Total Knee Replacement?

5 years ago I had a TKR due to bad pain. I am in my 40's. 3 years ago I was in an auto accident and hit that knee. My knee hurt since then. My DR keeps taking X-Rays and said he didn't see too much. Last week when he took another x-ray he said I would need another knee replacement ASAP because he could see where the problem was. I was alone, in shock of course, and really don't know what he meant. I will call his office when they open and get more details. Has anyone heard of this? It was like the "cement" between the femurs was gone or something? Thank you.

I would get a second opinion if I were you. Most doctors want for you to have surgery for something thats not important. I know this man that just had knee surgery, and It was done unnecessarily, and he ended up with a " bug" that has caused him to have diarrhea ever since( 8 months) Now, he has developed colitis. See if they have an alternative to help your knee. Good Luck!

Your knees work hard during your daily routine, and a knee injury can make it hard for you to perform normal tasks. If your injury is severe, you may begin to experience pain when you are sitting down or trying to sleep.

Sometimes a total knee replacement is the only option for reducing pain and restoring a normal activity level. A total knee replacement involves replacing the damaged bone and cartilage of the knee joint, which provides articulating surfaces. Correct rehabilitation following surgery significantly improves outcomes.

Having said that, knee surgery is an expensive procedure in the US/UK/Canada. However, there are other countries in the world where you can get this treatment for much less. For e.g., India, Thailand, Singapore and even Mexico offer this treatment at a 60-80% lower rate as compared to the US. You end up saving lots even after you've paid for your travel and all other expenses.

The only problem is that you must hunt for the right hospital. You must make sure that the hospital you are going to is JCI/JCAHO/ISO accredited which means that the hospital provides services that meet or exceed US standards and the facilities are world-class.

A friend of mine went for her surgery to India through a medical tourism facilitator called Healthbase (http://www.healthbase.com) which works with good quality hospitals abroad. You can research about the various medical procedures, communicate with the surgeons overseas, plan and book your travel all at their website. And you can even apply for a medical finance loan at their website.

Hope this helps!!