WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO DO TKR?

This is a very common question being asked in TKR forums.  In fact, I noticed that some people joined such forums for months or years before they even schedule their TKR surgeries.  I believe that these people know  they have a problem but they wish to find out in detail before they make a decision.  Well, it's good to learn as much as possible in order to be more prepared.  However, if learning more is going to put you off, then it may not be a wise thing to do.  In such instance, I would suggest that you just learn enough to help you make a decision and make necessary preparations before the surgery.  After all, you have plenty of time to learn more during recovery which is quite a long process.

 

In my case, I have to admit that I did not know much about TKR except way after my surgery.  I was in denial for some time but I knew that I had hit rock bottom when the pain became unmanageable.  Then I went running to my OS to fix the problem.  I was told that I needed a bilateral TKR because I was already bone on bone in both knees and it had resulted in joint damage.  Without any hesitation, I immediately scheduled a surgery which was only about  a few weeks away.  At that time, I was helping my daughter to organise a charity event so I fixed the date right after the completion of the event.  I'm glad I did that as I did not have to go through the anxiety of waiting.  Though I had to move around in great pain but it was the excitement of the preparations and adrenalin from the success of the event that kept me motivated.  To be honest, I could not wait to get over with the surgery as I have endured enough.  It was only early this year that I started to join TKR forums and learnt so much from fellow TKRers. 

It's quite common to see some people who are happy to have finally scheduled their TKR surgeries but subsequently, begin to question whether they have made the right decision.  Most of the time it's because they suddenly experienced less pain in their knees and they begin to feel that their condition is not as bad as what other people are experiencing.  Actually, this is a sign of nerves and its perfectly normal.  Its also quite common to see some people who keeps questioning whether they are the right candidates for TKR because their pain is not as severe as what they see others experiencing.  Since then, I have learnt that  sometimes an x-ray can show very bad damage but the person does not experience much pain.  On the other hand, there are cases where the x-ray showed little damage but the person has extreme pain.  This is quite puzzling and  even some medical professionals find it hard to explain to their patients.  However, these people do admit that while they do not have severe pain but they walked with a limp, have bad posture,  experience pain when climbing up and down stairs, have restrictions in carrying out certain activities,  have limited range of motion etc. So the question remains when is the right time to do TKR?

I know its hard to pin point a certain time.  But some people have said that they knew its time when:-

1. they felt that enough is enough
2. they are unable to do the things they love
3. nothing works anymore
4. there is no quality in their life
5. they are merely existing and enduring life

Well, here's something that can help you to determine whether its time for you to do a TKR.  Just answer the following questions honestly:- 

1. How long can you walk and stand without pain and stiffness?
2. Are you limping when you walk?
3. Do you have a bad posture with aches and pain?
4. Are you able to climb up and down stairs normally without pain?
5. Are you able to do daily chores without restriction and pain?
6. Are you able to go shopping and holiday trips?
7. Are you able to do any exercise or play any sports?
8. Is the knee pain affecting your sleep?
9. Are you having bow legs or knock knees?

If you score poorly on the above questions, then the answer is obvious.  We do not have to just endure life.  We are supposed to have a better quality of life.  TKR is a medical miracle that allows us to gain back our life and it is one of the most highly successful surgery.  In fact, many people including myself waited too long to do TKR and as a result, suffered more damage from OA (refer post on OA still exist after TKR?).  And after finally having gone through TKR and enjoying an  active lifestyle with pain free knees, this is what most of us said  "WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?"