ACL and meniscus surgery and recovery?!
Question: ACL and meniscus surgery and recovery!?
I tore my ACL and meniscus on my left knee snowboarding!. Ive been doing physical therapy and am getting a brace put on!. but they also gave me the option of surgery!.
I am terrified to get a surgery!.
but the doc pretty much said, get it now or get it in 20 years ( because i am an active person it wont heal and can only get worse)!.
so can somebody who has had either operations give some info on them, like how long they take in hospital and to recover, how painful it is and the drugs they give ( i get sick on vicodin)!.
Thanks!Www@Answer-Health@Com
I am terrified to get a surgery!.
but the doc pretty much said, get it now or get it in 20 years ( because i am an active person it wont heal and can only get worse)!.
so can somebody who has had either operations give some info on them, like how long they take in hospital and to recover, how painful it is and the drugs they give ( i get sick on vicodin)!.
Thanks!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I'm sorry you hurt your knee but don't allow your emotions and/or fear get in the way of making the right decision!. ACL and meniscus tears generally don't heal on their own!. You will most likely suffer until you have surgery!.
You may be up and walking in 7-10 day without crutches after ACL repair, but with a knee brace locked to keep the knee from bending and buckling!. At about 4-8 weeks if you build enough strength, your doctor may allow you to unlock your brace and walk normaly!. At 12-16 week mark, you may start jogging on it and return to sports in 6-12 months!.
ACL repair with a meniscus injury certainly comlicates and may slow down your recovery!. If they cut away part of the meniscus that is torn, it won't slow things down too much for you!. On the other hand, if the surgeon has to repair the meniscus, you will not be able to put weight on it for 4 weeks (you'll be on crutches) and will not be allowed to bend your knees beyond 90 degrees for those 4 weeks as well!.
Your surgeon will decide if they need to cut or repair the meniscus during surgery!. It will likely be outpatient surgery so you will go home the same day!.
As far as pain goes, everybody is different!. Some people have a lot of pain for 2-3 few weeks while others only for a few days!. You will get through it!.
If your surgeon said you need surgery get it done!. Get a second opinion if your not convinced but don't do what I did!.
I needed surgery for another problem and after 7 years of suffering on and off, I finally got it done!. Should have done it sooner but I put it off despite being a health care worker!. We are all human, nobody likes the idea of being cut on and pain after for a while!.
If you choose surgery think about timing!. If you get it done now, by the time school starts you will be walking but won't be able to do much this summer!.
Hope this helps!. Good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
You may be up and walking in 7-10 day without crutches after ACL repair, but with a knee brace locked to keep the knee from bending and buckling!. At about 4-8 weeks if you build enough strength, your doctor may allow you to unlock your brace and walk normaly!. At 12-16 week mark, you may start jogging on it and return to sports in 6-12 months!.
ACL repair with a meniscus injury certainly comlicates and may slow down your recovery!. If they cut away part of the meniscus that is torn, it won't slow things down too much for you!. On the other hand, if the surgeon has to repair the meniscus, you will not be able to put weight on it for 4 weeks (you'll be on crutches) and will not be allowed to bend your knees beyond 90 degrees for those 4 weeks as well!.
Your surgeon will decide if they need to cut or repair the meniscus during surgery!. It will likely be outpatient surgery so you will go home the same day!.
As far as pain goes, everybody is different!. Some people have a lot of pain for 2-3 few weeks while others only for a few days!. You will get through it!.
If your surgeon said you need surgery get it done!. Get a second opinion if your not convinced but don't do what I did!.
I needed surgery for another problem and after 7 years of suffering on and off, I finally got it done!. Should have done it sooner but I put it off despite being a health care worker!. We are all human, nobody likes the idea of being cut on and pain after for a while!.
If you choose surgery think about timing!. If you get it done now, by the time school starts you will be walking but won't be able to do much this summer!.
Hope this helps!. Good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
With this type of surgery, you may stay in the hospital over night, however that is questionable, and I'm sure it wouldn't be any longer than that!. It is a wise decision for an athletic person like you to have the surgery!. You will defiantly notice a decreased ability with sports and certain activities, not to mention you are probably going to have to really baby the knee so you don't make the injury worse!. Recovery time is on average around 8 weeks, some people take less time, some take more! If you fallow the regimen your doctor provides you will more than likely have a very speedy recovery! Vicoden is by far not the only pain medication they can give you! And even if you are prone to get sick on any type of pain medicine, there are lots of medications that they can give you along with the pain medicine to control nausea!
Any type of surgery is scary! Just remember that to continue on doing what you love to do (snowboarding, or other activities) is is detrimental!!!
Good Luck and I wish you a speedy recovery!!!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Any type of surgery is scary! Just remember that to continue on doing what you love to do (snowboarding, or other activities) is is detrimental!!!
Good Luck and I wish you a speedy recovery!!!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Both my daughters had these surgeries done!. One of them had it done on both knees!. There is no time at all in the hospital!. It is painful!. Vicodin was given to my daughters, but I'm sure there are many other pain killers out there!. The pain went away for my daughters in about a month, but it was a 12 month recovery time!. If you don't get the surgery, you won't be able to snowboard!. The ACL is what allows you to make turns!. You can build up cartilige that will protect it somewhat, but without the reconstruction, it would not be able to withstand an active lifestyle, and you might tear it to the point where you won't be able to repair it, and then you're really up a creek!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
i had the surgery a couple of years ago!. I also tore my acl and meniscus, and didn't know about it for two years!. One day at volleyball my leg popped out of its socket and wouldn't go back in!. I was told i tore my acl and had to get surgery!. Honestly, I would totally do it if i were you since your active!. I remember when i woke up from the surgery it didn't hurt that much on a scale of one to ten it was like a two!. I also get sick when i take vicodin, and i only took it for like a day!. My leg didn't even hurt when i stopped taking it!. Hope i helped and good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
my dad got ACL surgery (he tore his skiing) and it has been a year since the surgery and he ran a 5K the other day for a race!.!.!.if you want to be up and running in 2 months the therapist will make it intenser and you will have a greater risk of retearing it!.!.!.it will be uncomfortable for a while but the brace they give you really helps!.!.!.sometimes my dad still limps a bit but it is getting betterWww@Answer-Health@Com
My hubby had knee surgery in Dec!. And it was done by the scopes!. They didnt have to cut him open!. They were able to repair what they needed to repair!. You might not have a stay in the hospital!.!.!.lots of surgeries now are outpatient!.!.!.go home the same night!. And afterwards he just couldnt walk on it for 3 days and he had a brace and crutches!. And after the 3 days to start putting some weight on it!. He was doing good in 2 wks!. Tthey gave him Lortab for pain!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I had meniscus surgery in 2001 I went into the hospital in the AM and was out in the PM, Pain was tolerable!.!.!.I am actually allergic to percoset so had to take vicodin! alot of icing and I was walking in 4 days, running in 2 weeks, Hiking in a month!.!.!.My understanding is ACL surgery is a bit more of a recovery!Www@Answer-Health@Com