knee replacement help

oneday

hi all
i have a friend who is going to have a knee replacement and hopefully under epidural due to other medical issues that may make a full general anaestihic a problem.
Has anyone on here had a knee replacement with an epidural if they also have problems with their spine, think its spinal stenosis. Friend concerned that because of back problem an epidural may be ruled out but then worried about a general due to other medical problems.
thanks for any help peeps.
Just realised am in wrong forum!

tallrose

Hello I am new to the forum and first time on any forum too.
I was wondering if you had any tips as I think my mum may have to have this op soon?
I hope you friend's op went well.
Rose

elnafinn

Hi oneday

Sorry, cannot help as I had a GA both times for TKR operation.

I would have thought the anaethetist present throughout your friend's TKR operation would be aware of his/her other health issues and make the final decision, presumably with his/her consent.

Elna x

hileena111

I can half help you
I havent had a TKR but have had a THR and I've got scoliosis....{.curved spine} I didnt have an epidural but I did have a spinal block.
Sit on the theater table legs dangling and an injection into your spine to numb that area.
Dont know if you can get any help from that.....maybe someone that has had a TKR under epidural will come along
Love
Hileena

ImmaW

I'm not aware of anyone who has had an epidural for knee replacement surgery. I would think your friend's doctor would be better to ask or perhaps the anesthesiologist. I'm sure they have experience with patients having knee surgery or other similar surgeries with an epidural. You also might want to call your insurance company or get your doctor to check what your personal health insurance plan will cover.

elnafinn

As I understand it you can either have a General Anaesthetic and probably a nerve block too - I did for my TKRs or a spinal anaesthetic where you go numb from the waist down, feel no pain but you remain conscious. You can have a drug to make you sleepy and relaxed as well (sedation).

Elna x

tjt6768

Hi, and best of luck to your friend, and the newbie on here that's due for the op soon..
Not had it myself but there was a fella in the bed next to me who'd had two total knees done at the same time with epidural.. Don't think he had the spine problem but he said the op was fine albeit strange. He was making fantastic progress too, better than I was. He was walking about on his crutches the day after the op..

tallrose

hello Tony, I am trying to find out more info on knee replacements as my mum (81) is very worried about the possibility of having this done. Was the man you refered to a similar age you think? She has heard of more KR's that don't work than do. :?:

jojo03

Hi,

I had a TKR with an epidural in June. I had a chat with the anaethetist a couple of hours before the op and he talked through the options with me. I wanted an epidural but told him I was nervous. He said he would give me some sedation with it. I had the epidural just before going into theatre, it was fine. I had some sedation but was awake and listening to my iPod throughout. I didn't feel sleepy, just relaxed. I think you can have more sedation to put you into a light sleep, my friend had her hip done with an epidural but had extra sedation and slept through it.

Recovery is usually a bit quicker because you don't have that groggy feeling and can get up a bit sooner.

Hope this helps a bit!
Jo.

elnafinn

Hi Rose

You can ask as many people as possible about their outcome of a TKR but it still does not mean that the same will be for your mum. So much depends on an op that went well with no complications and a good recovery, everyone reacts differently post op and everyone is different pre op too in regards to their health and so on. I think,what is more important is how the person gets on with the surgeon, the person's trust in him/her, how many TKR ops he/she performs in a year and the success rate. My surgeon told me the latter in information he gave me to read, so I did not have to ask him, but I would have done. Why not? It is an important question to ask. Even then, it is not automatic that the op will be a success.


Elna x

stickywicket

Just a little word of caution, although I have every respect for Elna's knowledge of TKRs in particular and arthritis in general..

Successful outcomes can be a bit misleading as the best surgeons usually take on the more difficult cases ie where things are more likely to go wrong. So an average surgeon who takes on only those who have a duff knee and virtually no other problems will always have a better record than an excellent surgeon who takes on the really difficult patients.

As Elna says, you need to trust your surgeon. Facts and figures are a guide but do feel free to ask your own questions too.

tallrose

I really like our your views. Thank you so much!
:P

wendgro

Hi I had a TKR and THR both with epidural and sedation all went very well and recovery was good better than a general . Recovery after is sometimes flawed and depends totally on the constitution of the individual