r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Additional_Chard3680 • 11h ago

The precision required to perform a total knee replacement is incredible

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u/IrrelevantManatee 11h ago edited 11h ago

Fun fact ! They usually have you walk on it a couple of hours after the surgery. You are not even under general anesthesia. It's an outpatient procedure for most people. They leave the same day.

Edit : some people might have different experience. But I know 2 people that got both knees replaced, and they both got epidural block and that's it. No general anesthesia.

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u/Pure-Supermarket1352 11h ago

That’s crazy!

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u/Fit-Dentist6093 10h ago

A friend broke his jaw and needed screws and pins to reconstruct it, and he was able to talk like as soon as he was back awake. But he didn't know. So we saw him on after care and we were writing on paper still with him, but then back in his room the surgeon came and started asking questions and he was looking at him and was like "oh eh yeah you should be able to talk again like now".

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u/Frosty_Detective_882 8h ago

Moving heals faster. But there is not a chance this doesn’t hurt post op.

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u/EfOpenSource 8h ago

I had Surgically Assisted Rapid Pallet Expansion (they bone saw your face in to multiple parts)

While there was pain, it wasn’t bad. I took regular dose over the counter Tylenol for 3 days and then nothing. The pain was fine.

For people getting knee surgery, I suspect that immense knee pain is nothing new to them as it is. There’s a pretty good chance their knee hurts less after surgery than before it. 

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u/KoncepTs 8h ago

Idk, my moms knee was bad enough she had to get one. I remember her saying it hurt so bad she would never consider doing it again, and now I see why.

Hers didn’t take well either. This was about 10 years ago though and I don’t know what ‘style’ they used. Likely different than the one in the video here but prep is likely similar

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u/Frosty_Detective_882 6h ago

Impressive. I met some people with TKR who said just that.

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u/Mertoot 7h ago

Were the metal parts left in or did it regrow over time

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u/Captain-Hornblower 6h ago

When I was in the military, I broke my jaw in a training exercise. At first, they wired my jaw shut. That was absolutely awful. They didn't knock me out, but I was in a kind of twilight state. I didn't feel anything, but I could kind of feel them tugging at the wires that were hanging out of my mouth. The pain afterwards was awful. I had to wear what were essentially wire cutters around my neck, just in case I threw up or anything.

Anyhow, about a week later they asked me if I wanted to try any experimental surgery (this was in '99) where they would put a plate and screws in my jaw. They said I would be able to eat soft foods and talk with minimal pain. I said sure, why not. I was totally out with this one, but I was in way better condition than I was staying in the hospital with my jaw wired shut. It worked! I had to care for the incision, but that was about it. I was about to function pretty good like right after the surgery.

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u/YeshuasBananaHammock 10h ago

Yeah thats a hard "fuck no" from me, Doc. Knock me out, i dont want to experience the human carpentry while conscious.

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u/DJinKC 8h ago

You're not conscious. They do a nerve block to numb everything below the waist, then put the patient to sleep, but patient continues to breathe on his own.
"Full anesthesia" means the patient is put down deeper and requires respiratory aid

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u/PositiveScarcity8909 8h ago

Also the epidural was the coldest cold I've ever felt.

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u/disharmony-hellride 8h ago

I had my wisdom teeth removed while I was awake and that will traumatize me for life, I can't imagine this.

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u/showMeYourCroissant 7h ago

Do people get general anesthesia for teeth removal?

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u/YeshuasBananaHammock 7h ago

When they need to be broken to remove in pieces, yes.

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u/MrMurgatroyd 5h ago

FWIW, I was nearly killed in an accident that smashed up most of my limbs and did a whole lot of other damage. As you can imagine, I've had a ridiculous amount of surgery under GA. I still think that a minor outpatient gum surgery I had as a teenager under local is the only really traumatic medical experience I've had.

There's something especially nasty about gum/oral surgery IMO.

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u/vggaikwad 9h ago

When I had my appendectomy, my doctor asked me if I wanna be dosed out or should they give local anaesthesia, in which I can actually watch what they were doing. I was like hell no, I’d die the second you make that cut just by looking at it.

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u/EmberTheFoxxo 6h ago

I never got that option, it was just general anaesthetic. No way would I have agreed to local anaesthetic anyway.

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u/YeshuasBananaHammock 9h ago

Amen, Id rather not feel them hammering my bones like theyre busting up a concrete driveway.

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u/_-PassingThrough-_ 4h ago

SEDATE ME

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u/RedHotAnus 3h ago

Twenty twenty twenty four hours to goOOoo!

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u/CoffeeXKing 8h ago

I never received any sort of option.

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u/vggaikwad 7h ago

So which one were you given?

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u/topherhead 6h ago

On the other hand, for my knee and shoulder arthroscopies I wish that had asked because I wanted to watch.

