Scooby Snacks 23

Having had two cartilidge operations in my teens from rugby injuries, I've been suffering quite a bit of pain as of late with my right knee. It seems to be constantly swollen and running on it in the gymn is a real problem. It's even given way on me a few times when walking up stairs. After a push from the wife-to-be I was referred to a doctor, who in turn referred me to a knee surgeon.

After an examination and X-rays last friday, they have told me my Anterior Cruciate Ligament is torn and needs to be replaced . This is done by removing my thigh hamstring and replacing the torn ligament (graft) . Apparently, I will be in hospital for 2 to 3 days after the operation, and will need six weeks off work!! I will be able to get back to proper sports after about six months.

As I'm getting married in June, the surgeon has suggested I get it done it once I'm back from my honeymoon, in July sometime. This is fine with me.

Whilst I can accept that I'll need to be off work for six weeks (boss agreed it this morning), I can accept that the (new) wife will be waiting on me hand and foot and I can accept I'll need loads of physio, the surgeons' also said I CAN'T DRIVE FOR AT LEAST SIX WEEKS!!! Talk about Scooby-Withdrawal-Symptons!

Anyone else had this and what do I expect?

scoobyangel

you can expect your missus to drive your car

ozzy

Bad luck m8.

My cousin split his knee cap (vertically) in two in a motorbike crash last year. He got married in plaster-cast and some crutches

He can get about fine, but driving is really painfull even a year on and he's had to give up gym work (he was into Bodybuilding).

I've only had problems with my lower leg (shin splints, achilles tendon), so don't have any experience of your problem.

The one thing I can say is listen to your Consultant and Physio. Do exactly as they tell you. They'll seem over-cautious, but it's for your own good.

I had an op on the anterior compartment in both my shins last year and was told it would take a year to recover. Being a very keen runner and serving in the RMR, I thought **** that; I'll give it 3 months and I'll be a good as ever. Almost gave myself the same problem and would have wasted £1500. It's been over a year now, and I'm just getting back to full fitness.

If they say don't do anything for 6 weeks, do exactly that. Any tendon problems need time to repair and heal, so if you tear it again you might not get a 2nd chance.

Best of luck,

Stefan

marty_t3

Don't have any first hand experience of knee problems but my mom had a major operation just over a year ago. She had the entire knee joint replaced with metal/ceramic/transplanted cartlidge. They chopped the bones in her thigh and shin and "welded" in the new knee.

My sister took a month off work to look after her when she first came out of hospital as my mom really needed someone to help just to get around the house. She couldn't walk or drive for over 3 months and my dad ended up buying her an auto to drive around once she was well enough to use crutches. She likes the auto more than her old manual but i think it's just coz she's lazy rather than her leg giving her problems. That op was done about 18 months ago.

My mom returned to work about 6 months after the op but she still uses a walking stick on the odd occasion (she should probably use it more often but she's a bit embarassed even though she's very healthy for a 50yo).

Bad news about it is that she got a check up from her specialist and it appears that the original surgeon screwed up and the op has to be done again. Apparently the method the surgeon used was very outdated as well as having been performed poorly (cartlidge doesn't fit right or something along those lines)

Good news is that her lawyer has started procedings to sue the doctor and is confident he can get her at least 20k for her troubles.



[Edited by marty_t3 - 3/3/2003 2:25:54 PM]

Scooby Snacks 23

Lucikly, the surgeon who will be doing mine has come highly recommended. He's operated on a few of my friends knees (all rugby players) and they're happy with what he did.

Marty - sorry to hear about your mum's having to be re-done! Ouch.

drumsterphil

iTrader: (1)

Not had a cruciate ligament done but had an arthroscopy to remove a fat pad and the plica bands on my right knee back in Dec'02. I was in and out the same day and am just about fully recovered now. Went through about 6 weeks of physio but could drive a week after the op. Was told it would be a painful (but wasn't quite expecting how much) but the knee feels great now.

Good thing too as my left one has now gone so I'm back in hospital in May having that sorted!

Good luck, anyway!

