hi, I’m due to have a knee replacement in a few weeks and wondered if anyone who has had the procedure experienced any issues. I’m aware of my issues regarding medication ie allergy to warfarin but ok with heparin and have opted for an epidural but my concern is with the implant itself being rejected.
thank you.
I know that this is a common concern but I don't think there is anything definitive to be said about this. Some people are able to have allergy testing to see if the metal is a problem before they have the implant, but it is usually not the only material. I hope maybe others will speak up if they have experience with this. There are a few older articles about hip replacement that focus on reactions to anaesthesia, not to the materials in the joint. I do see this article (I only have access to the summary) on hypersensitivity reactions to titanium (commonly used in knee replacements-- but you would want to ask): pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/381... This could be the basis for a discussion with your doctors. The procedure should be done (even with an epidural) in a setting where they can handle a big allergic reaction, in case that happens.
Thank you for your reply, it’s given me some reassurance, I will discuss more with the surgeon re titanium as you suggested.
I just read an interesting post in a US group for mast cell diseases. A person who had reconstructive surgery after mastectomy found that she was reacting to glue that was used in place of stitches. A number of other people responded to the post about this saying they also had a problem with this glue. I can't imagine that glue would be used in knee replacement (because there is so much movement quite quickly after surgery?), but it would be good to discuss this and perhaps this is enough information to consider stitches instead of glue if both are options? I know some people also react to the metal in surgical staples, but that can be tested for as well.
