Knee Surgery Anyone?

[violagirl]

I posted a few months ago about a fall and a knee issue. 4 months later, I just found out that I actually fractured my kneecap. Of course it has healed by now, but the cartilage on that side of my knee still wont' let me put weight on my bent leg.

So I'm supposed to go for athroscopic surgery to shave the cartilage. Has anyone had that done? I know it is a quick day surgery but how long does it take to recover from?

We were sure I had torn my ACL or meniscus, so I was surprised to finally get results that said they were fine but the bone had been fractured. i had an xray done at the time, but I guess the Dr. didn't see the fracture then. 

[Blonde Granny]

I had orthoscopic surgery on my knee in 2000.  I was told that the cartilage was shredded, and the pictures showed it looking like icicles hanging off a roof.  I managed to go 12 years before I had the knee replaced.  Should have not waited that long.

Anyway, with the first surgery I used a walker for about 1 week.  The Dr. ordered no PT so I was really left out there on my own with no guidance of what to do or not do.  Dr. told me his nurses are back to work the day after the surgery, all I can say is BS.  It hurt, it was swollen and I kept ice packs on it.

Be sure you ask about PT, and frankly it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion.  I would also ask about any future knee replacement.

Best of luck ! 

[luckyme]

I had surgery the end of January for shredded cartilage in my left knee.

The surgeon left it up to me.  At a certain age, and adding arthritis into the mix, it isn't always the  most successful, as in you're back to work in a week and running again in a month. 

It's been about 6 weeks now, and though it has improved since surgery and I have mobility and am regaining strength in that leg, I am VERY sorry I had the surgery done. 

I have more pain now then before surgery, and it is buckling on me now, which it didn't do before.  At this point I would say surgery was a failure as I am worse off.  I am being told it could take months to get better. 

He did say knee replacement in the future.  

I am now shopping for canes. 

[violagirl]

I wanted to hear: I had the surgery, I was good within a week and back to running in a month. Not the stories I got.

In four months since I fell, it seems to have hit a plateau a month ago (probably around the time the fracture healed), so I have a decent range of motion, but there are just certain things I cannot do. There is no mention of replacement!! yikes. I just can't kneel, get up from a prone position, go up and down stairs normally, pivot, walk up hills...ok..so it really is impeding my normal functions. I have gone snowshoeing but I really paid for it with the pain afterwards. 

Plus the waiting list for surgery is 3 months. 

[midjd]

Mar 11, 2015 21:30:44 GMT -5 violagirl said:

I wanted to hear: I had the surgery, I was good within a week and back to running in a month. Not the stories I got.

In four months since I fell, it seems to have hit a plateau a month ago (probably around the time the fracture healed), so I have a decent range of motion, but there are just certain things I cannot do. There is no mention of replacement!! yikes. I just can't kneel, get up from a prone position, go up and down stairs normally, pivot, walk up hills...ok..so it really is impeding my normal functions. I have gone snowshoeing but I really paid for it with the pain afterwards. 

Plus the waiting list for surgery is 3 months. 

DH has had 6 or 7 knee surgeries, probably 3 orthoscopic. Those are the easy ones -- the last couple, he has been putting (slight) weight on it the day he comes home and back to pretty normal after 2-4 weeks. He stands almost all day at work and only missed a week with the last operation.

YMMV, but don't let the horror stories scare you. It's easy as far as orthopedic surgery goes.

[Cookies Galore]

Are you seeing a sports medicine doctor since you're a runner?

[wvugurl26]

I had it in August 2013. I kept it elevated and iced for a couple days but I could hobble around. I never used the crutches. I had it done Wednesday and went to a college football game Saturday. Also went out on a boat that weekend and had no problem transferring from dock to boat and back.

I had physical therapy for a couple months after. When I finished I was only going once a week. My surgeon and therapist would have killed me for trying to run again in a month. That's probably an individual thing though. It did work for me.

Putting a knee down on like say the bed to move across it was not possible for a few days. Can't remember when that went away. I went to a concert like two weeks later that had lots of walking into the venue. We had seats for that one. I did another one three weeks out general admission only on a concrete floor and survived. I think I had 3 football games in the month after surgery?

[violagirl]

Looks like I don't have to wait long, it is scheduled for next week.  Cookies Galore - I wouldn't classify myself as an athlete. I have been told my jogging pace is just above a crawl. But it would be nice to be back to normal. 

I have been to physio and will start physio again after the surgery. Even though I have been walking on it, my thigh muscle on that leg is like a noodle. 

I have been training my dogs, but they so far attack crutches. I'll have to up the training just in case I need to use. Yes  my dogs are crazy.