[Boomer]

I thought this little piece of information could end up being important to someone else so I am passing it along.

A friend of mine was scheduled for surgery to get a replacement knee. She was going over her paperwork and for some reason she decided to look up some things about the replacement joint. (Many of us have thriving Internet medical practices, as you may know.)

She found that the knee she was to get -- the very next day -- contained nickel. She is allergic to nickel.

So anyway, the surgery was canceled and a new knee that has no nickel is on order.

I asked her if she knew about the nickel allergy because of a problem with earrings. (I can only wear 14K posts. If I do not I get a reaction in the form of bumps on the back of my earlobes.) As it turns out, that is how she knew and was tested.

This is just my little public service announcement.

What's in a knee? Maybe you need to find out.

Boomer

[ConeyIsBabe]

THANKS boomer.

I wouldn't have considered that....... and you'd think it was the DOCTOR's responsibility to have asked............ but NOooooooooooooooo..... I guess this applies to new hips, etc.

[villages07]

It's a good thing she did some research....

Having recently gone through this, though, my surgeon "operates" a little differently... he has a selection of different prostheses available to him in the operating room and decides which to use after he opens up the knee, cleans up and measures.

Still, the point is well taken...if someone has any type of allergies, metal or otherwise, they should be made known to the surgeon prior to the operation.

[KathieI]

Its not only the type of knee but its the process as well. My ex-hubs did a tremendous amount of research before his first knee surgery and felt comfortable with what the doctor and he decided to use. That surgery was very successful so when he went for the other knee, he told the doc to do the same thing exactly as prior surgery. Unfortunately, the doc decided to use glue to hold the incision closed rather than the staples, and my hubs was extremely allergic to the glue and eventually almost went into shock from the glue allergy. His leg blew up, and was totally swollen from the groin to the ankle and I had to rush him back to the hospital. When he asked the surgeon why he changed the process of closing the wound, it was his decision to do it this way, with no discussion with the patient. Now, granted, that is his decision as the professional but when a patient says "do it exactly the same way" why would you change it. So research and being adamant about what you want is extremely important.

[The Great Fumar]

Originally Posted by KathieI

Its not only the type of knee but its the process as well. My ex-hubs did a tremendous amount of research before his first knee surgery and felt comfortable with what the doctor and he decided to use. That surgery was very successful so when he went for the other knee, he told the doc to do the same thing exactly as prior surgery. Unfortunately, the doc decided to use glue to hold the incision closed rather than the staples, and my hubs was extremely allergic to the glue and eventually almost went into shock from the glue allergy. His leg blew up, and was totally swollen from the groin to the ankle and I had to rush him back to the hospital. When he asked the surgeon why he changed the process of closing the wound, it was his decision to do it this way, with no discussion with the patient. Now, granted, that is his decision as the professional but when a patient says "do it exactly the same way" why would you change it. So research and being adamant about what you want is extremely important.

This is very interesting post about the GLUE ALLERGY .... As you probably know , Our friend DONNA has a violent reaction to Glue ........

sticky subject Fumar .

[Boomer]

This was one of those things that could have been a real mess. And she had to discover it herself, literally at almost the last minute. She was just looking over information and there it was. She then searched under titanium nickel knee replacement.

And I, too, cannot believe the doctor would not have caught it. That was upsetting, but she is thankful that she found it in time.

The nickel free knee will be put in by a different doctor at a different hospital. I guess maybe some orthopedic surgeons specialize in products from certain companies. (I have always heard that those companies are supposed to be good investments because of all the baby boomers, but who knows these days? ... I digress.)

And Kathie, I know about that glue thing, too. It happened to a friend's husband with back surgery I think it was.

But, Fumar, I have a question about that comment about glue that you made. I just need to ask. Am I reading too much between the lines, or is it that you really are just horsin' around? If your comment was sincere, well that's a horse of a different color and I hope you will forgive my comment. I sometimes pride myself on having pretty good horse sense, but maybe I went off track.

Boomer

[chelsea24]

Originally Posted by The Great Fumar

This is very interesting post about the GLUE ALLERGY .... As you probably know , Our friend DONNA has a violent reaction to Glue ........

sticky subject Fumar .

Fumar! Quit "horsing" around!

[Donna]

Originally Posted by The Great Fumar
This is very interesting post about the GLUE ALLERGY .... As you probably know , Our friend DONNA has a violent reaction to Glue ........
sticky subject Fumar .

>>FUMAR...

[784caroline]

Wow..and I thought I had to ask alot of questions getting a "cadeavor" bone to replace a herniated Disc in my spine!

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by 784caroline

Wow..and I thought I had to ask alot of questions getting a "cadeavor" bone to replace a herniated Disc in my spine!

Yeah, I have heard about that. I have another friend with a piece of a rooster in her somewhere. It might be her knee. Or her hand. Can't remember. I think she suddenly started getting up pretty early in the morning.

This slouching toward Medicare stuff sure is getting more complicated every day.

Boomer