I'm sure there are plenty of people on the Board that have had a knee replacement. I'm a reasonably active guy my 50's who has an IT job where I sit at a desk. How long after a knee replacement would I likely be comfortable going back to work. I've seen people taking 3-4 weeks which is way more that I thought. I've had arthroscopic surgery done on both my knees and was only out a day or two. What has been other people's experience?
OT - Knee Replacement Question
- Thread starter NazarethLion94
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Naz, my wife is a physical therapist for an orthopedic surgery group. She actually recommends 6 weeks.
Quote: "You can do earlier but pretty swollen and difficult to manage swelling and rehab much sooner than 4 weeks in most cases"
@NazarethLion94 -- I've never had that surgery (knock on wood), and I'm not a doctor or a PT, so take this for what it's worth.
My best friend did have the surgery a few years ago (perhaps more; I think it was a year before the pandemic), when he was in his late 50s. He also had a desk job. He was very good about rehab, and his timeline for returning was around the timeframe that @Grant Green mentioned in his reply. I recall that he was able to do a limited amount of work from home (mostly on the phone; a little bit on the computer) in the last couple of weeks he was out. Plus, once he returned, between rehab appointments, and soreness from sitting all day, the first month or so he wasn't able to work full-time.
Good luck with the process.
Here is an overview from probably the best hospital specializing in this kind of surgery:
HSS-Knee surgery
Had knee replacement surgery 1 1/2 years ago. The key is doing the work before your surgery. Do toe raises, squats and walk uphills as much as you can. I had it done the end of June and pushed myself through rehab , in 5 weeks I walked 18 holes of golf. It's the preparation before the surgery that makes it successful and gets you back to doing everything you used to do. Good Luck.
Same day. Rub some dirt on it and get back in the game. Suck it up, snowflake! Tyler Warren might take a play off
So what should be the deciding factor whether to go thru with it? Similarly I'm in mid 50s and have had arthroscopy in both knees to remove tears. I'm able to jog on the treadmill fine but then I may have to sit it out for 4 days as I'll be stiff and sore. Really varies. Do my PT exercises every day. Surgeon doesn't recommend I consider replacement till my 60s.
I started to have issues with my left knee at age 26 where I had most of the cartilage removed from my left knee. I had an ACL reconstruction in 1986 which failed by 1995 resulting in a second reconstruction. The lack of cartilage in my knee resulting in the failures of my ACL. I held off a knee replacement until my knee gave out a third time at age 54 in LAX airport.
The most helpful thing I had done before getting the replacement was getting a weight bearing X-ray on both knees. This will show you the spacing in your knee joint. In my case, I had bone on bone wear, and it was recommended that I have the replacement. Never regretted it.
Also, I would check with an MRI to see if you have any frayed cartilage. That is what happened to me at an early age resulting in the cartilage in my left knee being torn in six places resulting in the removal of 90% of the cartilage in my knee. Once cartilage starts to fail, bone on bone contact starts to occur.
I had a right knee replacement 9 years ago when I was 65.
Three days in the hospital six days in a rehab.
NEVER in any pain was doing stairs and walking the halls after a couple of days in rehab.
Driving second day home.
Hardest part was giving up Fonzie to a member of my rescue group for 19 days, was in tears of happiness when he came home.
I know now they are sending people home quickly these days…..in by 10AM, home by 4PM almost like dry cleaning.
Best advise…..be faithful to your rehab!
GOOD LUCK!
Three days in the hospital six days in a rehab.
NEVER in any pain was doing stairs and walking the halls after a couple of days in rehab.
Driving second day home.
Hardest part was giving up Fonzie to a member of my rescue group for 19 days, was in tears of happiness when he came home.
I know now they are sending people home quickly these days…..in by 10AM, home by 4PM almost like dry cleaning.
Best advise…..be faithful to your rehab!
GOOD LUCK!
I’ve had meniscus repairs on both knees but I started having issues with sudden swelling in the one knee. It will just blow up while sitting and get so big that I can’t extend it all the way and can’t bear weight. It happens every week or two along with more minor swelling every few days. I bring crutches with me in the car just in case it happens while I’m away. I had a cortisone shot which helps me bounce back faster, but I’m basically bone on bone on the interior side. Very frustrating…
Wow, sounds more like a hip with that recovery timeline. I’ve always heard hip, no problem. Knee, sucks. Shoulder, blows more than all that has ever blown before.
Yeah both my surgeon and my rehab specialist said that they’d never seen anyone recover as quickly as I did.
Of course my unique and superior athletic conditioning helped HAHA!
I’ve also heard that shoulders are awfully painful and recovery is slow slow slow.
Tgar was driving within one week after his first replacement out of necessity. Holed up in the Skook. 35 miles to PT. Of course, it was his left knee that had been replaced so not real difficult Or concerning.
Do everything the ask and push yourself. Lots of ice time, lots of elevation. Tgar used to lay on his back with his feet comfortably placed above the headboard of his bed With feet resting flat against the wall. Draining like this really helped.
You will be able to work from home after a week or two Depending on your pain tolerance, what they give you for pain management etc. etc. Initially you will not be able to put in a full day nor should you. This is really serious surgery with your body undergoing a massive operation and healing. They are cutting your knee out and sticking a new one in there. This is major. Stick with it. Do what they tell you to do. Let HR know you will be taking several weeks to recover and are willing to work some from home but you will not over do it.
Do everything the ask and push yourself. Lots of ice time, lots of elevation. Tgar used to lay on his back with his feet comfortably placed above the headboard of his bed With feet resting flat against the wall. Draining like this really helped.
You will be able to work from home after a week or two Depending on your pain tolerance, what they give you for pain management etc. etc. Initially you will not be able to put in a full day nor should you. This is really serious surgery with your body undergoing a massive operation and healing. They are cutting your knee out and sticking a new one in there. This is major. Stick with it. Do what they tell you to do. Let HR know you will be taking several weeks to recover and are willing to work some from home but you will not over do it.
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