| Surgery 15:55 - Mar 10 with 2467 views | RangersDave |
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 2418 views | WokingR |
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| Surgery on 16:26 - Mar 10 with 2352 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. |  |
| Beer and Beef has made us what we are - The Prince Regent |
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| Surgery on 16:58 - Mar 10 with 2192 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 2074 views | eastside_r |
| Surgery on 16:58 - Mar 10 by 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 |
Welcome and blimey how did you do that?
Or should I not ask. |  | | |
| Surgery on 17:45 - Mar 10 with 2034 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 1810 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. |  | | |
| Surgery on 19:42 - Mar 10 with 1732 views | PlanetHonneywood |
Tore my meniscus in September. Scans also revealed a massive baker's cyst, and that I have no cruciate ligaments. So, it was basically: bone-on-bone and agony for months.
Surgeon said the complicated nature of my knee (I should add that this is on the leg I wear a prosthesis) meant not only would surgery be highly unlikely, but the level of skill required would mean very few surgeons would be capable of doing any sort of operation.
Since then: rest, ice, weekly electric shock treatment by physio, and very, very slow exercise to build strenght and flexibility prescribed. I go back to see him next month and as things stand, these treatments have yielded massive improvement. Im back to where I was pre-accident.
Definitely think rehab work is the way to go if surgery can be avoided.
Good luck. |  |
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| Surgery on 19:50 - Mar 10 with 1696 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Surgery on 16:58 - Mar 10 by 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 |
Welcome aboard, Scotted. | |
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| Surgery on 10:33 - Mar 11 with 1272 views | nix |
| Surgery on 17:45 - Mar 10 by 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! |
Yes, it’s so important to do the physio for these kind of things (haven’t had this op but other things). Those who did the physio heal so much quicker. Great idea to do the work before the op too!
Hope it goes well. |  | | |
| Surgery on 11:40 - Mar 11 with 1196 views | cpgerber |
My son tore his ACL and meniscus during a football match in January. He has been hobbling along in crutches since then and will have reconstructive surgery in 2 weeks time. The tear was pretty much as bad as it could be, the orthopedist took one glance at the MRI and said "that ligament is gone, its surgery for you".
Lots of physio treatments to follow the op and full recovery is estimated at 9-12 months. They did say he should be out of crutches about 6 weeks after the op.
Depending on how severe your tear is, its not good news in terms of recovery and what you will be able to do afterwards and how soon. |  | | |
| Surgery on 13:46 - Mar 11 with 1043 views | Benny_the_Ball |
| Surgery on 10:33 - Mar 11 by nix |
Yes, it’s so important to do the physio for these kind of things (haven’t had this op but other things). Those who did the physio heal so much quicker. Great idea to do the work before the op too!
Hope it goes well. |
Yes, doing regular physio for at least a year is super important. Done right it'll improve flexibility, range and strength. Increasing leg muscle strength (particularly the thighs) will relieve some of the burden of lateral movement from the knee, allowing it to heal.
My consultant was very honest about the importance of physiotherapy. He told me that the op is pointless if I don't commit to physio. One goes hand-in-hand with the other.
Personally, I went to the hospital gym every morning, 6 days a week, for 3 years. There I had access to the physios who would recalibrate my programme as required. A bit overboard perhaps but 20 years later my knee is as strong as an ox with no side effects whatsoever. Compare this with another chap who I would see at post-op consultations. He was operated on by the same surgeon but "didn't have time for physio". Consequently, his knee was struggling. Make of that what you will. [Post edited 11 Mar 21:53]
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| Surgery on 14:48 - Mar 11 with 900 views | scotted1987 |
| Surgery on 17:36 - Mar 10 by eastside_r |
Welcome and blimey how did you do that?
Or should I not ask. |
Thanks! Years of playing central midfield like Colback. The surgeon said I had ACLs like celery. Hence why my pro career ended up being about a week long | | | |
| Surgery on 14:51 - Mar 11 with 892 views | scotted1987 |
| Surgery on 19:50 - Mar 10 by BrianMcCarthy |
Welcome aboard, Scotted. |
Ta :)
I might try and join discussions in the future, but I'm crap in all honesty. Forum noob lets say | | | |
| Surgery on 15:41 - Mar 11 with 775 views | itsbiga |
Ive had 3 of these surgeries. In all honesty its an outpatient proceedure now and your up on crutches for a couple days then just fine. Really its not much of a problem. My 1st meniscus surgery was in late 80's and that was a week on your back and weeks of pyhsio etc.
Now with keyhole its pretty easy. | |
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| Surgery on 21:55 - Mar 11 with 504 views | Benny_the_Ball |
RangersDave, is it just the meniscus you've torn or have you torn cartilage as well? | | | |
| Surgery on 07:51 - Mar 12 with 364 views | RangersDave |
Hi mate,
Initially it was the miniscus, but the second MRI done 4 months after showed a cartiledge tear apparently.
Not that i understand too much but something wasnt attached at the knee.
Mind you, i've had to use my left leg for over 8 or so months since the problem started, with zero real help from the hospital and doctor, and its now much worse pain wise. | |
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| Surgery on 08:29 - Mar 12 with 293 views | BrianMcCarthy |
| Surgery on 07:51 - Mar 12 by RangersDave |
Hi mate,
Initially it was the miniscus, but the second MRI done 4 months after showed a cartiledge tear apparently.
Not that i understand too much but something wasnt attached at the knee.
Mind you, i've had to use my left leg for over 8 or so months since the problem started, with zero real help from the hospital and doctor, and its now much worse pain wise. |
The miniscus is cartilage. One of two in the knee. The other is the articular. Hopefully you've only damaged one of them, which is far more common. | |
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| Surgery on 16:03 - Mar 12 with 122 views | itsbiga |
| Surgery on 08:29 - Mar 12 by BrianMcCarthy |
The miniscus is cartilage. One of two in the knee. The other is the articular. Hopefully you've only damaged one of them, which is far more common. |
A medial meniscus tear (which it sounds like you have) is very common. Its a really easy surgery if no ligament damage.
The meniscus is the part of the cartilage that curls up to form a cup luke structure that the condyl of the femur sits into so its all stable. They go in and drill the broken bit off (debridement). Most of the swelling after is cuz they fill ur knee joint with tonnes of fluid during the surgery. A bakers cyst can sometimes form after which can be a bummer as they dont really go away. I have one the size of a grape behind my left knee. [Post edited 12 Mar 16:06]
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