Knee Replacement :(

[FrannieC]

I realize this post is a few months old now, but I just wanted to report in.... I had participated in this thread shortly after my knee replacement surgery to see what my fellow divers had to say about diving after TKR. I have just returned from my first dive trip after surgery and I am happy to report that I had no problems at all with the knee. I made the first "giant stride" into the waters off Cozumel 4 months, 3 weeks and 1 day after total knee replacement surgery!! I had no problems with the knee at all, during the entire trip. I did remove my gear when climbling back onto the boat just to be cautious. I will say that I worked very hard after surgery, both in physical therapy and after they "released me" - I worked in a program at my chiropractor's office, with strength building using an isokinetic exercise machine. I also did several accupuncture treatments to reduce the swelling in the leg which greatly improved my range of motion. At almost 66 yo I was worried that my diving might be limited or over, but that won't be the case... at least not from the knee. The ear clearing problem reared it's ugly head again, but that is another issue for another thread. So all of the TKR candidates out there... go get it done and get on with life and diving!!

 

[boulderjohn]

Great to hear!

I was on a beach in Cozumel a number of years ago, a little late returning to the boat after our surface interval. I ran across the beach to the boat. It dawned on me that I was running across the beach to the boat, with no problems whatsoever. A year before that trip I could not have run 3 steps anywhere.

 

[Basscat]

Well since the thread I started has been resurrected, here's the update.... Had the right knee done June 3, all went well, cleared to drive 2 weeks later and cleared to dive at 6 weeks post op. Since I also scheduled replacement for the left knee at the 6 week appointment, decided it was best to put off the diving and prepare for my early Sept. surgery. I am tentatively planning on going to Cozumel around Christmas if the next knee goes as well. My only concern is getting from the 6-pack boat up to the downtown pier, but I think I can make it work.
Observations: Lots of work on the prescribed physical therapy exercises before surgery makes recovery much faster, and things got way better at exactly 4 weeks post op, so keep working even when it hurts during those first 4 weeks. And if I would have realized that that pain when I walked was the bones grinding into each other, I would have gone in much sooner.....
And I can't wait to be able to walk all over San Miguel again, I've been missing some of my favorite local eateries

 

[Peter69_56]

I always take off my fins before coming onboard. Even if they have fin friendly steps, it just doesn't work for me. Getting on and off is fine and finning as well.

Glad the outcome for you guys is good. Enjoy the diving, but get used to a manual scan through all the airports that don't have the body xray machine.

 

[FishCity]

Hi, everyone. I am so happy I found this thread!!! I am scheduled for R leg TKR on May 3. If it had just been bone on bone pain, I am no stranger and would have kept dragging myself along but I tore some calcified cartilagevor some such thing and now really cannot walk much. So it is time. I held off for a long time and now technology and I are a match...am 65 now.

I alternate between being hopeful and terrified. As one of you said (first place I have seen someone else say this) they DO cut your leg in half and put it back together!

I have been through arthroscopies and am determined about rehab. Getting the house ready just overwhelms me. But the water has been the only place I have ever felt free to move, so hearing your stories I have hope I will be back snorkeling in Hawaii in January.

Can you climb dive ladders after TKR? Those short vertical ones into RIB craft?

I hope to go to China and Japan in October..we bought the tickets right before the knee went terminal. We will have lie flat seats (used miles) but I do not know if I can walk miles at 5.5 months.

I ramble but am so grateful for this thread. First hopeful thing I can relate to.

 

[Basscat]

Since I started this thread 2 years ago, I have had both knees replaced, and at 5:55 tomorrow morning I am flying back to Cozumel for the 5th time since the last surgery. Last Christmas day was a non-dive day, so I walked to some of my favorite places in town, and at the end of the day my iPhone told me I had walked 9.9 miles, pain free First diving was 3.5 months after the second knee, about 6.5 months after the first one. As I mentioned in an earlier post, do the physical therapy exercises starting at least a month before surgery, to get the muscles ready, and follow your PT schedule religiously after surgery. And do NOT over-do it, that will slow you down in the long run. No issues with climbing dive ladders, my favorite dive op. is a small boat, we do back rolls and hang the ladder over the side. I do remove the BC in the water and hand it up before boarding. Life is soooooo much better with the new knees!

 

[FishCity]

Happy travels! You made my day.

I will be getting the other knee done sometime..hopefully after China, Japan and Hawaii...

 

[Peter69_56]

Hi, everyone. I am so happy I found this thread!!! I am scheduled for R leg TKR on May 3. If it had just been bone on bone pain, I am no stranger and would have kept dragging myself along but I tore some calcified cartilagevor some such thing and now really cannot walk much. So it is time. I held off for a long time and now technology and I are a match...am 65 now.

I alternate between being hopeful and terrified. As one of you said (first place I have seen someone else say this) they DO cut your leg in half and put it back together!

I have been through arthroscopies and am determined about rehab. Getting the house ready just overwhelms me. But the water has been the only place I have ever felt free to move, so hearing your stories I have hope I will be back snorkeling in Hawaii in January.

Can you climb dive ladders after TKR? Those short vertical ones into RIB craft?

I hope to go to China and Japan in October..we bought the tickets right before the knee went terminal. We will have lie flat seats (used miles) but I do not know if I can walk miles at 5.5 months.

I ramble but am so grateful for this thread. First hopeful thing I can relate to.

Climbing dive ladders is ok although I usually always take my fins off now as getting the additional bend to deal with the fin toe end is harder. You will often find DM's telling you not to take fins off as the ladder is fin friendly, however I have learned to tell them up front I will be taking my fins off due to a bionic knee (this they seem to understand over having a knee replacement). I will however keep my fins on if its very rough and take a slow approach to getting up the ladder, over the risk of getting bashed to death while taking fins off in the water.

The op itself is a cut from about 2" above the knee joint to same below the knee, over the knee cap. Happy juice keeps you comfortable for a week after the op.

The big thing is to ensure you get lots of physio during rehab. You will need more than 90 degree bend. I have maybe 115 but its still restrictive. To get this I had to have physio and also deep tissue massage from a sports masseur. Only this was enough to get me to a point of being ok. The alternative is that they drug you up and force bend the knee (to tear off all the internal adhesion to the bone etc). You do not want this as not only does it turn the inside of your knee mush from all the tearing and bleeding, but sometimes in their effort to bend your knee they break your thigh bone and thats very bad kama and requires very many extra months recovering. Also just remember you cannot jump down off any height anymore, run or have high joint impact as this will damage the new joint or at least make it wear prematurely. Having an additional operation second time around is not a good option as its more complex and more invasive. Outcomes being less predictable.

I have suffered since 14 so am very happy to have the relief. I dive no problem at all. I handle getting off and on the boat no problems.

 

[FishCity]

Thsnk you. I will remember your advice and remember about massage!

 

[Peter69_56]

Thsnk you. I will remember your advice and remember about massage!

Yes you need a "good" sports masseur who works the area fairly hard. It made a huge difference to movement. Left leg I can put my heel on my butt, right leg its about 2-3" from my butt.Now you might think that its fine, but it does restrict movement still. In particular getting down on the ground or getting up. Still its much better than the alternative of suffering 24/7, but it does demonstrate the need to work the joint soon as you can after the operation to get maximum movement.