overweight

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Well, I am not overweight (5'8"; 153 lbs.) and I seem to have the same experiences as everyone else as far as recovery time and pain. After my first surgery, I lost 10 lbs., just because I did not feel like eating while I was in such pain. I've kept that 10 lbs. off and the biggest difference I see is that I look better but I'm very susceptible to cold. Sometimes I miss that body fat!! But I do plan to keep it off. in Colorado (where it's been very cold and snowy) DeRouen <asd@...> wrote: , I am easily 100 pounds overweight and was 43 (11 months ago) when I had my TKR. I still have some issues with completely straightening my knee but I have no pain and I can walk well. I don't attempt to run, but rarely did before and don't want to do anything to this implant. I don't think I had a particularly difficult or long recovery. I did about two months total of PT and did well and continued exercising at a gym afterwards. I confess that I've actually gained some weight recently (think that's hormones, nothing to do with the TKR) but I still find myself getting around well and not hurting at all. I feel my TKR was successful enough that if need be I would have the other knee done without hesitation. -----Original Message-----From: Joint Replacement [mailto:Joint Replacement ]On Behalf Of N.Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 9:17 AMJoint Replacement Subject: overweight I am curious on how much ones weight might has to do with an eitherquick or slow recovery after joint replacement. This it hasn't beentouched on here but possible makes a great difference on how fast oneis back on their feet and back to "normal". It would be interesting tofind out if those who are overweight have a more

difficult and longertime to recover than others.

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[Guest guest]

>I am curious on how much ones weight might has to do with an either>quick or slow recovery after joint replacement. This it hasn't been>touched on here but possible makes a great difference on how fast one>is back on their feet and back to "normal". It would be interesting to>find out if those who are overweight have a more difficult and longer>time to recover than others.

recovery doesn't seem to have much to do with weight but rather co-operating with re-hab and exercising and good nutrition after surgery and the luck of the draw so to speak.

that being said, there is some evidence that those who are overweight may be generally able to survive major surgery better. (that's one of the so called "obesity paradoxes" they talk about)

But it's hard to make a rule. Each person is different.

One thing for sure, even Weight Watchers is admitting that diets do not work (of course, they are a diet themselves but say they are not - however, you CAN use their concepts to keep weight down).

As for "weight being hard on the joints", being a person who is 100 lbs overweight myself (and 63 years old), I've heard that all my life. But it really matters WHAT you do. I don't run at this weight (just very short hauls when I am tardy etc) however I am a walker and so far my joints are not complaining about this, but a 100 lbs runner puts more stress on their joints (about twice as much) as I do when I walk and 4x the stress on the joints as when I do when I do something like inline skating which is no impact. A 100 lb runner puts 400 lbs of stress on the joints with every step.

I've had arthritis since I was 9 years old. Our 15 yo granddaughter was just diagnosed at the age of 16 and osteoarthritis, not rheumatoid. Both knees are bad. She, is by the way, not only young but athletic and very slim. (has never been fat). This leads me to believe that heredity might be a very large factor in osteoarthritis... my mother had a hip replacement at the age of 49 and a knee replacement at the age of 53. My sister has had osteoarthritis since her teens and arthroscopic surgery on her knees several times - she is 56 years old and needs TKR on both knees soon. Also has never been fat in her life....

Most important is good nutrition, following your rehab doc's directions and keeping up the exercise. Met a guy today walking well... told me he'd just had both hips replaced. He was a person of size, by the way. Wonderful work they can do with this surgery these days!

Sue