Knee Replacement

[Bill Babler]

As most know I had a total knee replacement about three and a half weeks ago. This was done by Columbia Orthopedic Group in Columbia Mo. They are not affiliated with the university and rated a top 5 ortho, by the Wall Street Journal in the United States. 

They do a lot of things different with a total knee. They have their own campus with clinic, surgery center, lodging and therapeutic center. 

They also prescribe to an online home fitness program thru Force Therapeutic. 

I am now totally pain free, can walk up and down steps without hand rails and can stand in one place indefinitely without pain of any kind. My knee flex is 0 to 140 with total ease of flexibility. Average 65 year old knee without osteoarthritis is 10 to 120 degree flex. I am going to continue my Force Program at home by my PT says I'm completely done with his 8 week program after 3 weeks and signed off after 8 total visits. 

This is the first time in 15 years I have been totally without knee pain. I waited for Medicare. If I had, had good insurance I would have done it sooner. This is life changing. 

Thanks for all the good wishes. I can even start driving tomorrow.  I'm Free

God Bless

[bobby b.]

Bill,

Happy it worked so well for you.  I know a few guys that needed two, had the first one, and never got the second one because of the pain of rehab.

How long did you have to stay in Columbia?

Bobby

[Willyh08]

Glad to hear you're pain-free. I've had both my knees done and will be getting a new hip next month. It's almost a miracle what the doctors can do.

[Smithvillesteve]

Good for you Bill. Living in pain is no fun. this will allow you to continue to do the things you love!!

[Bill Babler]

Surgery took under 2 hours was doing therapy 3 hrs after surgery. Moved to lodge COG Lodge that evening. Short walk down the hall. My wife was my support person and we both stayed in their wonderful lodge. Just like a fine hotel.  Had therapy again that evening and walked stairs. Next morning full work out with therapists and headed home by 10 am. No pain what so ever

I had a spinal for surgery and that blocked any pain. Only uncomfortable I had was the 3rd. day at nite. Took 1 oxycodine. Hated it but felt better. Never took another one. I used an ice machine and tramadol as needed. Still got 1/2 a bottle of that

I had been exercising with the Force Therapeutic program prior to surgery and continued following the program. Therapist came to the house on day four with nurse to check wound. Both were totally amazed. 

At COG they do not cut the end of the femur Nor do they staple or stitch. This increases recovery time and cuts the pain to extreme minimal. They rebuild both the femur and the tibia and glue the incision

Not 4 weeks out I'm totally pain free and ready to go with more flexibility than I can ever remember. My Xrays were beautiful and my leg is totally straight. I have also lost 12 pounds as a side benefit from my workout

[Bill Babler]

Prior to therapy or any heavy workout I'd take 2 Tramadol. About 2 hrs before. After workout I would ice. 2 hrs later another Tramadol. This was a preventive to any pain. From the day of the surgery on I'd walk with a walker 10 minutes per hour during waking hours. After 1 week I no longer needed the walker and used a cane for several more days on my walks , then I really had no more use for it, probably about day 12. 

Ask any questions you wish and I'll do my best

[Quillback]

Glad to hear your surgery went well, certainly sounds like the way to go the way they did it for you.  In my case they cut the bone, put new knee ends (for lack of a better term) and stitched it back up.  Even so the pain was not bad, and was never as bad as what I was experiencing before surgery.  

Sure does help to have insurance, my bill was $30K, surgery ain't cheap.  

[dtrs5kprs]

👍

Too bad being ready to go coincided with Canada acting like a grumpy toddler.

[Terrierman]

Bill:  So glad you got the positive results.  Totally matches my experience with both knees TKR and both hips THR at the Mercy Orthopedic Hospital.  When you say life changing those are the two words that say it all.  I now walk three miles or so four to five days per week and totally pain free.  

Chronic pain is life changing too - and not in a good way.  Modern medicine is as close to miraculous as any of us are likely to experience.  We should all be thankful.

[Bill Babler]

Quill my sister-in-law in KC that's how they told her they were going to do hers. They need to wake up and come into reality. 

We had a nurse from St Louis that works at Washington University and she was told if you want the best, go to COG, there is a reason they're one of the top centers in the country. 

We also have a lady at our church that had an ankle done at kU orthopedic and they fused it. Told her there was to much deteriation to fix it. She could barely walk. A friend told her COG could fix it. Not only did they defuse it, And clean up the mess she has total movement and no pain what so ever. 

If you live in the Midwest and don't go to COG for orthopedic care when we have one of the best in the world right here you might be messing up