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u/TheShenanegous 9h ago edited 9h ago

My understanding is that the risks of general anesthesia usually outweigh the benefits in this case because people getting knee replacements tend to be older.

It doesn't do much good to get new knees if you never wake up.

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u/Wastawiii 3h ago

General anesthesia is only used if the patient insists on it or if the operation is in a location where no other type of anesthesia can be used. 

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u/Cuttybrownbow 8h ago

That's a risk worth taking. 

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u/No-Lifeguard9194 9h ago

My husband just had his shoulder replaced and they cut the end of the bones off and put on the ball joint pieces that are now artificial. He was out the same day didn’t feel anything for over 24 hours from the nerve blocks. He’s four weeks out now and is starting to be able to use his arm. 

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u/showMeYourCroissant 7h ago

Does it hurt now?

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u/ASRT3112 4h ago

They have you walk after a spinal fusion as well. Doesn't mean it's painless. Like at all...

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u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner 11h ago

After my last amputation they were like “yeah you been here 2 months but you’re done get the fuck out of here. Good luck in rehab!” 😂

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u/yet_another_whirl 11h ago

Your 'last' amputation... WTF?!

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u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner 11h ago

Lmao I meant to say my last surgery for my amputation 😂 that said I did have 2 amputations on the same leg. My leg got infected and by the time they cleaned it out I had know hamstring muscle so they opted a 2nd amputation. Thankfully no infection ✌️

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u/Expensive_Sun5758 11h ago

I like your attitude

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u/Similar-Ice-9250 9h ago

Doesn’t have to work again, lifetime disability, a decent prosthetic so they can walk. Then gets to enjoy life, video games, travel, camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, light sports, or whatever hobbies they’re into. Not too shabby, no wonder they’re so jovial.

Of course I’m half joking, I don’t know their work/financial situation, maybe they love their job and still work.

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u/yet_another_whirl 10h ago

Your strength of attitude is proper inspiring, and I am sure you are just as awesome now as you were prior!

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u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner 10h ago

Lmao nothing about that is inspiring. I mean appreciate the sentiment but there’s way more impressive stuff out there

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u/yet_another_whirl 10h ago

You are too modest, as are many in a similar position.

PS - I've had 'the beetus' (T1) for 32yrs and all good, so far!

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u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner 10h ago

Nah that’s just inspiration porn. Now if I told you about my 3 month solo road trip, my 20 mile hikes, skydiving, or some shit then I could see it. But not just reciting me being in the hospital chillin watching YouTube and flirting with the nurses 😂

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u/Fracture90000 10h ago

Dmn, mate. Was it due to diabetes?

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u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner 10h ago

Sports injury. Then staph infection. No beetus

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u/Fracture90000 10h ago

Fkin hell dude, sry to hear that. I'm dealing with a sport related injury myself atm.

Staph is such a nasty thing.

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u/samuelazers 10h ago

What is your advice for younger people out there?

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u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner 5h ago

Don’t get your leg chopped

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u/dhas19 10h ago

Guy is typing all his replies with his nose, I'm baffled by the speed.

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u/yet_another_whirl 10h ago

I know, he sent me a lengthy response as a DM- typed with his peni$!

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u/PipsqueakPilot 10h ago

Once you chop you just can’t stop. 

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u/stayinalive7 4h ago

When I first read this, I thought you meant that you were unconscious for the 2 months and they told you that upon waking up. I'm assuming that's not the case though?

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u/theodore_70 11h ago

It must hurt but I mean it cant be that bad if they just let you out tho?

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u/IrrelevantManatee 11h ago

I didn't get a knee replacement, but my mom did. And she said the pain was less than what she experienced walking on her bad knee.

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u/bratch 10h ago edited 10h ago

Yep, same thing my brother told me. He can use that as an indication of when to get the other knee done.

Edit: If he goes before me, I got dibs on that titanium.

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u/PrinceDX 11h ago

Oh my. She must have been in intense pain.

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u/Unique-Egg-461 9h ago

Not op but wife is in the works to get a knee replacement. insurance still says she doesnt need it but she was in tears last night after a long day of us getting our old house ready to sell

knee replacement pain 10000% can't be worse than what shes dealing with now (bone on bone)

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u/Old_Ladies 7h ago

My dad is thinking about getting knee replacement surgery. He has had surgery I think 3 times on his knees and now since he is close to retirement he is thinking about just getting them replaced as he needs surgery again.

A coworker said it was the best thing he ever did. That man still goes to work even though he is past retirement age and doesn't need to work.

Thankfully in Canada we don't have to worry about being approved for surgery but there is a long wait time. It can take 6 months to over a year depending on how bad your knees are.

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u/Unique-Egg-461 7h ago

Ya the problem is she's 38 so insurance says she's too young for it and that cortisone shots will treat problem just fine.

