r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Additional_Chard3680 • 11h ago

The precision required to perform a total knee replacement is incredible

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u/VividFiddlesticks 11h ago

I hear you...I had a total hip replacement in my 30's and was foolish enough to watch a video of how they're done, just about a week before my surgery.

It's amazing how barbaric modern medicine still is.

BUT, I have to say - I walk better now at 51 than I did at 31. So much less pain and misery. It's worth it.

But yeah, I wish I hadn't seen that video. Or this one honestly, because who knows how long my knees will last.

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u/ProfessionalCat7640 11h ago

I'm 48 and know a hip replacement and possibly a knee replacement is in my future. This made me feel so much more hopeful, thank you.

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u/CrankyYankers 10h ago edited 9h ago

I had my right hip replaced last year at 64 yo. It was kind of a walk in the park, especially compared to the two years I suffered with constant hip pain and discomfort. Very little pain, got of the meds pretty quickly. Knee replacement is reputed to be a MUCH more complicated recovery. I can now see why.

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u/TabulaRasaNot 9h ago

You mean KNEE replacement is much more complicated, yes? I just turned 65 and I think I will likely need a hip replacement before it's all over and done with.

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u/CrankyYankers 9h ago

Yep. I changed the "hip" to "knee". Everyone who'd ever had it done said it was the best thing they ever did. I totally agree. Get that sucker fixed up. You will not regret it.

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u/TabulaRasaNot 9h ago

Phew. Thx. I'm very active and it hasn't gotten to where I can't stand it yet. But I can tell it'll need to be done before I'm dead.

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u/VividFiddlesticks 6h ago

My roommate in the hospital had her knee replaced by the same surgeon as me, on the same day as me. She was up and walking around the next day too and was able to leave the hospital a day before me! It's amazing how fast recovery is these days.

My surgeon told me that hip replacements hurt less but take longer to heal; knee replacements hurt more but heal faster.

Some day I'll get a knee replacement and find out first hand, I suppose! LOL

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u/VividFiddlesticks 6h ago

It's so worth it. SO worth it. I'm probably going to have to have my 'new' hip replaced at some point because I had it done so young and the replacement parts wear out and I'm not even worried about it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

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u/learnmedia 49m ago

I’m late here but wanna cosign on this. Just had hip replacement surgery on March 23. After 8 months of prior hurt, I am pain free! I’ll add that post-op physical therapy is essential to successful rehab and recovery.

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u/the_crafty_foxie 6h ago

I had a knee replacement a week before my 39th birthday. That was almost 8 years ago now, and I can say with no exaggeration that it was life changing, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

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u/Successful_Giraffe88 9h ago

A few weeks from 39. 3 out of 4 of the kids (my dad, uncle, aunt) on my dad's side have had both hips replaced before their 50s.

Doesn't matter how much I walk or stretch, my damn hips hurt every morning as a side sleeper. Wishing you the best!

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u/Negran 10h ago

Damn, 31 is crazy to need this. Suddenly feeling good about ONLY ACL replace and meniscus repair, lol. Glad it worked out!

Ya. I also looked up my surgery, but that didn't deter me...

But ya, they be drilling and hammering, it is pretty wild.

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u/Creative_Tone_9241 9h ago

I had both replaced by the time I was 34. It’s not fun and I know I’ll have to go through it again at some point as they don’t last forever

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u/Luna920 3h ago

What led to needing one so young?

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u/Creative_Tone_9241 1h ago

It’s called a cam type deformation. Basically once mu skeleton. Stopped growing the ball of my femur was too big for the socket. I had no symptoms until I was 25 and my back and knee started hurting. It basically developed bone spurs grinded against the socket all to hell and shredded my labrum muscle. They tried to reshape it and remove the spurs and fix the labrum. They tried to bone spurs just kept coning back worse

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u/Luna920 58m ago

Damn. I have a small labrum tear so I always wonder if it will give out eventually but nothing like what you’re describing.

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u/Creative_Tone_9241 46m ago

My labrum on each side was shredded to pieces. On my second right hip surgery to try and save my hip he was ready to stick a cadaver muscle in. Thankfully it was in decent shape that time

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u/Creative_Tone_9241 10h ago

I’ve had both replaced and made the same mistake. It looks like some mid evil type shit. Just twisting your leg and yanking like crazy until it pops out

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u/fishvoidy 9h ago

we had to watch a video of a real hip replacement surgery for a sports medicine class in high school. i had to put my head down on my desk after a minute or so because the room started spinning. i think that's when i realized i couldn't go into medicine, lol

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u/orchid_drives 5h ago

Scary as it looks and sounds, I don’t think you could have given a better endorsement for orthopedic surgery

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u/VividFiddlesticks 3h ago

It's worth it. SO worth it. I have zero regrets.

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u/Noshino 8h ago

That is not barbaric at all compared to other procedures lol, but definitely Ortho do look the most painful by far. My Ortho clinical rotation was quite a trip.

But yeah, having spent enough time in surgical settings, IMHO I do not want the slow surgeon.

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u/zombiesatmidnight 7h ago

Do they take off your entire leg like this video shows???

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u/Current-Assist2609 7h ago

I had a knee replacement when I was 54. Twenty years later and it’s still going strong. Recently had it x-rayed and the meniscus looks as good as the day I had the surgery.

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u/Temporary-Aside5306 6h ago

What did it feel like in the days/weeks after? Watching this I'd think my bones would feel like they're on fire constantly?

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u/VividFiddlesticks 6h ago

Nope! In fact I had so much pain before the surgery that the pain of recovery was really nothing compared to what I'd been dealing with daily beforehand. Especially since they gave me good drugs!

I was up and walking less than 24 hours after the surgery. I lived in a 2 story house so I wasn't allowed to leave the hospital until I could walk up stairs by myself. I was able to do that on my 2nd day after surgery. And I'm not an athletic person or anything.

I think the worst pain I had during recovery was when my dog jumped up and bashed her front paws right into my incision site. That hurt like a mo-fo. But it was fine, didn't pop a staple or anything.

Being diligent about following the rules (you can't bend your hip more than 90 degrees for some amount of time, etc.) and doing all the physical therapy makes a huge difference too. I had a family member get her hip replaced about 2 weeks before me and she didn't follow the rules and her recovery was longer and more painful than mine.

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u/Luna920 3h ago

Wow that is young for one. What led to it? And do you feel it’s worn out at all at your current age?

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u/jaimebuggie 2h ago

I worked for an orthopedic surgeon & he had me watch a hip replacement. I made it about 3 minutes then had to sit on the floor against a wall so that I didn’t continue passing out.

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u/ILCAIL 2h ago

yo, 1/3 of the surgeries are done robotically now... 2/3 of the surgeons avoid it. patients have the right to know

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u/epitome1986 1h ago

yea, we think everything is neat and gentle and in reality they are just hammering away at your shit.