Partial knee replacement

[Patient007]

I am about to pay privately for a partial knee replacement as I cannot wait another two years to have it done on the NHS. I am 73 and live on my own. Will it be difficult to cope on my own after the operation and I will also be on my own when I come home from the Hospital. Has anyone else been on their own after the operation and how did you cope?

[DorsetLady]

I had full knee replacement in 2018, but fortunately my grandson was living with me at the time, however have have hip and shoulder replacements whilst in my own …so would offer this general advice -

Replacement - hip/shoulder/knee

General advice for any replacement surgery - especially useful if you live alone.

Before you go in - just get yourself organised at home (patient leaflet will go over certain aspects) - so get all plates, utensils, cooking pans out of lower or higher kitchen cupboards - and place where they are easy to reach, you don’t want to be bending or stretching unnecessarily.

Hanging washing outside is difficult!

Hip operation - you cannot bend more than 90degrees so beware if you have a floor standing oven - washer, dryer, fridge etc.

Stock up freezer with either ready meals or home cooked so you don't have to cook from scratch all the time- frozen veg is very good nowadays - and sometimes you just don't feel like cooking.

Likewise clothes in bedroom dressers, shoes etc.

Make sure you can access clothes easily - and initially loose trousers, skirts, tops - so you don’t have to struggle around your replacement.

Just plan ahead as much as you can...if you sort of make a note of what you do on a daily basis and think "I shan't be able to do that" you can get ahead of the game...and then hopefully when you get home you don’t suddenly realise you can’t do something, and there’s nobody to help.

If you are using crutches for knee replacement remember you won’t have a free hand to carry things initially..

If you have trouble getting compression sock off/on - who doesn’t - might be worth buying an extra pair - plenty on line at reasonable price. Hospital may give you extra pair to bring home.

I found that if they were too difficult to get off - I left them on when I had a shower - and dried them with a hair drier!

Probably cause the H&S people to have a fit - but you need to do what you need to do. And don’t be shy, if partner can’t help, or if on your own and you have a visitor ask them to help you get one pair off and new ones on!

Do as much pre op exercises as you can - plenty on line if you haven’t already got some - they really do help recovery.

You will find getting around a bit difficult - certainly if you aren’t used to crutches! So make sure you have enough room to manoeuvre yourself around bedroom, bathroom, living room.

Invest in a hot water bottle or similar - you will be sitting more than usual initially and the worst thing is feeling cold.

Also get flexible ice packs to help with swelling (hospital may supply icer for knee).

If you’re a side sleeper that’s not possible, and you may need extra pillows to get in a comfortable position.

Once scar healed and doctor/nurse happy with it, massage bio oil or similar into/around it.

Judi Dench YouTube -

youtu.be/i56y6BE3vxw(Not working as expected?)

Good luck

[Patient007 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you very much for that useful information. I have a tri walker with a seat and a nurse told me that would probably be more helpful to get around my very small flat instead of using crutches all the time.

[DorsetLady in reply to Patient007]

Yes, crutches are a bit unwieldy and do take more space than you think…I only used them for as short a time as really necessary and then went to walking stick(s).

[Patient007 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks for your reply.

[Batty1]

Shower seat

[Fruitandnutcase]

I can see why you are concerned - but we have a friend who lives alone and who had his second knee replacement last week and he seems to be doing fine. He had a friend take him to hospital and bring him home.

My husband who visits him says the friend has three crutches. He uses two and one goes up and down stairs with him. He has a downstairs loo and he has organised things so that once he is downstairs he doesn’t go back upstairs again until he goes to bed at night.

A neighbour brings his shopping and he does his own cooking and makes cups of tea, my husband says he holds on to the worktops as he goes round the kitchen.

He hasn’t had a visit from the physiotherapist since he came home from hospital though so he is doing his exercises himself at the moment but as it is his second knee he knows what to do and you’ve absolutely got to do the exercises.

He was almost caught out over the weekend when he wasn’t sure his liquid morphine would last him, he ordered more from his GP, the GP didn’t sign the prescription electronically and when it was finally signed the chemist didn’t have it in stick! You would think knowing that it was going to be needed they would have ordered it in however …. In the end he was ok but bear that in mind and order prescriptions in good time.

Saying that two weeks after his operation he went down to the pharmacy to see what was going on with his prescription- it took him four hours including a stop in a cafe for lunch. I’m not sure it did him any good though.

You will definitely need flexible ice packs of some sort. I bought a box of them from Amazon after my husband’s hip operation, you twist the pack and it freezes, you can also get physiotherapy ones that you can refreeze.