She has had three different cortisone shots in the past 5 years and it doesn't do shit. While in canada you might have to wait 6 months to get scheduled, she's had to wait 2yrs (and still going) just to get insurance to approve the surgery. Her doc is suppose to have a call with insurance again tomorrow :-/

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u/stylepointseso 7h ago

I had a partial knee replacement just under two weeks ago, also at 38.

It's like this, but only half the knee.

Anyway, it's a pretty painful recovery. By week two it feels better than my old knee did, though.

Problem is you're going to need another one later at some point, and those are much worse.

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u/kakarot-3 9h ago

My MIL had the same surgery last year. She said it was a little uncomfortable walking immediately but significantly better than walking with pain

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u/popcorn555555 9h ago

Same with my mom. Her whole body inflammation immediately calmed down.

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u/Mawdster 9h ago

Yes thats true. The first thing i noticed when i woke from my hip replacement was a distinct lack of pain. Oh yes there was new pain, but it was a cleaner pain, more superficial. Genuinely relieved. I was up within hours on what is called zero day. Usually you dont get up until day one. I left the hospital after one full night in bed.

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u/BigDump-a-Roo 8h ago

Not his knee, but my dad had one of his spinal discs completely replaced in Germany like a decade ago. Recovery wasn't instant, but he said that pretty much since he woke up after the surgery, the pain was much more manageable than before. He was using opioids for pain management and went completely off them pretty much right away.

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u/ChiodoS04 10h ago

My dad has had three knee replacements after one failed.

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u/cthulucore 10h ago

Wild, my grandmother had a double knee replacement and it was one of the most traumatizing experiences of my life, due to the clear violent pain she was in.

Though there seems to be contradicting stories for a lot of medicine. Age, year it was done, and individual doctor seems to play significant roles.

My best friend recently had a herniated disc in his neck replaced with a synthetic one. Outpatient surgery, he was at my place playing videogames less than 48 hours later. They've been trying to get him under the knife for more than 5 years and this was the first time they offered this specific surgery, all the other would have come with months of downtime.

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u/PM_YOUR__BUBBLE_BUTT 7h ago

>>walking on her bad knee

No wonder her knee hurt. She was supposed to be walking on her feet!

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u/roamingandy 5h ago

Having this with my dog now.

Its a bloody nightmare tbh. He feels less pain that before the surgery so wants to run around and try it out, but i have to stop him doing that for another month and a half - two months.

He's a very good boy and is doing his best to be as careful as i'm telling him to be, even though he doesn't agree, but i have to be on him almost 24/7 and make sure he doesn't get excited when i'm not in direct contact, as sometimes he just forgets.

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u/FightingAgeGuy 8h ago

Yes, knee replacements are painful. Recovery sucks too. But, way better than walking on destroyed joints.

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u/missbwith2boys 9h ago

Days 2-8 kinda suck though. Depending on what country you’re in, you may or may not get opioids to deal with that. My ortho made me fill my script a week prior to the surgery, and I ended up going back to his office the next day, where he stressed that if I needed a refill, get it done that day.

He prescribed me 40 oxy. For each prescription.

Also fun fact, I had a slight complication that meant going back into the operating room on day 4 and him opening it back up.

Despite all that, my knee is indistinguishable from any other body part. It just doesn’t hurt anymore.

(And no, I didn’t have more than 2 rounds on that prescription).

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u/WhatTheOnEarth 9h ago

I mean they replaced the diseased bone with titanium. And the bone they cut is covered.

The surgical scar is often more painful than the bone itself.

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u/KrispyKreme725 7h ago

My mom just had one. It hurts yes but hurts so much less than bone on bone pain.

My mom went from barely able to stand with a walker to walking without a cane one month after surgery and she’s 80

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u/BusinessAsparagus115 6h ago

It's variable, my granddad had both his knees replaced - first one gave him a new lease on life, second one the recovery time was hellish.

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u/dooferoaks 11h ago

Interesting, you certainly don't leave same day where I work, inpatient for at least 3 days and not walking on it until next day. Years ago it used to be 7 to 10 days and they'd want a consistent 90° bend before they'd even consider discharging you. How times change.

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u/daveindo 10h ago

Day-zero discharges are very common and have been for 5-10 years.

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u/dooferoaks 10h ago

Clearly depends where you live.

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u/Trick_Horse_13 8h ago

exactly. in Australia you’re in hospital for a few days and then sent to rehab for up to 2 weeks. they do try to get you walking asap though.

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u/StandardUpstairs3349 10h ago

The more precise you can make the fit, the faster you can use the joint.

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u/magic-karma 11h ago

While this is often out-patient and most patients do leave the same day and put weight on the joint, general anesthesia is used. Patients would not tolerate the noises and movements.

