What are knee surgery symtoms?

Question

I am 70 years old and love to walk but pain and swelling in the knee are now inpeding this activity. I hate to think of surgery but what can I do?

Answer 1

Go see an orthopedic surgeon. Swelling and pain can be a lot of things. its best to see a professional and get their input. they'll tell you the options and you get to make the decision.

good luck

Answer 2

I am 45 and have knee problems, too. Here is what I have been told to do... especially after exercising... put ice packs on you knee after exercise, and that is supposed to help. There is also a "joint" medicine that is supposed to be good for the knee joints,
Glucosamine, I believe. It's supposed to help build up the cartilege.

I keep using the word "supposed," because, I haven't tried taking the glucosamine pills (they're big, like something you'd push down a horse's throat).... and there's never an ice pack when I need one...

So, I pretty much just suffer from the knee pain... But I heard all that "good advice" from the doctor.... so I recommend you go to your doctor and ask him what you can do for your knee, and if there are alternatives to knee surgery.

For the record, I have friends who have had knee surgery, and a couple of them have said that the surgery didn't help.

Good luck to you and your knees!!!

Answer 3

Maybe you could get a shot of cortisone in your knee. Or just get the fluid drained out of your knee. That would be minimal. Could try physical therapy. Depending on your health, you are at a good age to have surgery and recover from it. You could still live twenty or more years. Why would you want to live those years in pain when surgery would help significantly? Physical therapy would quickly help you get back to your full potential after surgery, especially if you do all the exercises given. I think you should go for the surgery. I'm sure you'll do great and you said you love to walk. It sounds like you stay active and that's an even better positive on your side for recovering after surgery.

Answer 4

Okay, my ex-husband had multiple knee surgeries. He frequently would have cartilage tears in his knee, requiring surgery. After the surgery, he would be given a strong pain killer, told to use crutches and not to put weight on his knee for a few days, and then to gradually begin to bear weight in 4-7 days. After about 4-6 weeks, the pain was usually gone and his knee was recovered, and he was able to walk normally again. A side effect of knee surgery was that sometimes fluid would develop on the knee after surgery. This happened to him on 2 out of 5 knee surgeries he had. Bear in mind that he didn't always obey doctor's orders and he would bear weight on his knee before he was supposed to. If you do develop swelling on the knee after surgery, this is a very painful thing, and you have to go back and a needle syringe is inserted into the knee to drain the fluid. This is a very painful procedure, but an outpatient procedure.

My ex-husband had so many surgeries that his kneecap eventually had to be replaced. Because he was so young (40 at the time), his doctor felt that an artificial knee was not a good option for him, because he would need to have it replaced every 10 years. He ended up having a total knee replacement from a donor bone. This is a procedure where they take the knee bone from a person who has died, and graft it onto the bone of the recipient, after taking out any dead knee tissue. At the time of my ex-husband's surgery, this was 5 years ago and there were only 5 locations in the nation who performed this procedure. He was told that this type of surgery had a more positive chance of not having to be repeated in his lifetime. He was also told by his surgeon, that it is not uncommon for senior citizens to have total knee replacements, but usually with artificial knees.

My feeling is that 70 years old is still pretty young. You could live another 20 years - you never know. To me, it would be worth it to at least have the surgery to repair any tears, if that is what is going on. It's worth a talk to an orthopedic surgeon. Of course, they would have to take into account your health and if it could be compromised with surgery, simply because you are older. I think though, that if you want to be able to walk and can't, then you should do what you can to fix that problem. My mother was 79 and had a disease that was taking away her ability to walk. She was a very active woman, but she couldn't walk anymore. As a result of her inactivity, she developed blood clots in her legs. These clots traveled to her lungs and heart, and she died as a result of those clots before her disease could fully take its toll on her. This is partly why I feel so strongly that anything that can improve your mobility is a GOOD thing, and should be pursued. Best wishes to you, and I hope you can get some relief with the pain and swelling in your knee!

Answer 5

You can try what I did. I tore the discus between the knee parts(No don't try that! I mean what I did after that.) and was told that I would never walk again without an operation. I am a firm believer in prayer and natural healing I adjusted my diet, went into the ocean to support my body weight and did exercise in the water. Salt water is not real good on crutches but three months later I was jogging with 20# weights. Met a guy who received knee surgery who said he's had nothing but problems since. I'm 57. There is a book,"Back to Eden," by Kloss. Worth getting.

Answer 6

I would try Ibuprofen to control inflammation, you likely have Arthritis. And keep walking, it's the best thing you can do for your joints, especially with arthritis. After walking, sit and rest with your legs elevated and apply either a cold compress or heat whichever makes it feel better for you. I use heat, but that is my preference. You might consider taking Gloucosimine and Condroition(the spelling is probably wrong)it can be found in drug stores,pharmacies, health food stores. They act as a lubricant and make movement of the joints more comfortable. I would also try some physical therapy,check with your doctor to set up an appointment. Also, swimming is a great excercise that is easier on the joints, you could sit in the spa afterwards and that would make your knee feel better. It's cheap also, most public pools have open times for seniors at discounted rates. Good luck.

Answer 7

You need to see an orthopedic surgeon to determine what is causing the pain and swelling. And get one who is willing to go the distance to figure out what's wrong. I've had knee problems since I was little and we finally figured out (after 28 years!) that my kneecap was not sitting properly and this was causing massive pain and swelling. Days when I'd drag my leg literally. But, had arthroschopic (sp?) surgery and was back on my couch by 12 noon. It helped alot. I only have pain/swelling when really bad weather is coming.
Get it checked out!

PS - take ibuprofren for swelling - and an ice pack.

Answer 8

It depends on the part of it which is torn. It is a C-shaped or a crescent shaped cartilage and the outer portion of the meniscus (the periphery) has good chances of healing and can be left to heal on its own with rest and splints. But the remaining major portion has no blood supply (blood brings the nutrients and the cells that do the repair) and cannot heal on its own and need to be either repaired or removed (dont panic, some tears at the narrow central part will be too insignificant or thin to be sutured back). This can be done by arthroscopically, a key hole surgery, with good results and rehab.

Answer 9

The price of knee surgery is very low in India as compared to USA, UK and Canada. There is one company that is very famous in India that arranges surgery for foreigners in India. They are called the Fly2india4health Consultants. I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and about their patient stories. I have also read that they arrange financing for international patients, as all surgery is not covered by insurance or by the stinking NHS.

They also have photos pasted of their International patients. You can checkout their website. The cost savings are incredible. As a doctor I personally believe that your knee joint surgery can be easily handled in India, as the quality of Healthcare available here is simply best in the world. The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star.

My cousin got her Knee Joint surgery done there and she is more than very happy with the results. She is all praise for Fly2india4health Consultants. She paid just 20% of the cost what she was quoted in USA and it was like a wonderful vacation for her. Hope this helps

Source(s):
http://www.fly2india4health.com

Answer 10

I KNOW it's scary but you need to go see an orthopedic doctor about your knee. I just had knee surgery in Nov. 2006 for torn meniscus and torn ligaments. They just go in with a microscope and fix it all, it doesn't hurt at all and you just have 2 little holes in your knee. YOU WILL BE SO HAPPY AND OUT OF PAIN and then you can resume enjoying your walks!!!!!!!!! JUST DO IT!!!!! God BLess and good luck........................