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Dr Tells Me I'm Getting Surgery For Knee

Posted , 6 users are following.

alco933
alco933

Not suggesting, TELLING me.

I am a 52 year old male who is active with walking and tennis. I recently developed knee pain , from what I believe was caused by stomping on the brake pedal of my car quickly and forcefully to avoid a wreck.

After a long walk i developed sever pain the next day.

It subsided a little but then was swollen and got a cortisone shot at my first appt. 

On a follow up I still had some pain so I got an MRI done. 

On MRI consult he infroms me i have a 1-1.4 centimeter “medial posterior horn meniscal” tear and says "you are getting this surgery".

I have researched this quite a bit since then and am not understanding why the words "physical therapy" were not used at all whether in a positive sense or a negative sense.

Later when I called the Physician assistant I asked her more details and she said that some people don't get any improvement after physical therapy.

I also asked Dr. about the pain. I feel pain on the left front side of my right knee but he says that the mensicus tear is in the back on the posterior horn.

I have looked at the MRI and compared it to others and do see the white mark which is typical of this diagnosis but it seems so light and faint compare to other tears i see online.

Also my knee pain is subsiding even though I did 2 full days of brush mowing in a field 2 weeks ago and played tennis last night.

Its strange , when i start playing tennis, it aches a little but when i am done i feel no pain. !?

I am contemplating whether to get this surgery or not. I don't think my tear is sever and worry about getting arthritis years later from having some of it removed.

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 alco933

    Posted

    PT WORKS on certain types of meniscus tears but if the damage is extensive it is only time before surgery has to be done. PT is usually incorporated in the plan starting a few days after surgery. Ive known a number of people who have had this problem and when ive listened to the history find there is a huge difference in the route to recovery. A friend of mine was playing golf in Hawaii and tore his teeing off. MRI was done immediately and results were forwarded to his drs here in town and they had him scheduled for surgery the day after returning home. He said the 9-10 hr flying time was unbearable. By the time they did the surgery the tear was much worse than the mri's had originally indicated. The answer to that was once it starts its very difficult to stop without surgery. Sometimes it is just a strain and frays the tissue which pt can help.
  • cheryl90571
    cheryl90571 alco933

    Posted

    I would get a second opinion. It sounds like you are not confident with your doctor, and usually our gut reaction is quite accurate!

    I had NO IMPROVEMENT from PT or from a cortisone shot either. I spent FOUR YEARS avoiding doctors, hoping my pain would just GO AWAY.

    After seeing my HORRENDOUS X-RAYS four years after my DENIAL began, I scheduled my TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT on the spot in June.

    Things went so well that I have KNEE #2 scheduled for October.

    Go see what a different doctor has to say. You probably will feel better hearing from someone else.

  • Psychonurse
    Psychonurse alco933

    Posted

    Hi, I have had 2 meniscus tears. On my right knee it is all the way through and not really possible to cure. All arthroscopy surgery can do is snip the ragged edges of the tear. Time will heal most tears to some extent. I passed on surgery and let hit heal. Was able to still play decent singles for awhile but arthritis has put me in the doubles scene. Good luck. I'm sure you are not happy your body is letting you down. This is especially true for people like us that love tennis. Aging is a bitch!
  • Psychonurse
    Psychonurse alco933

    Posted

    Hi, I have had 2 meniscus tears. On my right knee it is all the way through and not really possible to cure. All arthroscopy surgery can do is snip the ragged edges of the tear. Time will heal most tears to some extent. I passed on surgery and let hit heal. Was able to still play decent singles for awhile but arthritis has put me in the doubles scene. Good luck. I'm sure you are not happy your body is letting you down. This is especially true for people like us that love tennis. Aging is a bitch!
  • sueisobel
    sueisobel alco933

    Posted

    all efforts should be made to try to repair a medial meniscus tear of the posterior horn to prevent the further development of osteoarthritis. If a posterior horn meniscus tear cannot be repaired, it is recommended that patients be followed up closely for any signs of pain or swelling with activities. These are the signs of arthritis and one should be evaluated carefully after a partial meniscectomy to assess for the progression of arthritis whereby further treatment, such as activity modification, physical therapy, injections or a meniscal transplantation, may be performed prior to advanced wear of the cartilage on the medial aspect of the knee.
  • irish_linda
    irish_linda alco933

    Posted

    i agree with you sometimes this surgery can lead to more problems later as i had both knees replaced and a few years before i had cartilage removed from both knees i strongly believe that cartilage removed stepped up replacement of my knees you say your 52 i was that age when i had the tears and i had replacements when i was 55 so i would think twice befor you agree to the op instead i think you should take things easy and continue with physio and do not play tennis for awhile i should have done this  and regret that i didnt stop sport at the time but i didnt and the rest is history the best of luck to you as i know only too well sport is very important
  • alco933
    alco933

    Posted

    Thanks for the advice all. I am carefully evaluating this. My Dr had a very shifty manner and seemed to be talking down to me. I am going to get a second opinion with the MRI and radiology report. The pain in my right knee has lessened significantly even with brush mowing, long walks, and playing tennis some.

    I have sees the New England Journal artical from 2013 that said that people who did PT faired as well as surgery and also saw an article that said knee surgurey is one of the top 6 unnecessary surgeries performed. 

    Also there is no hurry on this as surgury perofmed later had same results as those that were rushed, like my Dr. is rushing me to do.

    Time will tell. 

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 alco933

      Posted

      Each person is unique. Each knee has different issues. Learn all you can. Talk to lots of people who have experienced knee issues. Get that second opinion and maybe even a THIRD!

      It is your body, and you need to feel like YOU are making the best choices that you can.

      Looking forward to hearing good things for your future!

    • irish_linda
      irish_linda alco933

      Posted

      dead right second opinion is most important   keep your knees as long as you can and the best of luck
  • desiree42
    desiree42 alco933

    Posted

    You should totally get a second opinion!  If the meniscus is only partially torn it can heal without surgery.  If it is a complete tear, that's a different story...

    RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevate if you have pain.

    Consider using support tape so as to not injure it further.

     

    • alco933
      alco933 desiree42

      Posted

      Actually there is more to the story on healing I have found. If it is torn in the white (inner) area where there is no blood getting to it , it does not heal. If it is torn on the outer edge where blood does get to it, it can. If it is in the red-white area, there is a chance but not a good one.
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