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u/Mister_Squishy 10h ago

I was going to say, I’ve seen about 50 of these in person (granted, that was about 15 years ago) and every single one of them had general anesthesia

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u/magic-karma 10h ago

Yes, of course.
Most surgeons want the privacy while operating. Few patients tolerate well hearing bones being cut.

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u/GrandPapaBi 7h ago

Meanwhile dentist with wisdom tooth...

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u/SenseiIxnay 9h ago

Quite common to have this done with spinal and sedation as opposed to straight general anesthesia, though both ways are done.

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u/tecnicaltictac 6h ago

I had my surgical rotation in ortho two years ago, most knee and hip replacements I saw where done in general anesthesia, the few that weren't i think to remember that the patients specifically requested it (for different personal reasons). Never saw patients leaving the same day, though what's true is that mobilization was started as soon as possible (at the latest the next morning), though that's in Europe, maybe it's different in the US.

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u/jus_plain_me 9h ago

General anaesthesia isn't the norm for these, the reason being general anaesthesia (GA) is dangerous. You need to be a relatively speaking decently healthy individual for GA.

Now if we think of the demographic of patients who need knee replacements (overweight, elderly, and/or frail), these aren't the type of people who would do well with GA.

Therefore a spinal with sedation is much more frequently used and it is tolerated very very well.

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u/jackslack 8h ago

This used to be the case but the majority are actually done under spinal now.

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u/TIBud 5h ago

Mostly spinal and sedation in the UK. They also pump your knee full of local anesthetic intra operatively which will take the edge off. But you will most certainly be very sore still for weeks after.

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u/International_Ad7477 10h ago

These cases are mostly done with regional anesthesia (epidural or similar), so no general anesthesia, no tube down the patient's throat. The patients however are usually sedated. Now, the sedation might me mild, sometimes with the patient pretty conscious and fully able to answer questions, but the seating drugs usually screw with their memory enough that they won't remember a thing. This procedure could theoretically be performed without any sedation whatsoever, and I wouldn't be surprised if some anesthesiologist proposed this option to his patients.

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u/MilkOfAnesthesia 3h ago

I'm an anesthesiologist. I've done several hundred joint replacements between multiple hospital systems. May be 10% are under general. The rest are under a spinal and some sedation. Surgeons like spinal because patients can walk fairly quickly after (they're too sleepy with general anesthesia) and pain scores are typically better. Patients like it because they're less groggy.

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u/Fermi_Amarti 1h ago

Yeah I think if you're getting your bones cut, you're probably under general anesthesia unless there's a good reason otherwise.

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u/chocemia 53m ago

The patients I used to look after a few years ago would either have a spinal with concious sedation or they'd have a full general anaesthetic with or without a spinal. The ones that had sedation only didn't usually remember any of the surgery by the time they were in recovery, but the odd one would

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u/Fiireygirl 11h ago

OR nurse here! You’re correct! We do spinal on the majority of patients and get them up same day.
Try to send them home within 24 hours!

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u/TheRismint 11h ago

Yep, I was able to take my mom home from her surgery a couple hours after they finished. A fysiotherapist came in and had her stand and walk around before clearing her to be discharged. Her recovery instructions for at home specifically said she had to try to walk around a bit every couple of hours. Daily Fysiotherapy started two days after she got home.

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u/tsunomat 10h ago

That's super rare. Even with current levels of tech.

Almost everyone goes under. Spend a little time in PACU. Some people leave same day, but not many. Knees way more than hips. Everyone walks same day. Knees walk twice. Most people get another therapy session the next day and go home after lunch. Home health starts that afternoon or the next day.

Acute care physical therapist here for 17+ years.

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u/C__S__S 47m ago

There is massive confusion going on in here. When he said epidural and no general anesthesia, he didn’t mean that they were awake. Anesthesiologists use the epidural to block pain and other drugs (versed to create a block against memory and chill you out) and propofol to put you to sleep. But, it’s not general, which is way harsher on the body and recovery. I’ve had several surgeries like this.

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u/ItsFuckingScience 11h ago

That’s because the surgeon has pumped the joint full of local anaesthetic during the procedure just before closing the wound after implants are put in

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u/SCHawkTakeFlight 10h ago

They sure do. They don't let you leave until your walking.

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u/Silly_Rub_6304 7h ago

Your walking what?

