Joint surgery/replacements

Has anyone here had joint replacement surgery? I have severe osteoarthritis in both knees and my ortho doc wants to do a replacement on one. I want to have my WLS first so that I'll be in better shape for the knee surgery. Have any of you faced this? Thanks!

I haven't yet, but need both knees done. Because replacements wear out over time, I wanted to lose the weight first. Getting rid of excess weight has taken a tremendous strain off, so I'm able to postpone the replacements until I'm older. I don't want to go through a second set down the line.

I had no idea you have bad knees. I apologize profusely for my many comments about how bad that surgery is.

I had a total hip replacement a few years before my WLS, wish I had it after but my hip was too far gone to wait. It was amazing, I woke up from surgery knowing right away it was a success! I have to have my right knee replaced but am waiting until spring/summer, I am sure recovery will be smoother 90lbs lighter! I hope it works out for you either way, good luck!

Yes. I needed both a hip replaced as well as both of my knees. I chose to have WLS first for a few reasons:

1) Would taking the weight off reduce the pain and help delay the surgery (as Grim pointed out, they wear out, so if you can postpone them, great! Especially if you are relatively young).

Taking the weight off did nothing for my hip, so 1 year post op I had it replaced. My knees are by no means "good", but the pain level is greatly reduced and I believe I can put replacing them off for quite a few years at this point.

2) These things wear out. They wear out fast with 350lbs on them than 150lbs. Seemed better to wait.

3) The risks of surgery are significantly reduced at a healthy weight and the recovery is much easier.

Hip replacement went great. Was back to 100% within a couple of months. It's been about a year, and I can hardly remember I even had the surgery.

I have severe osteoarthritis in both knees, have had 5 surgeries on them, and will probably need replacement joints in the future. Prior to WLS I was in a lot of pain and couldn't straighten my legs properly so lost 1 inch in height. Ten months post-surgery, I'm below goal weight and doing fantastic; knee pain is minimal, I'm at the right height again, love walking everywhere, and won't require knee replacements for a long time to come.

I need knee replacements, I was Dx with severe arthritis in my 40's. I used to pop advil daily to get my body going. DO I still need my knees replaced eventually? yup. But the pain I have is minimal, and manageable and when I do have surgery recovery will be easier.

Definitely have WLS first.

I would have had my hip replaced by now if it weren't for WLS. Like NYMom, I popped Advil (or Aleve) every day just to be able to function, and got regular cortisone injections. No more! I still have minimal pain, *nothing* like before, but not really enough to take anything for it. And I haven't had a cortisone injection in two years.

I had WLS almost three years ago. I went to a physiatrist a couple of weeks ago who said I probably have another five years before the joint will need to be replaced, so if so, I will have gotten up to eight additional years on my hip because of WLS. AND, because of that delay, I'll be less likely to have to have a second replacement down the road.

Hi. I needed bilateral TKAs, which is what prompted me to undergo WLS. Had my duodenal switch in Dec 2012. Lost 185 pounds and underwent TKA bilaterally at the same time in Feb 2014. You must lose weight before getting your knees done. Greatly reduces the risk for clots and joint failure. Rehab is much easier, too. Good luck!

Edit: was 43 at time of WLS and 44 when I got the knees done. Very young for replacement, but my knees were dreadful.