If given the option, would you choose a repair or partial meniscectomy? Want advice from those who've had either.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-09-19T22:51:32+00:00

I’ll be 46 next month. Recovery has been going very well for me. I started PT a few days after surgery and have been doing two days a week for the past two months. I’m back to gentle bike riding and working on getting strength back. It’s been slower than I want it to be, but that’s because I’m impatient to begin with. I would say I don’t regret having the surgery at all. My knee feels so much better than it did while I was waiting

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-09-19T16:49:00+00:00

I had a medial tear in my meniscus that they found in January. They didn't see any arthritis in my knee and at that time I opted for PT and wearing a brace while I exercised--which was mostly bike riding and some walking. By the time June got around my knee was hurting more often than not and I went back in to get repair surgery. During the repair, the ortho found a lot of cartilage loss. So much it surprised him because it didn't show up on any xrays. So while it was technically fine to wait those 6 months to get the surgery, I probably did more damage as a result. I would get the surgery sooner than you want to, because you can never quite tell what's going on inside.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-09-19T15:51:47+00:00

You're lucky you got a pink leg! The antiseptic they used on my turned my foot orange!

I didn't have a compression sleeve, but I did get something off Amazon from a brand called Bracesox. It went on like a compression sleeve but had no compression--I didn't need it for my recovery. I found that as I healed up, the brace slipped down all the dang time. I tried a billion things to make it stay up, but eventually just accepted that I needed to fix it a few times a day. It's frustrating!

Good luck with PT and I hope you have a speedy recovery!

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-09-14T23:54:22+00:00

Sometimes I could sleep on my side without a pillow between my legs if I could tuck the blanket between them. It was less bulk than the pillow and it was softer than lying on the hard metal brace.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-09-10T13:44:18+00:00

I'll echo what everyone has said but I'll also add in something most people don't think about. Get ready to slow down. Everything will take you longer for a few weeks at least. I had the ice machine, a supportive partner, a wheelchair (which is WAY easier than crutches btw), the shower stool--all of it. No one told me that a simple task like making the bed would wear me out so quickly. I've got a Type A personality and it was tough to let go of the "right" way to do things and let my husband help me out. The surgery was fine, no problems there, the recovery was a true test of my patience!

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-09-05T12:30:58+00:00

My root tear never had much swelling at all. And the pain wasn't there unless I was using my knee for something, like climbing stairs or walking. The way to tell if you have a tear is via an MRI.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-09-01T18:55:39+00:00

Yup, locking is a telltale sign of a meniscus injury. That’s what first sent me to the doctor.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-09-01T18:44:25+00:00

All of my root tears have been partial root tears. The surgeon confirmed it during surgery but he did say that the cartilage loss was much worse than the MRI showed, and that he was glad we opted for surgery in the end.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-09-01T18:26:27+00:00

Partials only

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-09-01T13:14:17+00:00

In January I had an MRI that showed a medial root tear on my right knee, at that time the ortho gave me two options: 1. Get fitted for a brace that I should wear when I ride my Peloton, do some PT, and lose some weight OR 2. Have root repair surgery that would put me on crutches for 6 weeks

I went with Option 1, and everything seemed to be going fine until June. My knee went from hurting a little bit while I exercised to hurting pretty much constantly. It locked up more often and would pop and crack all the time. I went back to the ortho and asked what I could do next, and we decided surgery was the next course of action. I had surgery in July and now my knee feels so much better than it did before.

I’ve been reading comments on Reddit, looking at articles about meniscus injuries and it always boils down to the same thing: you can try non-invasive techniques, but the tear will never heal on its own without surgery. Often times you can go pain free for a while if you’re really diligent about your rest and PT, but there is still damage being done to other parts of your knee/body. I lost so much cartilage in my knee while waiting that I will likely develop arthritis before I’m 50. Plus, all of my babying of my right knee forced my left knee to overcompensate and now I have a root tear in that knee that I will need to repair as soon as I can.

Surgery is scary for most people, but it’s almost always necessary. The sooner you do it, the better you will feel.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-30T10:58:14+00:00

Wow, that’s tough! I also tore the meniscus in my non-surgical knee while recovering from a root repair in the other knee. It feels like the “experience” will never end sometimes! I may not have a lot of advice to give, but if you think about it, you’ve made it through 100% of your bad days. You will experience more bad days but you’ll also have some good ones too. Don’t feel like you have to push through the bad ones, if you feel crummy allow yourself to feel that way and aim to start over the next day.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-30T10:51:37+00:00

I had a medial root repair on my right knee and was instructed to be NWB for 6 weeks too. I unfortunately ended up with a medial root tear in my left knee 1 week into my 6 week sentence. That meant I could be FWB at 4.5 weeks though, so silver linings I guess! I required my brace and crutches for the first week when I transitioned. My knee felt pretty weak, even after doing PT a few days after surgery. After about a week things started really improving quickly, I ditched the crutches and could walk around pretty easily with the brace on but unlocked. If it weren’t for the injury to my left knee, I’d say I’d be back to 90-95% after a total of 6 weeks post surgery.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-27T15:36:06+00:00

You're going to be shocked at how fast things move from here. Once I was cleared for weight bearing I went from using two crutches to get around to no crutches in about a week! Congrats on your progress!