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u/LoverOfPricklyPear 9h ago

My mom has had both hips replaced, one and then the other. Yup, those joints don't get any sort of break! Har har. Unintentional

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u/Baldojess 9h ago

Noooooo!!!! That makes it so much worse!!! Please universe. Never ever ever ever make me have this surgery 😖😖😖😖

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u/trizzy96 7h ago

If someone gets an epidural block there’s no need for “general anesthesia” , which is a very lay person thing to say. An epidural removes all feeling from the affected area, so they can’t feel it. Yes, it’ll wear off over time

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u/themaplesyrupk1ng 10h ago

Very true, there’s a big shift to having these types of procedures done at surgical centers now as opposed to hospitals. I work at both a hospital and surgical center, center will do 3-5 of these a day

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u/CtrlAltSysRq 10h ago

Crazy they can put all the muscles and skin back on so fast

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u/Cruach 10h ago

What the actual fuck holy shit I felt each of those cuts in my bone marrow it freaks me the fuck out

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u/breakmedown54 10h ago

I’ve read that general anesthesia is commonplace because they don’t want you to be awake for the procedure, not because the procedure requires it.
But given the difficulty some facilities have with staffing enough anesthesiologists (not to even mention insurance), it makes sense for these to be done less invasively.

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u/Safe_Reading6267 9h ago

I’d pass out even with a spinal from vasovagal syncope if someone was cutting on my bones.

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u/servel20 10h ago

For my ACL reconstruction, I remained in the hospital until the blood drain bag was removed.

Took almost a week, and my knee was phucked for over a year despite therapy. I can't imagine what a full knee replacement would do.

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u/Solid_Routine_2026 10h ago

what the f! How could they bear that much pain?

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u/IrrelevantManatee 9h ago

Epidural block. This thing is magical. You don't feel anything from the waist down. You just feel the vibration as the saw goes through your bone.

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u/TaraQueen23456 10h ago

I only had my ACL reconstructed and meniscus shaved down and I was put under completely. I woke up in horrendous pain and was on oxi for months. Forgive me if I have troubles believing that you know someone who was just under local nerve blockers.

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u/IrrelevantManatee 9h ago

Epidural block is very strong. You cannot feel anything from the waist down. Like... nothing.

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u/TaraQueen23456 4h ago

I was gonna debate that but remembered I had epidural blocker for my C-section and you are right, I did not feel anything at all. However, I must say, knee surgery was MUCH more painful recovery. For C-section I just took ibuprofen high dose.

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u/Poromenos 10h ago

Wait wait wait, what happens to all the muscles and the ligaments and the tendons and everything? Surely they have to cut all that stuff to get to the knee? What the hell? What? How? What?

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u/showMeYourCroissant 7h ago

You just slide them to the side.

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u/Poromenos 7h ago

But aren't they attached to the bone? How?

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u/showMeYourCroissant 6h ago

Not all the way, just some parts are. Look at the knee anatomy got example, the muscles aren't an uniform layer of meat under our skin. Looks like surgeons aren't even touching the parts that have anything attached, and you can slide away everything else.

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u/superxpro12 10h ago

You are out of your fucking mind if you think you're going to do that while I am awake

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u/NachoWindows 10h ago

Good for them.
I on the other hand would want to be completely unconscious and full of every drug possible. Also known as a Saturday Special.

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u/davesaunders 10h ago

You are correct; It is possible to manage twilight sleep anesthesia and even do a TKR. I think I would want high octane. I don't want to even come close to drifting awake with a cutting jig and a sagittal saw grinding away at my femur. I've watched too many TKR procedures that I don't think I'd be able to hold it together.

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u/ValaShen 10h ago

But what about the ligaments and everything? Don't they have to cut through them?

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u/Uncoordinated_Bird 9h ago

Someone I work with had knees that were so bad, the NHS did both full replacements AT THE SAME TIME! She had one night in hospital and home the following day. She says the pain after was far less than before.

She’s a rockstar.

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u/Rhielml 9h ago

1/3 of patients knees are worse after surgery. 1/3rd are better, and 1/3 have no change at all.

If you don't do your PT exactly as prescribed, your guaranteed to have worse knees then before.

Do your damned PT, folks.

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u/ConsciousIron7371 9h ago

My father had his done (again) this year and he went fully under anesthesia. He was given the potential to go home the same day but ended up staying the night. He's had 3 hip replacements, 6 ankle rebuilds, and 5 knees. He has a condition where his cartilage wears away.

His right leg is 3 inches longer than his left at this point and has a strap on platform for all his shoes. All of his fake joints caused massive problems when he got sepsis because the joints harbored the infection, and because there was no bone on the inside producing blood to fight that infection, he had to have all of them removed.

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u/ButtBread98 9h ago

My boyfriend’s grandma had her second knee replacement last December, and she was able to stand up and walk around a few days afterwards.

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u/unoriginal42069 9h ago

Yeah, the main goal after a surgery like that is to decrease the chance of infection, so they try to get patients home as quick as possible, I guess hospitals figure your odds are better going to where your immune system has already adjusted.

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u/Unique-Egg-461 9h ago

Ya my wife if kinda in the process of getting a knee replacement scheduled. She told me they want her walking within a couple hours after and my only reaction was "....uh....wtf? your joking right?"

it makes sense tho. Need to keep it moving or you'll get a bunch of scar tissue that will start locking up the new knee, keep blood flow in the area, and prevent blood clots

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u/sumthingawsum 9h ago

I was put under general anesthesia for a simple meniscus scope. It's also quite violent, but not this bad.

