Knee surgery....

[joel kelsey]

Hi,
I am getting my knee scoped this coming Friday to have some fluid and part of a torn meniscus removed. Anybody else had this done? Do you know what to expect as far as recovery time? I am taking two weeks off of playing gigs, but I would like to get back to practicing ASAP. I am nervous as I have never had surgery before. As usual, any advice would be most helpful.

Thanks in advance

[JoeyNaeger]

My father had surgery for a torn meniscus and was able to return to work very quickly (within a week) after the operation. He had to do physical therapy for quite some time afterwords, but he was able to resume most activity quickly. I hope your operation is successful.

[wineaux]

Hi Joel,

I had my left knee scoped on a Friday in 1999. I went back to work Monday, including a six-block walk from the train station (slowly). I was back to normal and doing light treadmill workouts a week later. As I recall, I played in a pickup basketball game a month after the scope. I played in a pickup basketball game a month after the scope. I was 42 at the time.

If you are offered PT, go for it. It helps build up strength and helps restore full range of motion.

If your case is anything like mine, you'll be practicing in less than a week.

Good luck.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Agreed - you should be fine. A word of advice: as we get older, regular exercise (treadmill, walking...I use an elliptical machine 5 days a week) is important to keep the muscles around the weakened joints strong. At 44, both of my knees are shot to the point where if I stop the daily jaunts on the machine, I can really feel it after a few days. My doc told me I would need to eventually get both scoped (and one maybe even more ), but that I could put off the inevitable for years if I kept up with the exercise regularly. That was 10 years ago, so far so good. Of the guys I know who've had the scoping done, the recovery was very quick. Good luck!

[joel kelsey]

Originally Posted by wineaux

Hi Joel,

I had my left knee scoped on a Friday in 1999. I went back to work Monday, including a six-block walk from the train station (slowly). I was back to normal and doing light treadmill workouts a week later. As I recall, I played in a pickup basketball game a month after the scope. I played in a pickup basketball game a month after the scope. I was 42 at the time.

If you are offered PT, go for it. It helps build up strength and helps restore full range of motion.

If your case is anything like mine, you'll be practicing in less than a week.

Good luck.

Thanks for the reply. What is it like being "put under"? i am nervous about that part for some reason.

[Uncletoad]

I had a total knee replacement in 2002. The scope is pretty routine stuff in comparison. You'll be fine.

I'm with Chris. Get moving as soon as they will allow and keep moving as long as you can.

Total knee replacement sucks. You want to avoid that if at all possible.

Good luck.

[wineaux]

Joel,

I heard the doctor and some other folks talking after I was wheeled into the OR. Next thing I knew, I was in the recovery room and an aide was helping me get dressed to go home.

[joel kelsey]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Agreed - you should be fine. A word of advice: as we get older, regular exercise (treadmill, walking...I use an elliptical machine 5 days a week) is important to keep the muscles around the weakened joints strong. At 44, both of my knees are shot to the point where if I stop the daily jaunts on the machine, I can really feel it after a few days. My doc told me I would need to eventually get both scoped (and one maybe even more ), but that I could put off the inevitable for years if I kept up with the exercise regularly. That was 10 years ago, so far so good. Of the guys I know who've had the scoping done, the recovery was very quick. Good luck!

Thaks man,
I think my knee issue started because I was very overweight. I have lost about 70lbs in the past couple of years and I exercise every day. I have been wearing a knee brace for the past 8 or 9 months after the pain became serious. Walking or running over a long period of time really hurts so I stick to low impact cardio for now. One of my goals post-surgery is to start running. So, yeah exercise is very important. I'm 28, but I sometimes feel like I have the body of someone much older. Thanks to everyone for the useful advice. And thanks again to wineaux for the email, I really appreciate it.

[Menacewarf]

Best wishes on this Joel.

[Rattman]

Yeah . . . . I had an Air Force Captain do that exact same procedure on my knee back in 2004 at the V.A. hospital in Long Beach, Ca. It went fast, it went well. I can predict you'll also get good results. The scarring will be almost invisable in about 2 years. I had 3 little holes from the surgery that I pretty much can't locate anylonger

[Treyzer]

Take Care Joel!

