Who here has had a knee "scope"??

[cmb396]

Just verified yesterday that I had a medial meniscus tear, and need to have arthroscopic surgery. Eight years ago I had complete ACL reconstruction along with a mcl, and pcl tear.
While running a few weeks ago, I noticed something was wrong, and got my MRI results yesterday.

The doc told me 6-8 weeks for full recovery, first 3 days of nothing but sitting on bed or couch, and no bending my knee for the first week. This blows a big donkey dick!!

I have always heard it's no big deal, 2 days and you're good to go, not what he says tho. He told me to take my recovery at my own progression. I'm in really good shape, and a personal trainer by trait, so I know body mechanics, and what to do and what not to do. I just cannot imagine being immobile that long especially this time of year!!

Anyone here had it done? What's your experience?

[onedef92]

"Not I," said this cat.

[Broken Wind]

Your doc is being way conservative IMO. I had about 50% of my meniscus removed via da scope. Three days after mine I was attending a formal dinner without the aid of crutches. And I was 50 yr old at the time, so no spring chicken.

[ChasC5]

I did more than 20 years ago; I'm sure its way different now.

[6spdC6]

I had it done in 01. Keep me out of work for 2 months. (Construction worker.) Was walking decent after about a week. Was age 55 at the time!

Major improvement. They give you a lot of exercises to do. Make sure you do them.

[Truck Guy]

Not my knees but I've had three shoulder surgeries.
One traditional and two scoped.

Much faster recovery time with the arthroscopic surgeries.
A couple of weeks almost 100% compared to 8-10 weeks :yesnod:

A good PT regiment will help tremendously. If you just veg out on the couch, you in for a long recovery.

[BuckyThreadkiller]

Depends on the skill of the surgeon and the extent of the damage -
I've had my knees scoped 4 times - two each. Two for menicus tears from torn cartilage and two to remove that cartilage.

3 times the recovery was cake - down a day, on crutches for a couple of days and then just stay with the PT regimen and all was great. The first time the hardest thing to get over was the sore throat I got from the breathing tube that was shoved down my throat.

But with one there was a TON of bleeding during the operation - or so I was told. I was down and in real pain for three days - eating Vicodin like M&Ms. Two solid weeks on crutches and the PT was 8 difficult weeks. Not fun. But it was a different guy than had done my other 3 ops.

[cmb396]

Thanks for the replies so far, like anything I guess, it's hit and miss. This guy did not do my ACL, but he was recommended for this, and seems to have good feedback.

Not worried at all about the post op rehab/exercises. Like I said, I'm a trainer, and live in the gym basically, so that should be cake.
I was actually training to do my first amateur triathlons this summer, and this shit happens!!

I'm having the procedure done 4/20, and it's just bad timing all around to be gimped up for awhile!!

[syf350]

wife had hers done a couple years ago. took her longer than 6-8 weeks to be back to normal, but then again, she really didn't follow the therapy regime very well so am sure that had something to do with it.

seems like i remember tiger having problems for a few months after his too.

[Omega Man]

I will be having mine done soon too. I fek'ed it up on the ski trip at spring break. I originally hurt it in Airborne School back in 1990 and it is just getting to the point that I need to do something.

I got a cortisone shot last week and it wore off in 2 days. Not really looking forward to it for sure.


:waiting:

[6spdC6]

Depends on the skill of the surgeon and the extent of the damage -
I've had my knees scoped 4 times - two each. Two for menicus tears from torn cartilage and two to remove that cartilage.

3 times the recovery was cake - down a day, on crutches for a couple of days and then just stay with the PT regimen and all was great. The first time the hardest thing to get over was the sore throat I got from the breathing tube that was shoved down my throat.
But with one there was a TON of bleeding during the operation - or so I was told. I was down and in real pain for three days - eating Vicodin like M&Ms. Two solid weeks on crutches and the PT was 8 difficult weeks. Not fun. But it was a different guy than had done my other 3 ops.

Sorry to hear that! My surgery the anesthesia was a nerve block (back injection) and a light IV drip of some light duty drug to put you just slightly out. Walked out on crutches about 2 1/2 hours after the operation was over. No breathing tube used!

[prospero63]

I had it done a couple of years ago. Same thing, meniscus tear. It's been the hardest one to recover from. It was fully 9+ months before I was playing softball again, and I still wear a brace.

[BuckyThreadkiller]

I will say that post-op I don't do squat now that involves my knees getting pounded - no running unless there something after me that will hurt me worse than the swelling the next day. Once the meniscus is gone there's no cushion in the joint.

I was a fairly regular beer league softballer and skied 15 days a winter. I went skiing after the last op and it felt like there was nothing but a bunch of loose bolts and sticks between my thighs and calves.