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Surgery 15:55 - Mar 10 with 724 views

Hi guys,

I've torn the inner miniscus of my left leg and this alonggwith the cartiledge and other problems i've been in terrible pain.

I've had an MRI and thats confirmed it. Now, after 8 months i've got a referral from the hospital to have an operation through a private hospital with the NHS paying.

My question is this, anyone had that type of operation? were you out and about 24 hours later? driving? etc

Any help and thoughts gratefully received.
Dave

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Surgery on 16:15 - Mar 10 with 675 views

WokingR

Surgery on 16:26 - Mar 10 with 609 views

Metallica_Hoop

I tore my inner one about 16 years ago, they gave me a leg bandage that was so itchy I stopped wearing it.
I carried on walking about as it was only agony if I turned the knee and then ran a 10k for Charity two weeks later. It healed fine just a bit tighter.

Maybe you can get out of the surgery.
The knee clicking going down stairs was a bit weird though.

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Surgery on 16:58 - Mar 10 with 449 views

scotted1987

Hi!
Long long term lurker but this is the first time I've had the urge to post! Fav cheese is anything non-french...

I had meniscal repair (plus 3 large cysts removed). Essentially my knee was a mess (lots of minor ligament tears etc too).

What a surgeon will say as recovered is different to a physio.

Surgeon will say 6 weeks with restricted movement. Physio will say 1 year.

You will barely weight bare for a week or 2. Then it'll step up... So you won't be able to drive.

If you have meniscus tear fixed by non repair (i.e. they cut out the bad bit) you will be fine in 6 weeks, doubt you can drive on the day but you will be able to walk unassisted pretty soon.

Long term, repair is better as you have your cartilage to protect your joint, the other isn't so good for your joint.

Having said that, I've had complications and my knee is still messed up🤣 I've got a swollen fatty pad (oooerrr). It keeps getting stuck in my knee and feels almost the same pre surgery...2 years later. Still pleased I've had it done though. I know it will be fine, eventually

Surgery on 17:36 - Mar 10 with 331 views

eastside_r

Surgery on 16:58 - Mar 10 by scotted1987

Welcome and blimey how did you do that?

Or should I not ask.

Surgery on 17:45 - Mar 10 with 291 views

BrianMcCarthy

Hi Dave,

I've had three of them and would know through players of hundreds more.

Recovery time seems to vary depending on how much water they pump in to allow them to get to the miniscus. The less water, the less swelling, the quicker the recovery.

I've seen people back driving and in the gym in 48 hours, but it usually takes a week to walk properly.

I would recommend as much pre-hab as you can fit in. Build up all the muscles around the knee. This will reduce the rehab and recovery length.

Best of luck!

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Surgery on 19:18 - Mar 10 with 73 views

Benny_the_Ball

Unless you have thighs the size of tree trunks, it's unlikely you'll be out and about within 24 hours.

Before I share my thoughts, there is one caveat. My ops were nearly 20 years ago. Things may have moved on since then so it's always worth checking the options with your consultant. Thankfully you're being sent to a private hospital so you should, in theory, get first class care.

The road ahead depends on the extent of the damage. With respect to the meniscus, this depends on how much they remove. The key is that they don't remove it all. There needs to be something left in order for it to grow back. Glucosamine helps promote growth. Every morning and night I drank a glass of orange juice with added glucosamine. My consultant was surprised at how this accelerated growth.

With respect to the cartilage, it depends on whether it is partially torn (i.e. it's still connected), or completely ruptured. If it's torn there's a chance that the existing cartilage can be repaired. If ruptured, then it'll need rebuilding. Typically this is done with a hamstring.

After the op, you'll need to rest for at least a week or two then you can move about on crutches. I found that in this fortnight my leg quickly lost a lot of muscle mass. Consequently, Brian's tip of pre-hab is a good one. Strong thighs in particular will compensate for the lack of cartilage in controlling lateral (side-to-side) movement. In addition, if the surgeon uses a hamstring to graft a cartilage then the hamstrings in the donor leg will be weakened and therefore require strengthening.

Whilst you should be able to return to normal life fairly quickly (albeit initially on crutches), persisting with the re-hab will be crucial to your long-term health. The op alone is not a miracle cure. At first this will start with gentle physio to promote flexibility and range. Once this improves, you can step up to resistance training and gentle exercise. I found that anything involving forward motion (e.g. cycling) was fine. Lateral movement of the knees was a no-no as was contact sport. Swimming front crawl was especially beneficial as the buoyancy of the water removes any strain on the knee.

As pushing car pedals involves no lateral movement, I found I was able to return to driving pretty soon after the op. The uncomfortable part is getting in and out of the car without aggravating the knee. Once you're in, you're good to go.

Best of luck with your journey, Dave.

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