Knee replacement surgery

[Summerrental]

I am currently on 9 mg. of pred. I am having knee replacement surgery on Mar. 28. Should I stay at 9 mg, reduce or raise the pred. due to the surgery?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

You need to discuss with surgeon/anaesthetist -you will probably be given extra during surgery - in the form an IV dose of hydrocortisone - but don't increase yourself beforehand unnecessarily.

You might like to look at this -

Replacement - hip/shoulder/knee

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

Before you go in to hospital 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?)

[piglette]

Does your surgeon know you are taking steroids? I should check with them as soon as you can.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Discuss it with your surgical team. The anaesthetis needs to know and will provide i.v.cover during the operation and immediately post op. I assume the surgeon is aware you are a long term pred patient?

Post-op you need to be aware of the possibility of a flare and discuss that with your rheumaologist or orthopaedic specialists. You need to manage a flare to be able to do the rehab well and that is crucial.

But really - nothing to add to DL's post. She has the t-shirt, wrote the book and directed the film

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

🤣😳🤣..as SheffieldJane said in another thread…multi-tasker!… wish I wasn’t.

[pegpowell]

I was on 6 mgs before and during knee replacement. About a month or two after, had a slight flare and had to go up to 7 where I stayed for the next year.