Arthroscopy?
Posted , 11 users are following.
Has anyone had an arthroscopy done? Did the PT, had the injection. Dr says next step is arthroscopy. Any advice is welcome.
Thanks
Victoria
0 likes, 18 replies
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Notes on Arthroscopy?
CHICO_MARX victoria13635
Posted
sue37592 victoria13635
Posted
Hi Victoria. I also had physio, steroid injections and next stage was a scope. I was warned could make knee worse or be brilliant. Unfortunately when I woke the consultant was by my bed and said it was too far gone and would not have helped. I was in horrendous pain afterwards and my quality life got unbareable. On very high doses pain meds. Put on list for total knee replacement. Waiting list was 18 months so 6 mths after scope I took a loan and went private...best decision. Unfortunately other knee needs done wait is 15 mths but I will have to wait can't afford another loan. Ask your consultant plenty questions before going for it. It may help you.
Rcurry17 victoria13635
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Rcurry17
Posted
Yorski victoria13635
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Hi Victoria. I had the dubious 'privilege' of having one of the very first Arthroscopies at St James' Hospital in Leeds almost 40 years ago. It helped my surgeon to identify a long standing knee injury problem. Apart from a strange sensation of the liquid swishing around, there were no ill effects. Hope that helps. Regards, Yorski
susan25378 victoria13635
Posted
Hi Victoria, I had a knee scope to repair a torn meniscus. It was repaired and my recovery went smoothly. Unfortunately it didn't do the trick and I had a PKR this summer. All is going well. Best of luck to you!
cherry75260 victoria13635
Posted
Hi Victoria,
Seven years ago I had arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus and a lateral release. Unfortunately it did nothing to fix my knee pain. I just recently had a tkr, I'm post-op almost 6 weeks. Prior to my recent tkr I also had Supartz injections into both knees,... they did nothing to help the pain, therefore the tkr.
Whatever you choose, the best of luck!
Blessings,
Cherry🍒
victoria13635
Posted
Well, since the injection doesn't seem to be helping much, I guess I'll ask for the arthroscope. Better sooner than later, I hope.
John5006 victoria13635
Posted
Hi Victoria,
?Yep, I had it done way back in 1999/2000. right knee. I had been out walking, stumbled over some rough ground, suddenly searing pain almost immediately as the cartilage tore. In pain forever after until surgery.
When surgeon "went in" he found the onset of osteoarthritis. I was 56 at the time.
I got another 15 years out of the knee.
?In Nov 2015 I ended up with a partial knee replacement, same knee but only the medial compartment. By that time the osteoarthritis was extensive in that medial area. BUT nowhere else in the right knee.
?At no time did I have injections, original tear injury was too far gone, no repairs either.
?Since partial knee replacement I have been "normal" and can do everything I did before, except kneel. If I use a cushion I can manage a kneel but not for any length of time. So don't even bother nowadays.
John
victoria13635 John5006
Posted
CHICO_MARX victoria13635
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I don't think she is. There is a loooooong road you have to travel before a knee replacement is recommended. Multiple arthroscopies may leave your knee in a bone-on-bone condition. Osteoarthritis adds to the problem. However, it takes a while to get to that point. Some people react well to cortisone shots but there's a limit to that therapy. Otherwise, there's SynVisc or other "gel" injections that lubricate the knee joint for up to a year per treatment. That worked GREAT for me for many years. Then I moved from the cold and ice of New Jersey to the warmth of Texas. My knees didn't bother me for another five years.
In 2016, finally got to the point where the pain was becoming "uncomfortable". Doc did the imaging and I was at the end of the line...TKR time. My whole journey from first scoping to TKR took about 15 years. Unless you're in a serious accident or there's something very strange about your knees, no one ever just jumps to a TKR...it's the progressive degeneration that gets you there eventually...or not. Many people never reach the TKR stage.
So...you take this one step at a time...don't let your mind jump to worst case scenario when you're years away from that point of decision. A scoping is pretty simple and has a very short recovery time. Do it and move on...
John5006 victoria13635
Posted
Hi Victoria,
?Almost certainly you'll never be offered any form of knee replacement at the stage you are at. It is almost a given that you have to be bone on bone with a deterioration in the bone structure itself. In my case it was my medial compartment of the Tibia (right knee, inner left side of top of Tibia) had corroded from osteoarthritis. Interestingly - only this part of the Tibia was affected by OA, the rest of the knee was fine, no trace of OA.
?The other consideration is the expected life span of the implant. So, I don't know how old you are but in my case at the time the job was done I was 71, my Consultant reckons with care and a healthy life my implant is good for 15 years - hopefully I'd still have time enough for another knee replacement but at my age then it would be a total knee replacement. Unless technology had advanced so much that they could do things differently.
?So, basically - I agree with Chico Marx (I'm in Cornwall, UK - one of the milder counties in winter). Unless there were compelling reasons to do a knee replacement earlier, I couldn't see it being done much before 60 to 65 years old.
John
victoria13635
Posted
I didn't mean wait for a knee replacement, I meant wait for the athroscope. Sorry. I'm trying to do my best to NEVER have to have a TKR.
victoria13635 John5006
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I mistyped what I meant to say. I meant to ask if I was being advised to wait on the 'scope. I am hoping to never need a TKR. I am nowhere near that yet. I am 60 years old and just want some relief from the constant pain. I tried sleeping with a pillow last night (a neck pillow for traveling) and it made the pain worse. I suspect it somehow pinched a nerve? Not sure on that but I know for sure PT and the steroid injection did not help.
victoria13635 CHICO_MARX
Posted