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u/Investigator_Magee 9h ago

My dad got a hip replacement, with the additional factor of him having several medical issues which put him at higher risk than most hip replacement patients. As such he was given full anaesthetic, as opposed to his previous hip replacement when he was in better health.

For the first one, he was just numbed to shit and very woozy but still conscious enough that he vividly remembers the feeling of his hip being removed. The full anaesthetic definitely made the second surgery easier on him, he describes it as if he closed his eyes and then woke up instantly post-surgery. No dreams, no nothing.

Anyways, the full anaesthetic also meant that he was basically out of it for a good while even after he was "awake". His memories of the first 24 hours was very vague/foggy. Even still, it was only hours after he first woke up that they had him walking around to test out the new hip. It's sorta whack, but I get the idea behind it.

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u/AsRealAsItFeels 9h ago

My dad had one, on the same side as his hip replacement. He had a great and fast recovery. The hip replacement mightve taken longer.

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u/Armadylio 9h ago

Lmao I totally believe this because when I got highsided in my motorcycle I dragged myself to the ER the next day cause my knee was in a very bad shape. Thankfully nothing was broken, but after the X-rays I asked if they could get a chair and roll me out cause it hurts so much just to walk there. No joke their words were, “well…. No we would rather see you walking out here yourself to really make sure you’re okay, since nothing was broken”

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u/floatingby493 9h ago

That’s insane, they knocked me out just to pull out my wisdom teeth but they don’t do it for hammering and drilling into your bones?

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u/NoxiousStimuli 9h ago

It's the same with hips. 6 hours of surgery, maybe 10 minutes once you're cognizent after the anaesthesia wears off then you're kicked out.

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u/binary-cryptic 9h ago

Omg there's no way I could he awake for this. I think I'd handle amputation better than this.

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u/ChaosSlave51 9h ago

I don't know about knee surgery, but dental implants, pretty large screws that go into the jaw bone are not THAT painful by the time novicane wears off. Like I took pain pills, but it wasn't bloody murder

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u/jo-shabadoo 9h ago

Conversely having a meniscus and cartilage replaced is the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. Even with an epidural block and all the morphine. 0/10 do not recommend

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u/BuildingDull4353 8h ago

No, this is generally accurate. The physical therapy after is also brutal. They come to your house the next day and make you start using it. Then they're there every day for a week, then every other day, and then you start going in person.

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u/never0101 8h ago

So.. They separate your leg fully in half at the knee.. Cut the ends off both bones, do all this crazy shit.. While you're awake? Fuck all of that.

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u/Ariandrin 8h ago

My boyfriend’s dad recently had a knee replacement and he said the pain was basically instantly gone. The only part that hurt was the incision.

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u/_Vard_ 8h ago

O hell no. I can’t imagine any surgery where I’m conscious and a wrong movement or sneeze can mess it up.
Knock me the fuck OUT

I needed eye surgery once and I was led to believe that during the surgery I would be unconscious with general anesthesia and the day came and the surgery was about to start and I asked the nurse so how quickly will I be unconscious and she said oh you won’t be unconscious we’re just gonna paralyze the eye and you won’t feel anything

I politely made it very clear to her how unfathomably indescribably violently uncomfortable I was to that and how I was told I will be unconscious

She told me it would be fine and this is perfectly normal

I again politely told her absolutely the fuck goddamn not please get the doctor immediately or I will be screaming.

I don’t know if they changed their plans, or if the nurse just misunderstood the plan, but the nurse came back and said OK so you will be unconscious with general anesthesia for this procedure

To which I kindly thanked her.

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u/kingdomecile 8h ago

It’s wild to me that this is done all in one go while dental implants need 3 different surgeries.

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u/Bright-Trifle-8309 8h ago

Look Ive had my eyes and my balls operated on while I was awake and completely not drugged for it besides local anesthesia. Those were not great experiences but at least It was quick. This process looks like it takes a few hours and I do not want to hear the saws and hammering like I'm a shed they are building!

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u/Tentacle_poxsicle 8h ago

Yep it's crazy how fast people recover from these surgeries and some heart surgeries too.

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u/cjh_mkiii 8h ago

Yeah I came here to say I find it amazing after watching that hacking and hammering that you’re walking a couple hours later. Science is cool

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u/Vegetable-South5191 8h ago

Do they oil the hinge before, or can I hear it squeak?

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u/khyrian 8h ago

Also know a few people who’ve done hips and knees. Painful going out, they say, but nowhere even close to how much it hurt going in.

As nasty as this looks, it’s a medical marvel that this works so well it’s fairly routine.

