At 45 i had to have 2 knee replacemrnts and have since suffered rls. can that be the cause if my rls?

Restless legs: The cause of restless legs syndrome (rls) is unknown. There is no proven association between RLS and a history of surgery on the lower extremities. Rls is a very common condition affecting about 7% of the entire population.

RLS?: I am not aware of any connection between restless leg syndrome and knee surgery. Certainly, with multiple surgeries, nerve damage can occur. Without being familiar with your history, it is very hard to provide an accurate diagnosis. However, at 45, it is unusual to having 2 knee replacements. You should try to avoid any additional surgeries and pursue multimodal pain management.

Consider veins: As many as half of all cases of RLS may be due to venous insufficiency which can be present even without visible varicose veins. Importantly, treatment of diseased veins, for example with endovenous laser, improves or resolves RLS symptoms the majority of the time would advise seeing a vein specialist and having a doppler ultrasound of your leg veins.

Coincidence?: Dr. Mueller is right. Vein disease is an often overlooked cause of rls. Any surgery can damage veins by cutting them, resulting in venous insufficiency that can produce RLS symptoms. Could also just be a coincidence.

In a way: Yes. Often i see RLS emerge after surgery or injury. Blood loss anemia (iron deficiency) is a very common cause of rls. Treatment with replacing iron or the blood itself usually provides complete relief.