I'll be having that done eventually.
No ACL in my left knee since about 1989. I had it scoped a few years back and he said it was already too screwed up to make an ACL reconstruction worthwhile at that point.
Nothing a little cave line, cable ties and duct tape couldn't fixOriginally Posted by Webmaster
"Not all change is improvement...but all improvement is change" Donald Berwick
I started getting more into diving in general because the pain in my knee was too bad for me to continue with my customary sports, like skiing. I started technical diving under those conditions, and frog kicking, etc. was very painful and difficult. I got my knee replaced. After I recovered, the pain was gone. I had much more flexibility, and suddenly, I could do a frog kick, and I could do it without pain. I did not begin cave dive training until after that, and by then the only time I thought about my knee replacement was if someone mentioned it. I have no restrictions on my diving today because of it. In summary, I don't think I would be a cave diver today if I had not had that knee replacement.
I think I'll seek out a second opinion. My knee makes enough funny noises as it is.
When I was first considering it, my family doctor was dead set against it--I was too young, he said. He gave me an argument that turned out to be completely inaccurate, that they wear out quickly and I would be entering old age with no knee at all. I eventually got him to agree to have me go to 3 orthopedic surgeons--2 of his choosing and 1 of mine--for their opinions. The first (one of his) was very conservative, but he said I was ready for replacement. The second (mine, and the one I eventually chose) told me I could schedule the operation at the front desk any time I wanted. The third was the only one who said to wait, and he was the one that convinced me to do it. He said I should not have the operation until I was pretty much out of my mind with pain every day. He said I should move into a ranch house to avoid stairs. He told me to use the handicapped parking spaces at all times. In short, he told me to live like an old man until I was an old man, at which point he would replace my knee and allow me to act my age. I thought that was absurd, so I got it replaced.
It still ranks as one of the best decisions of my life. I have been living a very active life without any pain for nearly a decade since that surgery. The only limitations are based on common sense rather than any physical limitation; for example, I don't do the aggressive skiing I used to do because of a fear of breaking it all up in a bad fall.
As for wearing out, I asked the orthopedist how long it would last when I had it done. He said he had no idea. He had only been doing it for 20 years. During those 20 years, in about 10% of the cases, he has had to open the knees to replace a removable part, but that was it. He said the ones being made now (i.e., a decade ago) were much better than the ones he was putting in 20 years ago, so he had no way of knowing how long they would last.
I'm 7 days post op ACL reconstruction. While not nearly as big a deal as a total knee, I'm surprised at how fast I've gotten a good range of motion back. I can go crutchless for reasonable distances (around the house/ to the office type stuff) and the pain is quite tolerable.
I've spent a lot of time in the CPM machine and I think that makes a difference. A friend of mine had an acl reconstruction a few months ago and he's having a tough time but wasn't prescribed a cpm. My father had tkr on both knees and wasn't diligent about the rehab and how he's really having mobility issues.
All boils down to the rehab!
Cave Diving After Total Knee Replacement
I had my second TKR in January. Every knee is different. Same surgeon, same operation, still different. First one I had a lot of pain and swelling. Second one went great.
Physical therapy. Push your self to the limits. You can always request more therapy to meet your goals. Again push your limits and hit the gym. Do as much as you can. It will be painful at times but so rewarding. Start day one.
I will never have full flexion. Have 120-130 on the right. Still working on the left but almost there. I'm back on the water like normal. Just have to modify few things. No big deal.
Strengthen the leg muscles.
Good luck!
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roadkill
I had ACL reconstruction ten years ago using a patellar tendon autograft. I used a continuous passive motion (CPM) device and did extension exercises before starting four months of physical therapy. It was a tough road, but I took it seriously, and supplemented my PT with flexion, extension, and strengthening exercises at home. According to my quack, my new ACL is stronger than in my other leg. Kneeling and squatting were a bit tough for the first year, but after that - no worries. I didn't dive back then (horrible thought!), so I have no idea what my frog kick would have been like, or how long it would have taken before I could hump tanks comfortably - all my exercise and rehab was terrestrial. My bike was my best friend - that and eventually the elliptical machine and treadmill. Anyway, during my first month at PT, I was covetously watching a bloke bounce around the room, doing moves and turns that I could only dream about. My PT said, "He just had a total knee replacement. In my experience, the pace of TKR patients' rehab and recovery is smoother because they have all new parts! You, on the other hand, have a new part working with old parts, and we further traumatized your knee by cutting out a bit of patellar tendon. So don't worry". I have no idea how true that is, but I hope it provides the OP with a measure of comfort. Hang in there!
I didnt have it done but a guy I worked for had both done at the same time and he was back running around after about 2 weeks doing pretty much the same stuff he was before.
ie lifting heavy stuff etc.
I don't argue with people on the internet. Sorry dude, I have things to do.
ACL surgeries are typically done arthroscopically, so the procedure is really less invasive, but adequate time for healing needs to occur, because the anterior cruciate ligament is an important stabilizer. Total knee arthroplasty is the most invasive surgery to the knee that can be done, because instead of 3 or 4 holes that is done with an arthroscope, they completely open the knee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGOspdD25Dw
"Not all change is improvement...but all improvement is change" Donald Berwick
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