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I torn my meniscus, again - Surgery options?

Posted , 6 users are following.

LilJohnson
LilJohnson

So I've got a torn meniscus...second one in less than a year. Yeah - ugh!

Anyway, I've opted for surgery, and I think that my doctor is planning on a partial menisectomy, like she performed last year, but I've been doing a lot of research, and it shows that people tend to fare better long term when they have repairs instead partials.

Can I ask my surgeon if she can try to do a repair? I know that sometimes repairs aren't physiologically possible, but I would rather save as much of whatever is left of my meniscus if I can. You know?

What are your thoughts? And how should I approach my doctor?

Thanks!

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • leslie56933
    leslie56933 LilJohnson

    Posted

    Dear Lil, You may fare well with a partial but after four surgeries on one knee in the last two years, I would try to forgo surgery as long as possible. Not to scare you, but..here is my experience...tore the meniscus while running and slipping.( I am now 60, this happened when I was 58)My knee swelled terribly. Doc tried to fix it surgically, we waited three months and it was still the size of an elephant. Doc suggested a partial, ( one pt told me she has seen many successful partials and several therapists told me they often need to be redone and don't agree with them being done at all), when he did the surgery they discovered my bones were the size of a child's and could not find a part small enough. After a year and a half I developed severe arthritis due to the improper fitting, so there was a year and a half with out being able to walk far. doc went in again to take out scar tissue and arthritis, four months after that he did a full replacement. My knee is taking a long time to recover, it has been six months and I am struggling with swelling and tendons and muscles that have been through quite a lot. I am hopeful it will be ok now, I'm walking farther than I've been able in a long time. Sorry to scare you but boy, do I wish I had waited a while longer. Knee surgery is major. Best wishes.

    • LilJohnson
      LilJohnson leslie56933

      Posted

      You didn't scare me...nor did you convince me to wait.

      I literally cannot do the work I do right now due to my knee, and that needs to change since I'm only 28 and I've just barely started to dive into a career.

      I'm a preschool teacher, and I do Montessori, so I unless I'm sitting on an adult sized chair (and there are almost never more than 2 in a classroom), my knee is pretty much always in a position that puts me in a place more prone to injury...especially since squatting and kneeling are an essential part of my job!

      Right now, I can't walk any sort of distance without my knee catching or buckling at least once or twice, and I'm in pain probably about 90% of the time.

      I had this exact same surgery last May (partial menisectomy), and yes, it is major surgery, but it wasn't really that big a deal, if that makes sense.

  • Waffalobill
    Waffalobill LilJohnson

    Posted

    i would talk to your doc again. dont wait. torn meniscus can get chewed up more. pieces float around and get stuck in the joint. that hurts. can cause much more damage and bleeding.

  • gorillagirl
    gorillagirl LilJohnson

    Posted

    Hi,

    I've had a partial after tearing the meniscus plus osteoarthritis - 6 weeks in and it's been pretty good. There was no cartilage left on the inside but the outer side of my knee is OK. I'm 63, If you are of a similar age and also have OA I would recommend the partial because, as I understand it, the cartilage becomes more brittle as we age so may be difficult to repair. GG

    • gorillagirl
      gorillagirl LilJohnson

      Posted

      Ah, OK probably don't want a replacement then!! Good luck. I have spent over 40 years on my knees raising and working with children so I appreciate how you must feel at Montessori. GG

    • LilJohnson
      LilJohnson gorillagirl

      Posted

      Thanks.

      Montessori is very special in almost every way. And I love it so much! It is just such a different philosophy and way of teaching that you don't see anywhere else.

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