Well well, that knee pain I’ve been ignoring for months is a badly torn meniscus that needs surgery. Surgeon said they would shave away some arthritis too. Sounds weird but what do I know.
Said recovery would be a week, possibly two before I could go back to work. I’m on my feet all day.
Anyone have this done? what was recovery like? anything to prepare?
I had arthroscopy on my knee for torn meniscus a few years ago. Very easy same day surgery. I could walk on it, carefully, right away. I had it at the end of December so i could be back on my feet when classes started late January (I would have been able to do a sitting job much earlier, but my classes keep me on my feet, plus scattered all over a large campus).
I don’t remember much if any pain, and recovery went well–just took it easy for a week or so and then gradually upped my walking distances.
I’m not sure how much it changed arthritis, but it definitely took away the sharp pain of the torn meniscus.
I don’t recall any prepping, except clearing out time for recovery.
My teen DD had it couple weeks back … easy outpatient surgery …she was walking on crutches same day …lot of ice initial couple days but she was back on her feet without crutches from day 6. She is going through PT now …its week 3 …most of little pain is from three stitches & inflammation but with every day things are getting better. I hear it takes 5-6 weeks to go back to contact sports type activity.
1 Like
I had a torn meniscus removed 4 years ago, the day before Thanksgiving. Surgery was an easy same day surgery. I went to Black Friday Xmas shopping at outlets the next evening, but I was moving VERY VERY slowly and dared anyone to come within 3 feet of me. I was prepping for covid I guess, and the outlets never seemed so huge.
I went to work the following Monday, but I sit all day and I was off emotionally. The next day was better. But I would think two weeks off would be better if you are on your feet all day. maybe even 3.
I remember it took a long time before I felt comfortable moving laterally or pivoting. I could begin running at 6 weeks. many people do earlier, but I did what I was supposed to. I was able to ride a bike after a week or two, so I did that. I wasn’t in a hurry to run. But unloading the dishwasher or getting out of the car, I had to be very careful for what seemed like ages.
I tore my meniscus a year ago and had a meniscusmectomy in March. It was a simple same day procedure and I was able to walk with 1 crutch the next day and I walked 1 mile crutch less and could drive by day 2. I took 2 weeks off work as I’m a RN who walks all day and part of my job description is the need to crawl as I work with toddlers. I still struggled going back to work as I had a hard time kneeling and getting up and down from the floor, picking up dropped toys and especially hard getting kids out the bath tub.
I’m pleased I chose the surgery but it wasn’t a quick fix, I still needed PT and have needed steroid injections in the knee since and I have resigned myself to not been pain free, my knee still wakes me up at night but it is definitely better than before.
I had surgery for a torn meniscus in my left knee several years ago. The surgery took care of the pain, and recovery was minimal, BUT the “shaving” they did to remove some of the detritus in the joint changed the way the ball and socket fit, and my gait changed, not exactly a limp but a slight change to the way my knee bends that I’m often aware of and requires me to be more careful going down stairs.
Three years later, the meniscus in my right knee tore, but my current doctor advised physical therapy rather that surgery, and though that took a bit longer, the result was much better. He told me that meniscus surgery is one of the most unnecessary surgeries performed in the U.S. based on this article in the NEJM:
Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is one of the most common orthopedic procedures, yet rigorous evidence of its efficacy is lacking…
CONCLUSIONS
In this trial involving patients without knee osteoarthritis but with symptoms of a degenerative medial meniscus tear, the outcomes after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy were no better than those after a sham surgical procedure.
You might want to get a second opinion. I would not opt for surgery if I didn’t have to. At the very least, you could try PT and have surgery later if the PT is ineffective.
1 Like
I wonder if PRP (platelet rich plasma) therapy would help more than surgery. It is a form of prolotherapy. One of my kids had great success with this, and it was offered within a major hospital system despite still being labelled “experimental.”
1 Like
I had surgery to trim the medial meniscus on one knee roughly 26 years ago. In my case the recovery was slow but steady. I think that I was walking a little bit in about a week or two. The first really major improvement that I noticed compared to before surgery was that in less than a month I could just sit and not be in any pain at all – something that I had not experienced for a few years. It then just kept getting better and better over time. The last part of the recovery was when I could step up with both legs while walking up stairs – for perhaps six months it was one leg up, then the other leg to the same level, then the first leg up, and so on.
The knee has been pain free now for a bit more than 25 years. At this point it is so good that I am not completely sure which knee they operated on. I am very glad that I had the surgery.
At the time the people who prepped me for the surgery were quite amused that I had written “wrong knee” in marker on the other knee. They got the surgeon out to see it, and he was also quite amused.
Had mine with torn posterior medial meniscus horn and was walking at recovery after the sx. No pain. But did PT for like 3 months. Crazy how weak your quads and hamstrings etc can get. To this day I do basic knee excersies to keep it up.
Good Luck.
Love it! It was smart, too. I’ve had a few medical misadventures involving surgery but nothing really serious. In the last decade, I’ve marked several body parts with “not this side”, arrows and/or a dotted line.
Glad your surgery was so successful. I expect my H will need knee surgery before long.
1 Like
I should have mentioned above that I also had a couple months of PT afterward, with the aim being to cut down on scar build up at the site, and also strengthen the leg muscles around the knee to give it more support.
With my surgery, they had me put on this very long and ugly and hard to get on pantyhose leg on the side that was not to be operated on. That way they couldn’t mess up.
I also had PT and I had zero pain in the knee since.
1 Like
I had cartilage taken out of the left knee perhaps 33 years ago. My knee was locking, not painful, but not functional. I know the current thought is to avoid this surgery as much as possible, but I can’t see how I could have gotten through the locking up in any other way. I waited a month or more for surgery and was in fit biking/hiking shape prior to the event. As mentioned above, the quad atrophy while waiting for surgery was significant.
A few years later I tore the right cartilage while standing up from picking up toys on the floor and again had to wait for the surgery. It was painful and my twins were young and needed carrying.
For a number of years afterwards I felt my knees were weak and was hesitant to stress them too much. But after the kids were in school I was able to bike a great deal which really took care of all issues. I was told I might develop arthritis 20 years down the road, and do feel a minor amount of pain in the left in bed at night on occasion. But I walk miles most days still and bike with no problem.
1 Like
Thank you all for your good advice. Had the surgery, was worse when they thought initially. PT is really helping and I’m very glad I got it done.
4 Likes