Arthroscopic knee surgery.

[gunjunkie45]

I saw a surgeon yesterday about repairing a couple tears in my left knee. One of them is a fairly big tear. He called it "impressive " whatever that means. He's going to try to stitch the big tear down if possible. If not he'll just cut off the flaps.
I've never had any kind of surgery before. I'm just curious what I'm in for as far as recovery, and as for outcome, has it been worth it if you've had it done?

 

[UKDslayer]

Get that ice-water chilling gizmo...well worth it. Used one pain pill night of surgery when my ice melted. GTG after that.

 

[Maggot]

I saw a surgeon yesterday about repairing a couple tears in my left knee. One of them is a fairly big tear. He called it "impressive " whatever that means. He's going to try to stitch the big tear down if possible. If not he'll just cut off the flaps.
I've never had any kind of surgery before. I'm just curious what I'm in for as far as recovery, and as for outcome, has it been worth it if you've had it done?

Butchery Surgery, has come a long way. I had hip replacement and walked out of the hospital the next day. Make sure youve got a well rated surgeon who SPECIALIZES in that procedure, then, above all, DO THE PT. Every bit of it.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

I saw a surgeon yesterday about repairing a couple tears in my left knee. One of them is a fairly big tear. He called it "impressive " whatever that means. He's going to try to stitch the big tear down if possible. If not he'll just cut off the flaps.
I've never had any kind of surgery before. I'm just curious what I'm in for as far as recovery, and as for outcome, has it been worth it if you've had it done?

Do your exercises regularly as he instructs you to a tee, you'll be up and running sooner rather than later.

My experience wasn't great cause my knee was already really bad when I tore my meniscus. I also had a lot of bone on bone already.
If you don't have bear bone and bad arthritis already, you should be good to go in 6 weeks or less.

 

[gunjunkie45]

Do your exercises regularly as he instructs you to a tee, you'll be up and running sooner rather than later.

My experience wasn't great cause my knee was already really bad when I tore my meniscus. I also had a lot of bone on bone already.
If you don't have bear bone and bad arthritis already, you should be good to go in 6 weeks or less.

I do have arthritis, they're going to polish the back of my kneecap while they're in there. I'm only 44 but have worked construction since my mid 20's. Before that I was a paratrooper. My knees aren't great.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

I do have arthritis, they're going to polish the back of my kneecap while they're in there. I'm only 44 but have worked construction since my mid 20's. Before that I was a paratrooper. My knees aren't great.

Are they talking about microfracturing any bare spots?

They didnt mess with my cap, even though my bone spurs look like shark teeth.

If they do microfracturing, you are looking at 3 months.

 

[Herb Stoner]

Good stuff above.

Doing your follow up Physical Therapy / exercises is key as is not overdoing it.

You’ll likely get an ice machine of some sort (small cooler with a pump that circulates cold water to a pad). They are awesome and helps with pain and swelling.

You’ll likely get way more pain meds than you’ll need. I’ve never come close to using what I’ve been given / prescribed and added them to the first aid stash.

…and no, you can’t chop up the pills and snort it off the nurses tits.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

Get that ice-water chilling gizmo...well worth it. Used one pain pill night of surgery when my ice melted. GTG after that.

This right here! The one that is a little cooler looking thing with a pump that pumps ice water through the wrap is great.


Honestly, don't even take the pain pills, just use Tylenol and don't even mess with the narcotics. So not worth it and Tylenol works just as well most of the time

 

[davsco]

i blew out my right knee dirt biking. acl, mcl and meniscus tear. ortho surgeon basically said to NOT sit around, get out there and stay active. i didn't do any PT per se but stayed active, lots of stretching (rowing machine, leg curls and extensions, bike, squats, etc). i don't believe i took a single pain pill although they did load me up at surgery.

 

[gunjunkie45]

i blew out my right knee dirt biking. acl, mcl and meniscus tear. ortho surgeon basically said to NOT sit around, get out there and stay active. i didn't do any PT per se but stayed active, lots of stretching (rowing machine, leg curls and extensions, bike, squats, etc). i don't believe i took a single pain pill although they did load me up at surgery.

If they snip the flaps off I can be active the next day.
If they can sew the bigger tear back in place, I can't bend my knee for 6 weeks. Ultimately the better repair has a longer healing time. Won't know until they get in there.

 

[DannG]

I had ACL/PCL repair back in the late 80's ( leg braced for 6 months, crutches therapy etc).
Crashed my bicycle two years ago and got a "cadaver" replacement ACL. Carried the crutches out of the surgical center ( outpatient) and did not require or use any pain relief after the procedure. My knee is better now that it has been for the past 30 years.
These are golden days compared to a few decades ago.
Do your therapy and good luck !
DannG

 

[powdahound76]

…and no, you can’t chop up the pills and snort it off the nurses tits.

Of course he can.

