hearts and roses
Mind Reader
I just came from my ortho guy (love him, he's like a rockstar around here!).
He suggested the series of Viscosupplementation treatment (basically shots of oily substance called Hyaluronic acid). It is not a pain releif medication - it only provides a higher level of viscosity in the knee joint. I will receive 3 shots, one per week for 3 weeks. The injection is similar to the cortisone shots, but do different things.
Dr also said that he doesn't think I will find these shots as effective as some patients because of the deterioration inside the joint combined with the osteoarthritis and two small bone spurs. He said that he predicts he will have to go in arthroscopically and clean out the joint, perhaps even do a partial knee replacement. He basically said that these shots are simply a way of delaying the inevitable, surgery, whether just a clean out, partial or total knee replacement.
DR also said that I will likely need a full knee replacement, most definitely, but his time frame to expect that ranged from 5 years to 15 years - depending how I respond to other options.
I asked him about that procedure that heather mentioned in a thread to Janet, the Makoplasty, and he said that knows little about it, but what he does know leaves him feeling that the better option would be to just have a partial replacement done instead. Given the 6 inch incision for the Makoplasty procedure, he said that he would rather just go with what he KNOWS works and has proven to be very effective for most patients and that's the partial or total replacement, depending on factors such as age and existing damage as well as other options already tried.
So, now I wait to hear from doctors office. They have to get approval from the insurance for the shots as well as the medication, should only take a week or so. I am hoping I can begin the shots next week so if I do need surgery, I can get it done sooner rather than later. Not that I'm looking forward to that! Anyway, that's the story.
He suggested the series of Viscosupplementation treatment (basically shots of oily substance called Hyaluronic acid). It is not a pain releif medication - it only provides a higher level of viscosity in the knee joint. I will receive 3 shots, one per week for 3 weeks. The injection is similar to the cortisone shots, but do different things.
Dr also said that he doesn't think I will find these shots as effective as some patients because of the deterioration inside the joint combined with the osteoarthritis and two small bone spurs. He said that he predicts he will have to go in arthroscopically and clean out the joint, perhaps even do a partial knee replacement. He basically said that these shots are simply a way of delaying the inevitable, surgery, whether just a clean out, partial or total knee replacement.
DR also said that I will likely need a full knee replacement, most definitely, but his time frame to expect that ranged from 5 years to 15 years - depending how I respond to other options.
I asked him about that procedure that heather mentioned in a thread to Janet, the Makoplasty, and he said that knows little about it, but what he does know leaves him feeling that the better option would be to just have a partial replacement done instead. Given the 6 inch incision for the Makoplasty procedure, he said that he would rather just go with what he KNOWS works and has proven to be very effective for most patients and that's the partial or total replacement, depending on factors such as age and existing damage as well as other options already tried.
So, now I wait to hear from doctors office. They have to get approval from the insurance for the shots as well as the medication, should only take a week or so. I am hoping I can begin the shots next week so if I do need surgery, I can get it done sooner rather than later. Not that I'm looking forward to that! Anyway, that's the story.
