QUESTION
When someone undergoes a total knee replacement, is it surprising to have your surgeon tell you 4 mos later a revision is necessary due to instabiity?
Asked on Aug 19th, 2012 on Medical Malpractice - Illinois
More details to this question:
My knee hurt prior to this surgery, but it did not wobble back and forth (lateral instability). I need crutches to walk. I am so unstable I am afraid I am going to lose my balance, trip and fall. I took time off of work for this procedure and have spent thousands of dollars out of pocket so I could walk without being in pain. I am having a hard time understanding why it wasn''t placed in properly at the time of surgery. I don''t really want to undergo another knee replacement but I can''t walk and I am an accident waiting to happen. I will lose my job if I take another 3 months off of work. I took 8 weeks leave to have this procedure done so I could walk without crutches and without pain. No one ever told me I wouldn''t be able to walk "normally" or that I would need another major surgery in 4+ months. This prosthesis was touted to last 30 years. I didn''t even get 3 months. I can''t find another surgeon who will help me now. How can I trust him to do it right the 2nd time?
1 ANSWER
Michael Clancy
The short answer to your question is not necessarily. There are a number of reasons your new knee might be unstable-- some of these could be related to medical negligence and others are not. The only way to know for sure is to get your medical records (and the imaging studies too) into the hands of competent med mal lawyer and let him or her evaluate your case.
I think it makes sense for you to be worried about trusting the same doc. Head to a large, university-based medical center and get evaluated there-- these are the places that spend a fair amount of their time fixing things that have gone well elsewhere. You might not like the travel, but it's likely to be worth it in terms of expertise.
I wish you the best.
Answered on Aug 27th, 2012 at 3:27 PM