Phil

kenb@manx

Me! Thanks to an off road bike accident last July. Antieror cruciate total rupture, posterior crucitate 50% gone, hamstring and calf mucles torn at the knee and the meniscal pad (think thats how it is spelled) at the back of the knee total rupture.
8 weeks in full leg plaster and keyhole surgery cured the meniscal pad and hamstring and calf muscles. Cost me a new battery on the scoob because it went dead during the layoff. And three months of hard physio to rebuild muscles and free off my kneecap that had locked up in the meanwhile!
Now facing 2 more ops, 1 to realign knee joint (leg broken, bone graft and pins and plate) and 1 to reconstruct anterior cruciate. 3 to 4 moths between operations and then 4 to 6 months rehab. In the meanwhile I am walking around like bambi and can't even think about running! How good can it get? Incidentally, I have now gone private because the national health just can't deliver - sure they will save your life but you can forget a final fix this side of the next millenium!
I have the name of a great surgeon if you are interested.

Ken

Scumbag

I snapped my lateral ligament, and strained the anterior cruciate (ACL) playing rugby. I had the full reconstruction job for the lateral, fortunately the ACL didnt need any extra work once the lateral was stabilised. However I was told that I was not to do any contact sports again (probably the difference betwen the two injuries).
I was in a cast (knee to hip) for 4 weeks, then a brace allowing limited movement for about another 3 months. The operation was fine, but I was in pieces for about 24 hours when the spinal block wore off (and I thought I could handle pain). The hardest bit was the physio...getting the range of movement back in the leg was a nightmare...the physio will bend your leg, but the only limiting factor is how much pain you can bear....took about 12 weeks to get 90% of movement back again...luckily the physio was gorgoeus

If you are lucky they will be able to do it key-hole, so it shouldnt be anywhere near as bad, but make sure the surgeon knows his stuff, and listen to everything the physio says (they are usually a lot better at communicating than the surgeons, who generally only deal with you as a slab of meat)

Good luck

Sub97

I have had exactly this operation twice now - once on each knee. The last one was about 12 months ago, and the one befoe that about 2 and a half years. The first one was the knee tendon graft and the second was the hamstring graft - so I guess Im pretty qualified to chat to you about them!!

I was off work for four weeks with mine. The first two weeks are the worst to be honest. After the first week they take away one crutch, after the second you get a walking stick (well this is what happened to me obviously), and after the third you walk unaided. It really is an steady progress though. My leg got stronger and more stable pretty much continuously until about the four or five month mark. I found that it takes about 18 months to fully recover. After six months they claim that you can play football/rugby etc, as the new graft is as strong as its going to get, but I think they forget the mental side of it to be honest. I can still feel that my right knee doesnt feel normal again yet - it is sore to pull it to the extremes and still twinges occassionally. This is putting me off getting back into football properly so Im still just training at the moment. I dont have the confidence to go into hard 50/50 tackles yet so Im just going to wait until the leg feels as if its no different to before. I rushed back after the first one but didnt enjoy it - I actually snapped my right one after only my fourth game back from the first operation!

You can also expect to do 3 1 hour sessions in the gym for the best part of 18 months to get it fully recovered. This IMO is the most important part. My brother did the same thing and went once or twice a week for six months and then gave up the gym work, and he still hasnt got the definition or strength back in his leg 3 years on. My advice would be to follow to the letter what your physio tells you. Dont try and do to much as you'll just end up inflaming the new ligament.

Its a bit of a ******* waiting for full fitness to return but I just consoled myself with the fact that there are plenty of people worse off than me, and at least they could fix my knees.

Mail me if you want anymore info mate,

Cheers,

Steve

super_si

My old mans just had some knee op. Key hole surgery it was. He has some cartilage trouble cant remember what.

being an engineer hes on his knees alot, but only needed a month off work then another month no bending down.

hes just gone back now propperly on shifts, and the op was late dec.

Si

Molbyman

iTrader: (2)

Have you got private medical insurance?
The BEST place you can go is the Droitwich knee clinic in Droitwich , Worcestershire.
They deal with all the athletes, skiers etc.
Had my cartilidge repaired there. Really good job. No problems since.

