has anybody had an elbow replacement? it's looking on the cards at the moment but with a nine month old i'm trying to put it off as long as possible!!
how long are you normally in hosp for and how long is recovery - i just find the surgeon always gives the worst case scenario which in this case he's saying up to 6 months!!! eek.

I need elbow and shoulder replacements, which I've managed to put off for 20 years so far!!! I don't think you're in hospital very long, probably 2-4 days but I remember my surgeon saying something about you can't hold anything for so long, then only a light weight etc. etc. gradually building up as your muscles etc. recover. The BIG problem I have is with the 30% infection risk! Unfortunatley there's not a lot of info on NRAS about elbow and shoulder replacements, I did ask them earlier this year.

My friend Donna had an elbow replacement last year,

Unfortunately she's not an NRAS member but I can ask her to email me her experience to post here if it would help :)

Jo.

EDIT: Just spoken to Donna, she was going to pop her experience of it down, but said she might miss something you're interested in and of course different surgeons have different ways of doing things but she said if you pop down some questions I can forward them on to her and she'll answer them too.

Hope this helps

I had a total elbow replacement operation in March last year. I am happy with it now but it took longer than I expected to be functional.
The infection problem was dealt with by the surgeon giving me a mega dose of antibiotics before the op. I'm on Humira so had to stop taking that before too. I continued with the Methtrexate.
I was in hospital 3 days, had elbow half plastered for 2 weeks I think, sling a few weeks more.

I am right-handed and this was my left elbow so I was not wholly incapacitated but need help with dressing cooking doing up shoelaces.....etc. I don't know how you will manage with a 9 month old..........certainly you will need lots of help.
I saw the surgeon for my check up in March and he said it can take 2 years to recover.....not what he told me before the op. It will not straighten but that's not so bad as it hadn't for 10 years and the right arm won't go straight either. Can't lift more than 2.5 kilos, haven't found that a problem, (take hubby to shops for heavy stuff)

The physiotherapists were not much help as they had never seen one before so I used the internet for help.
The best was the link quoted above by Rebecca.
http://www.yess.uk.com/p...t_elbow_replacement.pdf

I may need right elbow doing at some time but I'll wait until it's impossible to go on.

I hope this is of some use to you Katie, feel free to ask me anything else I may not have mentioned.

Regards,
Sandy

Don't mind answering at all Rebecca. Hope it helps.
The operation wasn't painful as you are dosed up with morphine during and afterwards. They sent me out with lots of painkillers which I needed for some weeks. I had tranquilliser before the op as I was so nervous because I had never been in hospital before for an operation.
Get odd pains in elbow now but nothing like the constant pain as before. It has taken longer than I thought it would before being pain-free. There were complications which may have made it take longer.
I can touch my shoulder with my fingers but not palm. Can't straighten it but it reaches as far as I need.
The surgeon said he didn't know how long it will last. Could be 15-20 years. I'm 64 now so if it lasts that long I should be alright. He didn't mention revision operation. I don't think they have done many so it's still a bit experimental. Longer than knees or hips though, which makes sense. (Unless you walk on your hands I suppose!)

Best Wishes
Sandy

Hi Katie

I haven't had an elbow replacement but I have had a wrist replacement and that took the best part of a year for it to be pain free and anything like functional. I would think anything up to six months may be realistic for an elbow. Quite often orthopaedic consultants specialise in several areas with similar joint structures but not sure that I would call an elbow and a shoulder similar?? Interestingly (well not really!!) Dr Elbo has just operated on my knee - thought I'd throw that in!

I see you are just down the road in Preston (I'm in Thornton Cleveleys). Which hospital do you attend?

Hope you get some joy from your appointment and you don't get passed around. Take care, let us know how you go on,

Lyn x

Hi Katie

Love the photo!

I'm surprised Preston don't do some replacements but heyho Blackpool seem to do a fair share. Preston has quite a number of other 'specialities' so guess the line has to be drawn somewhere. A couple of people have suggested I go to Wrightington but it's about 40 minutes from here so a decision not taken lightly ... Blackpool is only 10 minutes (at times I wish it were more!!).

I see where you are coming from on the elbow and I'm sure it's the right decision, sounds very painful. Must be so difficult with a little one. I had a few surgical procedures when mine were small, arms in plaster, hobbling about on crutches, nightmare, but we manage! Do we have a choice?!

Good luck with it and fingers crossed you meet Dr Elbo and not Dr Gory!

Lyn x

Hi katie

I am in a similar position to you Katie with my elbow. Mine hasn't stuck yet at 90 degrees but is rubbing bone on bone, you can actually hear it. I finally got to see a surgeon in June. He was a shoulder surgeon who does elbows. I don't know if you have had a steroid injection in your elbow but it has helped my elbow with the pain. Like you I know at some stage it will have to come out, you can only go on so long. Best of luck with your decision and I would be interested to know how you get on. It might give me some courage to take the plunge....

Best wishes
Rebecca