Never had it.
Taken care of a lotta post of folks.
Ice machine as noted.
Follow PT. DO NOT OVER DO IT!
Get off pain meds as quick as you can.

 

[gunjunkie45]

Of course he can.

View attachment 7984752


Never had it.
Taken care of a lotta post of folks.
Ice machine as noted.
Follow PT. DO NOT OVER DO IT!
Get off pain meds as quick as you can.

I'm a sucker for a hairy nipple. How'd you know?

 

[gunjunkie45]

Are they talking about microfracturing any bare spots?

They didnt mess with my cap, even though my bone spurs look like shark teeth.

If they do microfracturing, you are looking at 3 months.

To be honest I don't really know? He just said "polish". This is an entirely new place for me to be and I don't really know what I should be asking.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

To be honest I don't really know? He just said "polish". This is an entirely new place for me to be and I don't really know what I should be asking.

You should get a really nice video of the inside of your knee.
You won't have to be a doctor to see the really bad stuff.

If you are a regular visitor for a cortisone shot that ain't good.
If you've had synvisc (hyaluronic acid) shots already, thats a bad sign.
If those therapies don't ring a bell you've got quite a few miles left.

My lapro was pretty much a waste of time. My doc even said he wasn't optimistic about it doing me much good, after he did my surgery.

As a former skeptic, I can assure you, glucosamine condroitin absolutely works. It keeps me hobbling along.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

Of course he can.

View attachment 7984752


Never had it.
Taken care of a lotta post of folks.
Ice machine as noted.
Follow PT. DO NOT OVER DO IT!
Get off pain meds as quick as you can.

Tell the truth....thats your girlfriends nipple, isn'tit?

 

[gunjunkie45]

You should get a really nice video of the inside of your knee.
You won't have to be a doctor to see the really bad stuff.

If you are a regular visitor for a cortisone shot that ain't good.
If you've had synvisc (hyaluronic acid) shots already, thats a bad sign.
If those therapies don't ring a bell you've got quite a few miles left.

My lapro was pretty much a waste of time. My doc even said he wasn't optimistic about it doing me much good, after he did my surgery.

As a former skeptic, I can assure you, glucosamine condroitin absolutely works. It keeps me hobbling along.

I've had 2 cortisone injections. When the surgeon looked at my MRI, he said "we normally steer people to physical therapy to try to avoid surgery, you can skip that. Your tears are impressive! The arthritis I didn't even know about and told him it isn't my priority.

 

[DuneBoer]

I had torn meniscus surgery. I just had a local when they did it. Got to watch the whole thing on a big screen monitor. It was cool.

 

[cattleman99]

You’ll recover quick from that. I had a bad meniscus tear. Sucked for a couple days, but fine after that. I ran two miles on it five days after surgery. Don’t recommend doing that, but physical therapy helps.

Know my MPFL and MCL replacement surgery was different. I was out for a couple months. That was 2019, still don’t have full motion in that knee.

 

[vh20]

…and no, you can’t chop up the pills and snort it off the nurses tits.

The hell you say...
Speaking for the OP, Challenge Accepted.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

I've had 2 cortisone injections. When the surgeon looked at my MRI, he said "we normally steer people to physical therapy to try to avoid surgery, you can skip that. Your tears are impressive! The arthritis I didn't even know about and told him it isn't my priority.

I'm not a orthopedic surgeon but I've visited one enough to have the frequent flyers punch and.

So. With that in mind.

You sound like your knee is in pretty fair shape beyond the injury.
You should have great benefit from surgery.

The arthritis they can and will clean up while they are in there, but it'll be back pretty soon depending on how advanced it is.
Mine was already "severe".

I had walked around for nearly a year with a torn meniscus. As I understand, all they could do with mine was trim and clean due to the damage.

Sounds like your knee is on better footing......

 

[Bryan W M]

My dad a few years past 44 lol.
Just had about the same surgery.
Starts PT Friday. He is very bad about doing the PT at home so I’m going to be an ass. He didn’t get the chiller you guys are talking about do you have to ask for it?

My nurse has better nipples than @powdahound76 but she’s mine. The rock on her hand could have been my AI.

 

[Herb Stoner]

My dad a few years past 44 lol.
Just had about the same surgery.
Starts PT Friday. He is very bad about doing the PT at home so I’m going to be an ass. He didn’t get the chiller you guys are talking about do you have to ask for it?

My nurse has better nipples the
An @powdahound76 but she’s mine.

My dad had knee replacement and bought an old Schwinn exercise bike. He was in his late 70s at the time and the replacements were much more invasive than now. He rode it everyday once his doc gave him the OK. Didn’t go more than 5 or 10 minutes a day but he thought it was key to gaining full use quickly.

 

[powdahound76]

My nurse has better nipples than @powdahound76 but she’s mine. The rock on her hand could have been my AI.

My nurse does too!
No rock.
Yet.

 

[Herb Stoner]

My nurse does too!
No rock.
Yet.

