Knee Replacement - ? Both Knees

[SFCMoore]

I am 100% temp and 90% perm. In 2007 I had a total R knee replacement. 2009 I had a knee revision - same knee - Service connected. I walk w/a cane and use 2 pain patches on the knee as well as a brace. To say the lease I am in the 15% of knee replacements that did not work. As a result my left knee is going bad. I understand that most times the other knee is injured as a result of "favoring" the bad knee. Is this somehow connected, VA wise, and could I place a claim on the other knee going bad. I am still under care for the knee replacement. Also, I am S/C for DDD L4/L5. The back is aggravated by the knee and the knee aggravates the other knee and so on and so on. Does this all fit somehow into a claim?

[*Bergie*]

I am 100% temp and 90% perm. In 2007 I had a total R knee replacement. 2009 I had a knee revision - same knee - Service connected. I walk w/a cane and use 2 pain patches on the knee as well as a brace. To say the lease I am in the 15% of knee replacements that did not work. As a result my left knee is going bad. I understand that most times the other knee is injured as a result of "favoring" the bad knee. Is this somehow connected, VA wise, and could I place a claim on the other knee going bad. I am still under care for the knee replacement. Also, I am S/C for DDD L4/L5. The back is aggravated by the knee and the knee aggravates the other knee and so on and so on. Does this all fit somehow into a claim?

If your SC'd knee is causing trouble for your non-SC'd knee than you can file as a secondary claim to the SC'd knee. I am currently working with a Ret VN vet who is in the same situation. We have filed for SC of non-SC'd knee secondary to SC'd knee. We anticipate winning as the ortho surgeon agrees that the bad knee caused the other to go bad as well. Same situation as you describe. Get the ortho to put it in your records and go for it.

JMO,

Bergie

[atlaturne]

I am 100% temp and 90% perm. In 2007 I had a total R knee replacement. 2009 I had a knee revision - same knee - Service connected. I walk w/a cane and use 2 pain patches on the knee as well as a brace. To say the lease I am in the 15% of knee replacements that did not work. As a result my left knee is going bad. I understand that most times the other knee is injured as a result of "favoring" the bad knee. Is this somehow connected, VA wise, and could I place a claim on the other knee going bad. I am still under care for the knee replacement. Also, I am S/C for DDD L4/L5. The back is aggravated by the knee and the knee aggravates the other knee and so on and so on. Does this all fit somehow into a claim?

Changes in gait associated with a knee problem,injury,knee replacement,etc. can have a pronounced effect on both the spine(back,hip problems),as well as aggravating,causing injury to the knee that is compensating for the other bad knee.The key is to get a Doctor who will listen to you and put in a report the connection(nexus) between these various issues and the current symptoms you have.Good Luck.

Edited April 28, 2010 by atlaturne

[SFCMoore]

Changes in gait associated with a knee problem,injury,knee replacement,etc. can have a pronounced effect on both the spine(back,hip problems),as well as aggravating,causing injury to the knee that is compensating for the other bad knee.The key is to get a Doctor who will listen to you and put in a report the connection(nexus) between these various issues and the current symptoms you have.Good Luck.

Thank you all very much for your assistance. I now have a path to follow. You are the greatest asset to vets.

[AFWIFE]

Thanks to all the guys and gals who provide good paths. I have a question that really distress me. "Does VA even care anymore about the medical conditions of their Vets, or has it all become politics and redtape?" My husband (AF) has a SC knee, with 3 surgeries on same knee since 2005 (arthroscopy and 2 replacements - uni and total). He had been through VR&E just prior to the surgeries beginning, but with the med delay nobody would hire in his field (employers were skeptical of future knee problems), and he took employment where he could find it. He is not a whiner, and because of that, I think VA uses it against him in the C&P exams. After the first (failed) knee replacement, the doc basically kicked us out of his office, and told us he didn't need to see my husband anymore. Said he was faking the pain and that the doc's arm (in a sling) hurt more than my husband's knee/leg. Only because we continued to document the issue, less than a year later we got another doc to finally do a simple fluoro x-ray and (guess what?) we found an oversized and loose implant. 2nd surgery was much better with pain relief, but weight-bearing issues and spine degenerative issues had been and continue to be made worse.

C&P was a joke (not very funny though), and the woman was rude - she didn't want me in the room for the exam, but my husband and I addressed that quickly.

How does a person get VA to connect the medical dots, before more damage occurs? We have a tort against the first doc for the botched surgery (more for the abandonment than the medical error, as we agree that errors can and do happen - but its not acceptable to cal a vet a liar and be told not to come back (and that you are faking your pain). My husband says he believes that VA is now pissed at him for the tort, and is probably sending our file to the nearest shredder.

My husband is not a whiner, but does speak up when he needs to.My problem is that he is employed in a physically dangerous line of work and his body cannot sustain him for much longer. Any thoughts on how to address this problem? Thank you in advance.

AFWIFE

[Commander Bob]

Thanks to all the guys and gals who provide good paths. I have a question that really distress me. "Does VA even care anymore about the medical conditions of their Vets, or has it all become politics and redtape?" My husband (AF) has a SC knee, with 3 surgeries on same knee since 2005 (arthroscopy and 2 replacements - uni and total). He had been through VR&E just prior to the surgeries beginning, but with the med delay nobody would hire in his field (employers were skeptical of future knee problems), and he took employment where he could find it. He is not a whiner, and because of that, I think VA uses it against him in the C&P exams. After the first (failed) knee replacement, the doc basically kicked us out of his office, and told us he didn't need to see my husband anymore. Said he was faking the pain and that the doc's arm (in a sling) hurt more than my husband's knee/leg. Only because we continued to document the issue, less than a year later we got another doc to finally do a simple fluoro x-ray and (guess what?) we found an oversized and loose implant. 2nd surgery was much better with pain relief, but weight-bearing issues and spine degenerative issues had been and continue to be made worse.

C&P was a joke (not very funny though), and the woman was rude - she didn't want me in the room for the exam, but my husband and I addressed that quickly.

How does a person get VA to connect the medical dots, before more damage occurs? We have a tort against the first doc for the botched surgery (more for the abandonment than the medical error, as we agree that errors can and do happen - but its not acceptable to cal a vet a liar and be told not to come back (and that you are faking your pain). My husband says he believes that VA is now pissed at him for the tort, and is probably sending our file to the nearest shredder.

My husband is not a whiner, but does speak up when he needs to.My problem is that he is employed in a physically dangerous line of work and his body cannot sustain him for much longer. Any thoughts on how to address this problem? Thank you in advance.

AFWIFE

I have read all your posts. Your husband is a lucky guy to have you in his corner.

My most positive thoughts are with you and your Husband for a positive outcome.

[john999]

My advice in the future is don't use the VA for serious medical issues. So many awful things can happen inside a hospital including deadly infections. The way to do good at C&P exams is to whine like crazy. The VA does use the vet's desire to not fully describe the pain they are in against them. Fill the pages of documentation with complaints. This is how you maintain treatment and compensation. Hanging tough during exams means less compensation and less treatment for pain. My VA psychiatrist told me this. He told me to rate myself a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 on pain. He said that is how you get their attention. I have had three different pain specialists in the last 4 months. They know nothing.