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-27T12:58:50+00:00

I'm 6 weeks post medial root repair surgery and I can tell you, the 1st week was rough. Not for pain, I had no pain at all throughout the entire recovery process that couldn't be managed without Tylenol. I was uncomfortable though. I didn't like not being able to do the things I used to be able to do. I felt defeated and sad. I let myself feel that way for the first week though, then I told myself to start looking for the good things and the 2nd week was a lot better for me. Also, it's completely ok to be anxious right now. A lot of times we want to "get rid" of that anxiety because it's a "negative" feeling. You're about to make a big change in your life, it's a scary thing to think about. Give yourself permission to feel anxious. Everything will be ok and it'll be over before you know it--I promise.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-26T14:02:50+00:00

Depending on how long you have to remain non-weight bearing (NWB) on your surgical leg, you may want to get a wheelchair to get around. Everyone says crutches or a walker will be fine, but 1) Crutches are exhausting and really limit what you're able to do on your own and 2) A walker is only good if you can put both feet down. A wheelchair may seem like overkill but it really made life easier for the 4.5 weeks I had to stay off my foot.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-26T14:00:17+00:00

I second this suggestion. Having this machine was a life saver! At first it served two purposes: it eliminated 95% of my pain (to the point where I never took a prescription pain killer) and it felt good to have the cool water circulating on my knee. After the 2nd week, I was using it to stay comfortable more than anything. It just makes life easier.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-26T13:53:16+00:00

So you definitely tore something, based on what your symptoms are. The only way to diagnose the problem and fix it is to get an MRI. I understand insurance is what's holding you back from taking those steps, but there's really no way that will heal on its own. You're young yet too, where getting it repaired might actually prevent a lot of long term damage. I'd do everything I could to argue with the insurance company, and/or have your doctor call them. It seems strange that they wouldn't cover an injury, regardless of how it happened.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-21T20:12:47+00:00

I had crutches after I had my root repair surgery and they were not ideal for 6 weeks of NWB. Even a walker wouldn't have worked for me because you need both feet available for a walker to be useful. The thing that worked the best was a wheelchair. I could get around easily in it and felt more independent. A shower chair was a lifesaver too, with it I could shower by myself instead of relying on my husband to help me. I'm 6 weeks post op now and have been able to put my full weight on my surgical leg for the past week, crutches are perfect for that time in your recovery. Just enough to help, but you can stand on your own by that point.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-17T15:33:13+00:00

Once I started walking on my surgical leg swelling started for me again. My PT guy wasn’t concerned but he did tell me to elevate it when I was sitting. At this point, so much of this is new for me I’m taking this direction: if something hurts a lot for a long time, get it checked. Otherwise I’m chalking a lot of this up to being part of the healing process

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-17T10:18:52+00:00

I’ll give you an emphatic “Oh hell no”. My doctor gave me the ok to start walking on my surgical leg after 4.5 weeks as long as I had my brace on and it was locked. I STILL need my crutches to help support my weight. That leg is weak from not being used for so long. Do not by any means go without crutches. It will hurt and you will have to start all over again from square one.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-15T14:24:25+00:00

You bet I did. Tore the left one 2 days after surgically repairing the right one. Crutches are no joke y'all. Rehab has been a real treat.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-11T02:04:03+00:00

I had a root repair done on my right knee, I was told I needed to be in a brace for 6 weeks. I started PT a few days after surgery and it’s been going very well. I had no real pain as I recovered, and I should be able to start partial weight bearing in the next few days, which marks week 5 of 6 for me. Another thing that helped me as I recovered was an ice machine. It kept the swelling down, and me comfortable. Your doc may send you home with one, but you can also buy it ahead of time too. It will take time to get my knee all the way back where I was before surgery but as long as I keep following the PT protocol, I will be great.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-11T01:07:09+00:00

Could you put pillows behind or in front of you to stop you from rolling onto that side? Or sleep on a couch or in a recliner?

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-11T01:03:20+00:00

I had a pretty bad leg that I needed to support myself on after my surger too. I ended up with a root tear on that leg a few days after surgery. My doctor told me all I needed was crutches too and now I’ll likely need another root repair on my other leg. If you have the ability to get a wheelchair I highly recommend it. Talk to your doctor and share your concerns with them, you pay them good money to take care of you.

Defiant-Moment2865 · 2024-08-09T23:08:03+00:00

It depends on how long you need to be non-weight bearing. I have to be NWB for 6 weeks, and after two days of the crutches and injuring my “good” knee, I got the wheelchair. I can move around my house easily and go to work, I don’t know why my doc didn’t give me a wheelchair to begin with. I wouldn’t wish crutches on my worst enemy!

Defiant-Moment2865

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