor who lost her life in an accident. I’ve had the standard kinds of injections used for joint issues, but they no longer provide any relief.
Your kidney is still young and you may have to delay the games a year, because its health and safety is paramount, as you know.
I’m scheduled for the surgery in mid April. If you want to know how it goes, send me a reminder later in that month.
Thanks for your reply and info regarding the PRP injections. I am going to research it on the internet.
Thanks for the encouragement. If you are bone on bone, stem cell therapy would be better than PRP. Neither PRP or stem cell injections are currently covered by insurance. Too new. The stem cell procedure is very costly, however. You would have a offloading brace to open up the side of the knee while cartilage growth fills in the gap. Check it out. Good luck to you!
Jim
Did the hernia by your transplant start hurting? And what were the other symptoms that made you have to get the surgery. And is it a mesh?
My hernia did start hurting. It s right at my waist line so whenever I did a lot of bending it really started bothering me. On top of that I started getting "nerve pain." I would have severe pain for a minute and it would go away completely for 3 minutes or so and then come back again for a minute.
It was repaired with mesh. The second time they did the procedure laparoscopically. Now the mesh has grown in with the surrounding tissue and I have no more problems.
I had my knee replaced two years ago. Everything went great. I always make sure my surgeon is in contact with my nephrologist. To me, my kidney is my #1 priority. Good luck with your surgery!
Thank you very much for the information and particularly about making sure my nephro is in touch with the surgeon. Like you, my transplant is the most important priority. How long had you had your transplant before the knee surgery? I’m at 15 years post transplant. Have your kidney numbers stayed steady after the knee replacement?
I was 20 years post transplant.
I had a hip replacement in my mid-60's, and my wife had a hip and knee replacement about the same time. Knee replacement recovery time takes longer as this is a more complex joint. Best advice is to pick an orthopedic surgeon who performs at least 40-50 of these an- ually.
Thanks for the heads up regarding length of time for knee replacement recovery. My surgeon said a year for complete recovery. I have an ortho surgeon who does nothing but knee replacements—-2 or so a day, so I have taken heed of your advice regarding the advantage of a well experienced surgeon. Thank you and others for taking the time to respond to my inquiry. I’m older than you at time of surgery —- 77. Did you or your wife have a kidney transplant at the time of your surgery?
A year after my bladder/prostate were removed at M D Anderson Cancer Center, I learned that I was in a group of 5-8% of patients with a specific type of bladder cancer that spreads to one or both kidneys. Right ureter/kidney removed in July 2016. I Am CKD4 with an estimated GFR of 29-30. Cancer-free for the past 18 months. I follow a renal diet. The only post-surgical symptom I'm aware of is more fatigue than when I had both kidneys. I am 78 years old.
You are a brave and stalwart 78. Good for you. Thanks for sharing your experience. I appreciate it very much.
Hi i have had my transplant 35 years. Had right knee replaced 4 years ago and left knee replaced 2 months ago . All went well just make sure u do everything they tell u in therepy or you will have problems
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