Reality that knee replacement does not last for life

Once I lost 75 pounds the surgeon agreed to operate.  However I got cold feet when he explained that if he operated when I was high does of insulin and 283 pounds gong on 290 the operation would only last 3 years.  Now that I have lost 75 pounds it would last 10 years.  This made me wonder what I would be like at 75 crippled???????  Currently I have delayed things to give this extra thought plus the weight loss has given me less pain.   Should I wait until it gets worse or just do it?????????

I would do it.  I had partial knees done in 2001 and 2002.  That is the only operation they would do because I was only 38 years old.  I am going on 14 years and 13 years and no pain and I still have them.  Besides they are coming up with new and better devices all the time.  I had to wear double knee braces for years, would take advil and other pain meds, the snow and cold was torture.  I am so much better now.  

I had one knee replaced 3 years ago. At the time I weighed 320lbs. My ortho surgeon, who is one of the best in the whole North East USA, told me they do not (or at least HE does not) require people to lose weight before surgery any longer - there is a technique used now where they insert some kind of stints in to help carry the weight. Also the replacement I have is supposed to last 20 years. I know you can have a replacement replaced, but only once. Twice is the maximum times you can replace a knee. I'll be honest with you, I would not want to go through the surgery a second time. Knee replacement is not fun! And I am not totally happy with the results - my gait and stance are different now and altho not painful, my knee is stiff most of the time. However, this is definitely better than how it was before surgery - just not as good as I hoped it would be after. I now need a hip replaced and once I have surgery and have lost about 50 lbs, I will be heading for the OR again. The pain from my hip is actually worse than my pre-surgery knee - can't wait to get it replaced so I can live pain free again! My surgeon is not requiring me to lose weight before the hip replacement, that is my own choice. I'm hoping it will make the PT easier and recuperation time less, and less painful, than my knee surgery was.

i think you are very wise to get some of the weight off before the ortho surgeries. I was in knee PT a few years after a slipped on the ice, I did not need surgery, but the people PTing around me were. It seemed the better overall health they were in, the better progress they made in post-op PT. I'm 58 and think about these things also.

Best wishes,

Thanks, to share this with us. I had mined at long ago and I wish the pain had been gone all at once like vanish forever.