I found this website very useful before and after my husbands operation and they cover knees as well as hips. bonesmart.org

[Patient007 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thank you very much for your information and kind help. Fortunately, I live in a flat with no stairs other than up to my flat but there is a lift. I will get a taxi to the hospital and might have to get one back. Depends if I can get a friend to bring me home. I am allergic to morphine or any opiate-type medication. I am allergic to codeine. I cannot take ibuprofen because I take anti-coags so I can only take paracetemol. I usually have to grin and bear it when it comes to pain. The information about the ice packs is useful too. I have a tri-walker with a seat which will probably be another good way to get around. I will be arranging things before I go ie moving things about etc. I have a cleaner who comes a week and she said she will help too much as she can when she is here.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Patient007]

You sound very well set up for things. I forgot to say, if you are given an option on sedation and an epidural nerve block go for it - it sounds grim but my husband had his hip done that way, he didn’t feel or hear a thing and when he came back to his room he was hungry and had tea and biscuits - no anaesthetic to get over. Don’t know if they use that for knees though but it’s not as scary as it sounds

Also a friend who wears compression socks said to use cream on his legs t help get the socks on and off so I bought a big tub and used to slather it on before I put the socks on - I found them hard to put on but the cream helped so anyone putting yours on might appreciate that too

Occupational therapy fixed him up with a strange thing for using to pull your socks on and a ‘grabber’ for picking things up.

Good luck with the operation 😊

[Patient007 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thanks for that. I have spinal stenosis which is inoperable so I already have aids for getting socks on and off etc. so I am pretty well geared up for that but tips from people who have had knee done are always very very helpful.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Patient007]

Goodness me - you’re ahead of the game. I agree, it is really useful to talk to people who can share their experiences. 😊

[Patient007 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Very true. 😀

[texigal]

If you haven’t thought of it already, I recommend a toilet seat heightening accessory to make it easier and less painful to sit down and rise. You may also need a bracing bar to grab onto to assist with pulling up and stabilizing. You may try using a four point walker(without wheels) for this purpose.For some folks using rubber gloves helps with pulling on and smoothing the compression hose. The biggest problem is trying to bend your knee to reach the stocking and then pulling against the painful knee.

Best of luck and prayers for successful recovery!

Texigal81

[Patient007 in reply to texigal]

Thank you very much for your useful information. The Hospital will be providing me with a raised toilet seat if I need one. I already have rails everywhere because of my spinal condition so I am quite geared up for my disabilities already. Useful tip about the rubber gloves.

[BonnieMagic]

Just wondered if you have had your operation yet and, if so, how you are faring? I’m on the ever lengthening waiting list for the same op.

[Patient007 in reply to BonnieMagic]

I had my operation on the 23rd November. It was very difficult coping with the severe pain because I could only take paracetamol. Allergic to Codeine etc. Struggled a bit on my own but soon got a routine of working around having to do things for myself. Lots of swelling which is normal for several months. Foot and ankle swelling is a bit of a problem. Definately have to keep up doing physio and exercises even though in pain because knee and leg stiffens if you dont do them. Trying to get comfortable in bed is very difficult. I was only in Hospital for 2 nights. Had to get up and walk around with help of physiotherapist the morning after the op. Had to use a walking frame at home for the first week and then crutches especially when going outside and now walking with a stick which I have to use anyway because of my other knee and spinal problem. Everyone is very different with their recovery. If you can deal with the pain and discomfort then eventually it will all be worth it. I will now go on the NHS list to have the other knee replaced as no way could I afford to pay private again. About a 2 to 2 and half year wait I believe?

[BonnieMagic]

Poor you it sounds as if it’s been a difficult recuperation. I was particularly interested to hear that you were in for two nights as my surgeon said it would only be one. I can only take Paracetamol too as am also allergic to codeine. It sounds like you’re doing all the right things to aid your recovery and I really hope you are in less pain - and swelling too - very soon. I guess my concern is that the longer I have to wait the worse the knee will become and a partial may become a total replacement. Have already had one hip replaced and my big toe fused plus my back pain is constant.

Have you tried Nordic walking poles? My surgeon recommended them and I use them every day. I find them amazingly stable and much better for me than using one stick and being unbalanced.

Good luck

[Patient007 in reply to BonnieMagic]

When you pay privately you are entitled to up to 3 nights. The room booked to you for that time.. I had op in the afternoon and so had the whole of the next day and night to do physio etc. I could have stayed the 3 nights but I wanted to get home.to my pet bird who misses me when I am away. NHS patients only stay in one night at the same private hospital. I will look into walking poles. Thanks. Dave