My nurse as well!

 

[UKDslayer]

Starts PT Friday. He is very bad about doing the PT at home so I’m going to be an ass. He didn’t get the chiller you guys are talking about do you have to ask for it?

I had to pay about $200 for mine (ortho. surgeon upcharging), but was offered to buy at pre-op discussion. Its basically a cooler that could fit a little more than a six-pack, you plug in and fill with ice & water, has plastic tubing that circulates the cold water through to a flexible knee brace. It was an out of pocket cost, but worth it compared to reward. May not have as much benefit that far post-op.

Edit: its called a cryo cuff knee gravity cooler.

• Cryo Cuff Knee Gravity Cooler for Recovery

• 
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CRYO CUFF KNEE GRAVITY COOLER FOR RECOVERY​

Easy to use, mobile, and reliable, no motors or moving parts to wear out or break...
Learn More
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SKU: CC-GRV-LG

$149.96

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Disclaimer: RequiredI have read the disclaimer below and accept the terms and conditions

 

[Maggot]

Good stuff above.

Doing your follow up Physical Therapy / exercises is key as is not overdoing it.

You’ll likely get an ice machine of some sort (small cooler with a pump that circulates cold water to a pad). They are awesome and helps with pain and swelling.

You’ll likely get way more pain meds than you’ll need. I’ve never come close to using what I’ve been given / prescribed and added them to the first aid stash.

…and no, you can’t chop up the pills and snort it off the nurses tits.

Pain meds are good. Been in moderate to sever pain for 65 years. Dont tell me shit about pain meds, its nice to sleep once in awhile. You just have to realize that either you rule them or they rule you. Once you establish whos in charge, theyre just a tool.

 

[ma smith]

Knees are very sensitive to being disrupted, eg via surgery, and they will form scar tissue due to the irritation/inflamation induced by surgery. Keeping the inflamation down by icing is critical to recovery and prevention of scarring. As is doing PT (keeping the joint mobile) . Following Dr orders is important here. This is why you are seeing comments about icing and doing PT.

Best of Luck OP

 

[Familydude]

Had my torn meniscus stitched and cleaned up way back in the lates 90’s. Even then it was not very invasive. Recorded on VHS. Cool to watch.

Ice machine, non-prescription pain meds after day two, brace for a bit and PT. Good as new for years. Now it’s just age.

 

[Buckley]

Following this! Torn meniscus in my right knee. Surgery consult said clean up might help but no guarantees, didn’t need fuel for his yacht that day I guess. Funny, my RN has WAY better nips than @powdahound76 also…might not quite have an AI on her finger, but a little north of a Hi Point, at least that’s what I told her.

Hiking up hill, A Okay, downhill mostly sucks! Think I will be venturing into this unknown territory sooner than later myself. Hope that all turns out well for you @gunjunkie45 !

 

[whitehawk]

I’ve had 7 of these surgeries. If it’s a partial meniscectomy (just cut the flap out), recovery is amazingly fast and comes with minimal pain. If the tear is in the red (has blood supply) and is likely to be successful with a repair (many different shapes of tears) it can be quite a bit more painful and recovery is substantially longer.

Regardless, as has been mentioned countless times above - do your PT, and then when you’re done with seeing the therapist keep up with your leg strength and some of the exercises so you’ll be less likely to re-tear in the future.

 

[fdkay]

I do have arthritis, they're going to polish the back of my kneecap while they're in there. I'm only 44 but have worked construction since my mid 20's. Before that I was a paratrooper. My knees aren't great.

If you aren't on a glucosamine regimen, start. 2 triple strength caplets a day.
Sounds like a meniscus tear. I had a torn ACL and meniscus years ago, they wanted to avoid the recontruction of the ACL, as it is rather invasive. They tacked doen the meniscus and cleaned up the knee a bit. I began rehab, it wasnt bad, and I was walking around without the crutches in a couple of week, but about 8 months later I went ahead and totally ruptured my ACL, then went on a 3 month deployment.
When I came back, I had reconstructive surgery, they removed the center section of my patella tendon and grafted it to the ends of my ACL.
My knee was pretty fucked up pretty badly the second time, I was in surgery for over 4 hours.
I was diagnosed with osteo arthritis almost 20 years ago, the doctor recommended glucosamine and condroiton. I've been taking it ever since and, besides age, I've been holding up pretty well.

 

[candyx]

Had a scope done on my knee and was back out skiing in 12 days. First day is the worst when you have to bend your knee for the first time.

 

[Alabusa]

I've had the stitched up repair done on my right knee and 1 year later had to have it cleaned out. It takes a long time for cartilage to heal and is very easy to re-tear.
I've had my left knee cleaned out once as well.
The clean out surgeries are a cake walk. The repair surgery sucks because you're non weight bearing for 6 to 8 weeks letting the cartilage heal itself.
If I had to do it again, I would tell the doc to just clean it out and NOT try to repair it.