Scooby Snacks 23

Thanks Sub97. Sounds like it's gonna be painful but I'll just have to put up with it. Good news that I should be walking again unaided after three to four weeks!

Molbyman - certainly do have private healthcare and I'm glad to say that it's all being covered. The nice thing about going private is then asking you when you would like it done, rather that being told they can do it in 2 years (NHS!)

Fat Boy

12 knee ops on my left knee so far and counting.Yes I was a rugby player too!No contact sports allowed after all that hence the Fat Boy moniker now.

All mine however were cartilage and bone related, so far the tendons and ligaments have survived, but I've been told that I'm due to have an artificial knee joint at some point.

Two of the twelve were full open knee sugery and yes the pain is unbelievable - once the diamorphine/ spinal block wears off, but apparently the pain is worse with bone operations than the soft tissue, so fingers crossed for you. The keyhole ops are so much better however, they make you stand up about 3 hours after and move and the soreness gradually wears off over about 2- 3 days.

Physio and non weight bearing if recommended is vital. I skimped on the physio after my first big op, after 8 weeks in plaster from hip to ankle, and put weight on it after about 4 weeks, and probably hastened my next op as a result (dcikhead). I drove my car about 5 weeks after the second big op (hip to ankle for 3 weeks) only because it was easier to get in and out drivers side with a wonky left leg, but, to be honest, I probably wasn't safe doing it. Avoid it if you can. Key hole - driving after 2 days in one case.

I went all the way through the best Harley street could throw at me (met quite a few premiership football and rugby players along the way) and ended up at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore Middx, which is the Prodrive for this sort of stuff in the UK (marvellous physios and you get to go in the swimming pool with them - so not all bad ).

SilverSmith

Had a cartlidge repair by arthroscopy four years ago for a rugby injury, been generally OK since then, get the occasional flare up but can usually put it down to somthing I have done

I avoid running (or any other high impact activity) but get on OK with the bike or rower at the Gym

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

ive got the anterea cruciate ligament damaged in both knees but i wmont have the op there is good and bad things to come of it depends how good you heal and most importantly how you do the physio, if you dont keep physio up properly youll damage the ligament even more and they will only do it twice before it starts to get really serious on what they have to do, know a friend who had it done and 1 year later he was still hobbling around had right knee ligament damaged 12years ago and left 8 years ago youll be supprised how much theyll stop giving way on you when you start to ease of on the sports and just take thing s easy and look after them

madou

Scooby Snacks 23

Suggest you get a second opinion before you go ahead with surgery. You may also wish to get a MRI scan to evaluate the soft tissue in detail

My surgeon ( FRCS ) is keener that I do Pilates to control / strengthen assorted tears than he is to do surgery

Best wishes

TAZMAN

had my right ACL reconstructed about 14 months ago with a patella tendon graft, also had both cartelidge (?) repaired. I was off work for 4 weeks and back playing sport within 6 months.

Went Private was in for 24 hours then home...the post op physio is a bitch but worth it..now able to run, cycle and do a very physical martial art..only side effect is a numb patch of skin below the knee cap and it aches like I am an old fart in the cold!!

Ian 20

I had my ACL reconstructed 4 years ago using the patella tendon graft method, this seems to be the most common way of repairing a torn ACL but (as you surgeon obviously does) some use the hamstring graft method. I was off work for six weeks and knowing that movement in the offending leg was going to be limited for several weeks I actually bought a cheap automatic car to enable me to get mobile as quickly as possible. This worked well (assuming the offending knee is the left one).

The physiotherapy is a bit of a grind but worthwhile, my knee is fine for running/cycling/walking but I have not gone back to 11 a side football - the sport that originally caused the accident. This is partly due to lack of confidence and not wanting to go throught the procedure again and partly my fault for not doing enough weights/physio. Have just got back from skiing and for that I wear the brace that was supplied to me by the NHS and works a treat.

I was in hospital for 7 days (normal for the surgeon that did my op) and it was only the first 3 days that were really uncomfortable/painful.

Good luck, if you go to a search engine (eg google.co.uk) and do a search for ACL reconstruction you will find a wealth of info and even forums for people that have had the op/are considering the op.