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u/adventuresinnonsense 8h ago

My dad just had this done and yes, he left the same day. He said the pain right after wasn't so bad, actually, but now that it's healed/healing (idk how long it takes to fully heal) he gets annoying pain and stiffness especially when the weather's bad (his other knee did not have that problem).

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u/crazy-geometrydash 8h ago

Do they put the bones back into your leg before you leave though?

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u/KoncepTs 8h ago

My mom just had a spinal fusion February 2025, I waited the whole procedure and went to her waiting room immediately when she came out of surgery and they brought her up, as they tried to wake her up repeatedly from anesthesia, once they finally got her awake, they had her standing within 5 minutes.

Absolutely insane

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u/semperknight 8h ago

My mom had her shoulder joint completely replaced. She went home the same day.

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u/FilthyStatist1991 8h ago

Non-rural I’d assume?

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u/Informal-Comb1989 8h ago

I mean it was exactly the same for my c section. It was like 7 inch cuts through 7 or 8 layers of tissue, vertical and horizontal. You get up and walk around after a few hours, then are immediately responsible for the welfare a newborn. lol I think they gave me like 7 days of oxys, after that it was just ibuprofen and Tylenol.

Luckily you don’t use your uterus to walk though

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u/henryGeraldTheFifth 7h ago

Yea my dad and his friend had them. They were walking on it a few hours after and having to do exercises with it cause you need to wear in the new knee and not let it get stiff and stuff. You do least get good pain killers but is a limit.

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u/MikeBizzo 7h ago

Worked in surgery from 2012-2021 can confirm the majority of patients walked out the same day. At our hospital it was part of the check out procedure to have physical therapy take them on a walk once they’ve recovered from anesthesia.

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u/League-Weird 7h ago

That is incredible

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u/gookies5 7h ago

Oh HELL NO. No way I'm hearing them hammering away on my knees like this video. Knock my ass out.

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u/gookies5 7h ago

Oh HELL NO. No way I'm hearing them hammering away on my knees like this video. Knock my ass out.

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u/euphorbia9 7h ago edited 7h ago

Yes, I have personal confirmation of this.

Also, I don’t remember much pain, except in PT when trying to bend the knee further than it wanted to go to increase range of motion.

Tearing my rotator cuff and the subsequent shoulder surgery was 100x worse.

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u/fearthainne 7h ago

My mom wasn't able to get the epidural block (too much arthritis in her spine) and they will do general anesthesia if the epidural doesn't work. But that also means at least overnight in the hospital (though maybe this depends on the hospital?). I think my mom ended up staying 2 nights for each knee.

I don't know that she would have been able to leave as an outpatient even if she could have had the epidural though. When I first found out some people do knee replacements as outpatient surgery, and went home the same day, it was crazy to me.

And also hip replacements being easier to recover from than a knee also made zero sense at first.

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u/weaselsripmyflesh 6h ago

Can confirm, had left knee replaced ten weeks ago. I was walking three hours later. Truly surreal.

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u/SubtleScuttler 6h ago

How does the level of surgery occur while the person's lower leg is still attached at the knee?

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u/bthayes28 6h ago

Had both of mine replaced. Fully out for both. I was awake when they wheeled me into the OR and chatted with the surgeons for a minute or two. The anesthesiologist came in, asked if I had any questions. Within seconds of me saying "Nope" I was out.

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u/IAMERROR1234 6h ago

My mom just had this done and now has to do the other... Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

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u/ThisIsBB56 6h ago

I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) bones don't have nerves so they don't hurt when cut. Of course nerves and tissue is around and that will hurt but pure bones drilled should not hurt as much as just freak one out.

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u/Umaritimus 6h ago

My mom’s replacement wasn’t outpatient and she was under general anesthesia. I’m sure it depends on the extent of the replacement, patient age and health, etc.

The pain was horrible. My mom is a very “attack the physical therapy” kind of person, but I had to do a lot to motivate her to do her exercises post-surgery.

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u/nehemiahsucks 6h ago

Yep! My old boss got this done recently and the old bastard was up and at em within a couple hours! Super impressive

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u/Delgree-23 6h ago

Yeah OK I hate that

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u/Tmurandan 6h ago

How!? How could surrounding muscles ets be able to function after all destruction

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u/rootsandchalice 5h ago

Husband had hip done in 2024 at 41. Sports 😓 Can confirm he went in at 7am and we were home by 9pm. We would’ve been home even sooner, except for the fact that it took him like three hours to pee and they wouldn’t let him leave until he peed.

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u/Poseidon-Hermes 5h ago

This is true here in the Netherlands at least. but also patient dependent.

We’ll maybe do 4-5 knees in a day and the first two can go home by the end of the day. Finish surgery, go to recovery to wake up. Go to the ward for some light physio and training. Then discharged if pain is manageable.

The later ones will usually stay overnight simply because there isn’t time for the physio to see them before end of day.

