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Knee Surgery

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12 years 1 month ago #35047 by jeffrey71
Knee Surgery was created by jeffrey71
Good Evening All!

Due to excess running and such I have torn my right knee up. I may need surgery to be able to run again without a lot of pain. My question to everyone is "have you had knee surgery (scoped) and how did it go with ITP?"

I had my left one done prior to my discovery of ITP and it really was a non event. If you have experience please give me all the details. I am hoping that I can just go and get it done without IVIG or any other drugs.

Thanks!

Jeffrey
  • karenr
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  • Diagnosed in 2000, at 59, after being on moderately high doses of NSAIDs for arthritis. Splenectomy and rituxan both failed (2004). Did well on prednisone till summer 2018--then terrible reactions. Promacta since 11-19.
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12 years 1 month ago #35090 by karenr
Replied by karenr on topic Knee Surgery
The year before my first knee replacement, I had arthroscopic knee surgery. It took me a long time to recover from even that--and longer to recover from the replacement--BUT I had no bleeding issues. The month before the surgery, my hema bumped my prednisone up a little, and I went into the first surgery with 147K platelets. For the replacement, they got me up to 199K before the surgery. For my second knee replacement, last Nov., I was only at 98K going into the surgery, and my platelets did fall, temporarily, so I had a purple leg, but that didn't seem to interfere with healing--and that is much bigger surgery than you'd be getting.
The following user(s) said Thank You: jeffrey71
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12 years 1 month ago #35095 by Ann
Replied by Ann on topic Knee Surgery
Nothing to do with knees but last time I had eye socket surgery the ophthalmologist wouldn't do it until I was off steroids. She said that steroids seriously hamper healing. I was having a tissue graft so we had to be sure it would 'take' but if you can avoid steroids with surgery so much the better but at the same time they won't want the risk of bleeding inside the knee joint.
The following user(s) said Thank You: jeffrey71
12 years 1 month ago - 12 years 1 month ago #35096 by
Replied by on topic Knee Surgery
Jeffrey you saw what I posted in the social section that my hematologist told me regarding my thumb joint reconstruction surgery in September - and that will be a good incision and messing around in there, taking a tendon to put in the joint. "There's always a tourniquet" - bet that would work with a knee too ;)

I have my pre-op physical 2 weeks before surgery and will find out then what's needed - my hematologist isn't worried, he did say the surgeon might want to have platelets on hand to be on the safe side so I'll see what is said at my physical.

My question to you would be - have you talked to your hematologist about this or the surgeon?

Good luck!
  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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12 years 1 month ago #35100 by Sandi
Replied by Sandi on topic Knee Surgery
I would think a quick stint with steroids for a surgery wouldn't interfere with healing much. If a person had been on them for weeks or months prior to surgery, then you'd want to wait until the person is off of them for a while before performing the surgery. If a person has been on steroids for a while and cannot be off of them for surgery, they should actually raise the dose prior to surgery and be extra careful of infection and healing.

It all depends on the situation.
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12 years 1 month ago #35108 by Ann
Replied by Ann on topic Knee Surgery
Oddly enough she didn't mind how long I'd been on steroids, I just had to be off them with no chance of a platelet crash during or for several weeks after surgery. So I was on steroids and mycophenolate for three months and came off the steroids just before the surgery hoping the mycophenolate was working. It was and my count stayed up.
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12 years 1 month ago #35113 by jeffrey71
Replied by jeffrey71 on topic Knee Surgery
Everyone!

Thank you so much for your input. I went in today to see the surgeon again. We decided to try a steroid shot into the knee. It was a non event. So far no relief but he said that is would take about 48 hours to work. If the injection does not work we will do the MRI then see what can be done with surgery. I am not going to give up my athletics until I absolutely have to give it up. Anyway that is it for now. Also, I have not told my Oncologist/hema yet. I think that a little surprise will be good for him! That is why he makes the big money! LOL I will tell him tomorrow what I have done.

Right now I think that if I need surgery I may just opt for platelets at surgery if that is allowed. The IVIG is an option but why if the other will work?

I hope everyone is doing well! OH the shot was cortisone.. It had a fancy name but was cortisone!

Jeffrey
  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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12 years 1 month ago #35119 by Sandi
Replied by Sandi on topic Knee Surgery
That is really odd, Ann. You know as well as I do that logically, the longer a person is on steroids, the greater the chance of infection and slow healing. Even stopping the week before surgery wouldn't reverse that.

Jeff - I hope the shot works for you. I used to get about 8 steroid shots in my neck/upper back muscles every six weeks and it was great. Never lasted all that long, but sure helped at the time!
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12 years 1 month ago #35124 by Ann
Replied by Ann on topic Knee Surgery
Sandi I don't know that it is known. Many of the effects of steroids cease immediately on cessation or reduction of the drug. Wound healing is a complicated process and if one part of it is compromised then there are problems.

Jeff, I used to say to my past haematologist that I would have a splenectomy in an emergency and her reply was that we'd rather work towards avoiding emergencies. I'm guessing that your surgeon may prefer your count to be up rather than face a possible emergency.
12 years 1 month ago #35125 by
Replied by on topic Knee Surgery
I have been getting steroid injections in my right thumb for a while now [must be 3 months apart - I'd try to wait 4 months]. When I saw the hand surgeon last week she said there must be at least 6 weeks between last steroid injection and surgery due to chance of infection. Maybe that is because the injections are so localized?

Once on an elevator in the hospital I overheard [and I wasn't trying, this person had a loud voice] that so&so's surgery was called off because she's been on steroids and the surgeon wants her off them for x amount of time before surgery is done.

And then there's my friend who didn't tell her doctor she decided on back surgery right after she had gotten a steroid injection.

Hope that injection will work Jeff!
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