Just Came From A Ortho Appointment And Mad As Hell

[JayBrown1]

I had a ortho appointment for my knee that is service connected and the intake clerk asked what my pain level was today and I told him I was having some real bad pains today, so I said my pain level was about an 8 out of 10. He looked at me and said I think you look like it's about a 2. I told him that what it looks like to you and what I am feeling is two different things. I said again it's an 8, I saw him put in a 2, he was also asking me questions about my activities and how it changes my pain level, but he was asking and answering the questions. I decided to stop at the release of information office and get copies of my progress notes for the pass year and I found many errors in it.

What is wrong with these people? Why are they trying to tell us how we feel? The doctor I saw today told me the same as the others I need a knee replacement but I am to young to have it done but we will give you an injection, continue with the oxycodone and methadone and see you in 3 months.

How old do you have to be to have a knee replacement? I am 50 years old.

[Vike17]

I wouldn't worry what some clerk wrote down in your records as far as the pain level. If the VA ever decides to revisit your evaluation of the knee, the rating will be based on range of motion where the pain sets in, not whether the pain is a 2 or 8 on a sclae of 1-10!

Surgeons generally try to dely joint replacements as long as possible because the artificial joint only typically has a life of about 10 years.

Vike 17

[JayBrown1]

I wouldn't worry what some clerk wrote down in your records as far as the pain level. If the VA ever decides to revisit your evaluation of the knee, the rating will be based on range of motion where the pain sets in, not whether the pain is a 2 or 8 on a sclae of 1-10!

Surgeons generally try to dely joint replacements as long as possible because the artificial joint only typically has a life of about 10 years.

Vike 17

They have been putting it off for 2 years now and my knee continue to get worse. Not to mention that my other knee has been fused since 1989. It's not like I am going to run and jump around afterwards. It is also affecting my hips as well. I was airborne in the militaryand had an accident that messed up my knee and now I am in pain daily.

Is there an average age that they will do a knee replacement? They have told me that they have exhausted all non-surgical methods of treating me.

[Hoppy]

JayBrown,

At one time the VA's policy was 55 years old. I was having knee surgery on my service connected knee and met several people in the hospital who were 55.

I would contact ortho again and plead your case that you do have other disabilities that would limit the amount of wear and tear on the replacement joint. Put the doctors in a position that they need to make a decision based on the specifics of you body and tell them to put it in writing in your file. Private doctor could easily have different age requirements than the VA.

Consider that there are people who are in so much pain after a ligment tear that they can not even walk into the clinic. You see these types of injuries being loaded onto a stretcher and taken off football fields. This is probably what the guy you ran into thinks is a ten.