All the Best

Trey

[scottice]

I've had a bucket handle tear of my left lateral meniscus... twice. Ugh.
Surgeries were painless and recovery was a few weeks. I was off the pain drugs in a few days. I was told that I should not play soccer or snowboard ever again... so now I play bass and video games.

[scottice]

Originally Posted by joel kelsey

I have lost about 70lbs in the past couple of years and I exercise every day.

Excellent! Keep up the good work.

[StyleOverShow]

Originally Posted by joel kelsey

What is it like being "put under"? i am nervous about that part for some reason.

I've had two orthoscopies on my left knee, next one is a replacement. The first one I did "twilight" so I could watch. It was strange, all groggy from the drugs and some slight pain sensations coming from somewhere around my knee. The second one I was out in seconds. You wake up feeling fine.

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

I had a total knee replacement in 2002...Total knee replacement sucks. You want to avoid that if at all possible.

Hum? Seems like the only way to stop the pain and limping. If I work three gigs a week(end) I'm in pretty sore shape when loading up on the 3rd night. Thought it would be better with a hunk of metal in my leg?

-richard

[JeffKissell]

Originally Posted by wineaux

Joel,

I heard the doctor and some other folks talking after I was wheeled into the OR. Next thing I knew, I was in the recovery room and an aide was helping me get dressed to go home.

Hey Joel,
This was my experience as well. I've had both knees done (at different times) and the "being out" part is not a big deal. Like you I was nervous for the first one but much less so for the second.

Be diligent with your PT, it makes all the difference.

Good luck!

-J

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by StyleOverShow

Hum? Seems like the only way to stop the pain and the limping. If I work three gigs a week(end) I'm in pretty sore shape when loading up on the 3rd night. Thought it would be better with a hunk of metal in my leg?

It is in the end the only way to stop the pain and limping which is why people do it. It's why I did it.

Truth is that the pain and limping are gone but the knee joint doesn't work like the original equipment. It's unstable and really not quite right. You can't do as much stuff as you can even with a busted up knee joint.

Haulling PA and SVT 810 cabs is not in my future anymore. The joint can't take it. Going up and down stairs while carrying a DB is a challenge. Lots of things you take for granted on a regular knee won't work on a metal one. Like pivoting with a load.

In my case the leg with the replacement is a tad longer than the other and has thrown my back out of whack in not good ways as a result.

The replacement surgery was the most painful experience in my days on this planet. That's saying a lot, I'm a horse. Took me 3 months before I could work again. I sure don't care to repeat that experience.

The docs will sell it different than that but I wouldn't buy into it. I was 40 years old and had no other choice. I have no regrets, it was the right thing for me. It did help me live with less pain and regain mobility that I had lost for good. In the end it's a surgery designed for the elderly, not the young and active. They have a long way to go with that technology still.

My point is this: Do whatever you can to use your original equipment as long as possible. The replacement thing is a last resort and you are never going back to "original" again.

[Marc Piane]

Being 'put under' is the easiest part. Kinda freaky (in a good way) actually. I didn't have knee surgery but I did have a surgery where I was knocked out. They gave me some Valium in the prep room, wheeled me in, talked to me and asked me questions about baseball music etc the whole time, put the mask over my face, gone. Next thing I knew I was in recovery almost 20 hours later. Felt like 2 seconds had passed.

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by fingers

Being 'put under' is the easiest part. Kinda freaky (in a good way) actually. I didn't have knee surgery but I did have a surgery where I was knocked out. They gave me some Valium in the prep room, wheeled me in, talked to me and asked me questions about baseball music etc the whole time, put the mask over my face, gone. Next thing I knew I was in recovery almost 20 hours later. Felt like 2 seconds had passed.

Yea. Going under is the easy part.

[joel kelsey]

Thanks guys,

I have been worried about going under, because I was given nitris for some dental work, and I freaked out. the losing control part is what scares me. I am guessing this anethesisa will be much differnet than the hippy crack?

[joel kelsey]

I had a negative experience with PT in the past, but I will do what these guys say. They were only talking about one session.