Been checking out a lot of stuff with this replacement thing, and let me tell you guys I'm getting nervous as hell. Lots of good stories and a few bad ones. Never have had to go through something like this. So feel me when I say I'm not to sure. If anyone has gone or know someone who has gone through this situation would love to hear their story.. I was checking out this so called 30 yr replacement. Didn't hear about that from my Doc so not sure. I will be calling him on that one for sure. My Mom actually told me about it today.. Good Ole MOM..
Larry
I worked about a decade in orthopedics and am very familiar with the surgical procedure before/after. Remember this is a big business so there are a large variety of techniques and prosthetics available. Depending on the surgeon and what he is familiar with, will depend on the technique/brand used. Also depending on the patient's condition prior to surgery will affect recovery and outcome. So basically every person is unique meaning every recovery story can be good or not so good. Couple of things to consider and ask your doc:
- What activity level(long term, not post op) can you expect after the type of replacement your doc is proposing?
- Ask if this is that doctors primary surgical technique. Some specialize in shoulder or hands but do knee replacements.
- What is the success rate post op for that doc?
- How many years has he been doing this particular surgical procedure you are having? Not replacements in general, but that particular technique you are getting.
- How long with this replacement last and what happends when it needs revision? A lot of cases they just replace the spacer after 10-15years
- Ask if you can speak with some of his other patients that had the same procedure. We used to do this all the time though you will only be speaking to the successful ones, you will get a sense of what to expect with that doc.
- Discuss how he handles post op pain control. Not a big issue for some people but for others its everything.
A lot of this will come down to the surgeon. I highly recommend a second opinion regardless of how good you think your doc is. Also remember younger green orthos are willing to experiment with their technique/prosthetic type and have not spent enough time with it to know the long term success. Older docs tend to stick with what works even if the technique is outdated which isn't always good. Since this is your body and once the surgery is done, there is no turning back so it is important for you to find the best person for the job!
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