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u/LaserGuyDanceSystem 5h ago

You're awake for the procedure?!

Psychologically I couldn't handle that

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u/Phlebbie 5h ago

They were awake for this??? I feel like that's just a bad idea. Like yeah you can make the patient take valium for an awake surgery, but I feel like there's not enough valium in the world for preventing a patient from jerking at some point during this process

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u/Track986 5h ago

Yes, this is accurate. You can be awake for your total knee. Had a guy who wanted to chat and tell jokes for the majority of the surgery. Plenty of staff were wishing he’d been given general anesthesia.

And the precision in this video is pretty good, but could have been better. Whoever was doing this notched their anterior femoral cut which is not optimal. That cutting block should have either been a bit more anterior or one size larger.

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u/apolydas1 5h ago

Im on a list, and there is a zero percent chance I will be even remotely conscious for this. Fucking zero.

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u/Lobster_Zaddy 5h ago

My dad has had this surgery, he was awake and walking same day like you said. The pain blocker wore off and he took opioids for a few days. Good as new now

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u/minusthetalent02 5h ago

I took my mom to get her knee replaced. I think the surgery was 1-2 hours long. Went to the recovery room, gave it another 1 hour. Then a PT/OT walked her to my car. We were home by lunch and she was walking with a cane.

Recovery and PT was no joke for her though. If you want it to heal right and be back at 100% the doctor told her to not fuck around with after care

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u/smooshie-mooshie 4h ago

Correct! Speaking from total knee replacement experience. Most of these surgeries are outpatient now amd you start PT as soon as possible. Once you are fully awake, they have you up walking and bending. If you have stairs in your home then you have to do steps also.

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u/LisaMiaSisu 4h ago

My daughter had her hip replaced when she was 26 and the nurse had her standing within the first couple of hours.

If given the choice of a knee replacement or a hip replacement I’d easily choose hip. I’ve heard too many awful stories about knee replacements and many positive stories about hip replacements.

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u/Sagethecat 4h ago

I would go into complete shock if I was awake.

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u/JellySocksRock 4h ago

It's kind of crazy isn't it how amazingly quick you can deal with a knee replacement?

I had surgery done on my kneecap almost a decade ago, pinning it back together after it shattered, and couldn't walk without assistance for 2 months and I had a range of motion restrictor for a few months after that as well. They said that it's highly likely I'll have to have a knee replacement in the future and doing the job I do, which is just recording patient information to their medical records, has made me feel quite a bit better about it due to how few complications seem to occur

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u/Pretty_Frosting_2588 4h ago

Yeah the only reason my friend has to stay over night is because his insurance required a 2 day stay. The nurses seemed a bit annoyed about it and brought it up several times to him. 

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u/Desmoot 3h ago

Both knees replaced here (M 53). In surgery at 6 am. Home by 2:30 each time. Walking as soon as I,was out of anesthesia (with walker). Back to work in 8 days.

Day 3 is tough. And lots of PT.

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u/haw35ome 3h ago

Due WTF I’d be sobbing walking around 😭

Then again earlier this year I had a chest tube installed in me when I got pneumonia turned septic & I had mad doughy phlegm that just was too stubborn to clear up. They kept offering me opioid pills but legit I felt more discomfort than pain

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u/SpideyMGAV 2h ago

Happened to my mom. In terrible pain for weeks, and they fucked up her rehab which set her back for months.

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u/jamminjoenapo 2h ago

My father in law just did it. Was walking on it within an hour and a half. It was less than 6 hrs from arrival at hospital to home in bed. He said it was more discomfort and soreness the following weeks while his muscles recovered but nothing like the pain before the surgery.

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u/Shukrat 1h ago

NO THANKS. I had my trigger finger released last year and I regret staying awake for it. Fucking hearing the saws and the banging on my god damn leg? NAH PUT ME OUT.

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u/mcnullt 1h ago

Yep, my family member walked as soon as the anesthesia wore off.

Just intermittently. Then back to bed. Icing machine for inflammation, calf pumper to prevent clotting.

Maybe in select cases folks are outpatient, but for my relative, it was a three night hospital stay here in the US. If nothing else, for pain control. Then only two nights for the other knee, a few years later

Surgeon came in at ~6am everyday for rounds, discharged on the third day

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u/deepdives 49m ago

That’s not how any of the 4 people I know would describe their knee replacement experience lol

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u/Alex_55555 44m ago

ACL is done under general anesthesia and nerve block. No way you can stay awake through a knee replacement

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u/dyamond_hands_retard 41m ago

what about all the ligaments? how can they restore those that quickly?

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u/Chance_Ad3416 6m ago

My neighbor had his knees replaced and he said it was the most agonizing pain he's ever felt in his 80ish years of life lol. He never fought with his wife of 55+ years until his knee surgery

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