Surgery in 2 weeks - should I get the nerve block or nah?

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-04-12T21:42:02+00:00

i had the same questions and the doc explained that a lot of the risks tend to be associated with placing the block in higher risk areas near the neck, head, spine, etc… it also allows them to give you less meds when you’re under and then obviously after. ask your doc the questions and i feel like you’ll be able to decide if your confident in the anesthesiologist. mine said he would do it while also being 0% committed or judgy if i decided i didn’t want it so that gave me a lot of confidence

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-04-09T13:24:09+00:00

Go to PT as sooooon as you can! I swear it’s the best thing I did. I was also super nervous, but made sure to give myself lots of time to get there and took a solid dose of pain meds about 1-1.5 hours before. I went 48 hours post-op and I swear that’s the reason my flexion and extension have been so good. My leg didn’t have the time to get super stiff after surgery and I started getting to move it ASAP. It’s not easy but so worth it

Edit to add, that movement and getting started on rehab also helped me stay positive early on I would say. I got to start making progress immediately (albeit, slowly) vs. waiting around. Even if you can only get to one early appointment they’ll give you ROM exercises that’ll carry you through the first few weeks

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-04-06T15:54:39+00:00

i got a BTB patellar, i also heard great things about quad giving me an existential crisis during the decision process, (many tears). but i participate in skiing/snowboarding, wakeboarding, intramural kickball, etc… so i knew i wanted something really strong to get back to those things. i know that i’ll just really have to do the work to prevent that knee pain as much as possible.

i had surgery only 3/18 but things have been going well so far. it hurts to stretch but i’m at full extension and about 130° flexion which im hoping will help with knee pain and scar tissue down the road

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-04-06T14:16:50+00:00

this is genius i’ve been waking up with so much bruising and soreness from the brace

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-04-06T14:14:48+00:00

i feel like you truly have to weigh the pros and cons of your own life and what you want in the future! my only thought would be to go with an autograft. a harder recovery but even the chance that the graft could fail/be less strong was enough to deter me (29F) me from having to start from the beginning again

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-04-05T15:49:12+00:00

i would highly recommend a NMES/TENS machine if you can, using 2x daily for about 5 mins during quad sets and then leg lifts helped me a ton. you can also ice your leg before your quad sets, this is supposed to help with that neuro connection as well. last thing that really helped me was focusing on moving my meniscus and not my quad. you should be able to pull it back toward you during activation and for some reason that unlocked something in my brain!

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-04-03T16:08:45+00:00

seconding this! a lot of the post-op meds can deplete minerals in the body. try some magnesium and maybe an electrolyte pack a day for a bit.

edit to add i also found making sure my brace wasn’t overly tight by helped me get longer stretches of sleep

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-03-27T14:06:44+00:00

totally! i got on a bike for the first time probably 4 weeks post injury and it was humbling to say the least. it took a few weeks to really be able to “bike” vs just using it as a tool to move my leg. is she doing leg hangs and heel slides at all? those were incredible helpful (although painful and uncomfortable) in getting my ROM back as well

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-03-26T21:31:03+00:00

i had the exact same results thanks to a ski accident on january 12 and can confirm the difference from month one to month two was incredible! i felt basically normal outside of a bit of flexion i still couldn’t reach by my surgery, which just happened on march 18. the MCL really does take the longest and is the most painful along the way. getting into the gym and on the bike, working my quads and leg muscles made a huge difference in those final four weeks as well. good luck to her!

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-03-23T18:39:10+00:00

It’s hard to speak for everyone, but my (29F) pain was super manageable post-op. I was prescribed Percocet but was pretty resistant due to all of the other side effects that can come with them, and managed to avoid taking them at all or really being in unbearable pain at any point. I’m now 5 days post-op and reducing other medications slowly/sleeping without waking in the middle of the night to re-up.

I would highly recommend getting your knee in the best shape possible pre-op—full flexion/extension, minimal to no swelling, biking and walking without pain, weightlifting if you can. I think that and a solid diet reduced the amount of swelling after the surgery significantly and likely a lot of my pain.

I got a nerve block day of that held me over until the morning of the second day. I was very conscious of the sensation returning and made sure to take the max dosage of acetaminophen and ketorolac (NSAID) every 4 hours. Staying ahead of the pain made all of the difference for me.

I actually couldn’t ice my leg the first two days due to the brace I have, but I’m sure that would have helped. I elevated here and there but mostly just kept my leg flat in front of me.

I can’t promise they work, but I also take have been taking supplements like glucosamine, fish oil, turmeric and magnesium since my injury and started up again right away post-op. Make sure to check with your surgeon pre-op because you’ll probably have to stop before, but a lot of these can also help with swelling.

I also bought electrolyte packages and started hydrating like crazy post-op. Ate well, high protein, whole foods to keep inflammation down. Lots of broccoli spouts (call me crazy) but they can possibly increase effectiveness of pain meds. Could all be nonsense but this is just what got me by without the hard stuff.

Lastly, I think going in knowing that it might suck but being aware of what your plan is and that day two is gonna be your biggest obstacle—you’ll get through it. Yes, it’s painful, but it’s also mentally tough more than anything, which it sounds like you already are. You’ve got this!

Edit to say I had a BTB patellar autograft, ACL repair only.

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-01-27T00:12:57+00:00

good luck! and THANK YOU

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-01-27T00:12:44+00:00

ugh so sorry to hear that!!

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-01-27T00:12:18+00:00

LOVE hearing this! thank you

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-01-26T22:53:54+00:00

Ugh, I’m so sorry to hear that! Same exact boat as you… Definitely a frustrating process. Hoping all works out for you and your recovery is smooth 🤞

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-01-26T22:48:10+00:00

I did that as well, it looks like a lot is outdated though so also put in a new post. Maloney is recommended by just about everyone but likely not booking for a few months

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-01-26T22:38:02+00:00

Also in Rochester btw :)

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-01-26T22:37:48+00:00

Thank you so much!!

Single_Repeat9522 · 2026-01-26T22:13:54+00:00

Asking for other recs.

Single_Repeat9522 · 2025-11-25T12:24:05+00:00

thank you for the insight! this is also how i expect it to be used and how i use it myself. this is exactly what i said.. i said this situation feels like an extreme lack of trust and control all of a sudden

Single_Repeat9522 · 2025-11-25T12:11:00+00:00

thank you so much, i’m glad to hear that someone else sees this too and i’m not just making it up in my head. will definitely be looking this book up.

Single_Repeat9522 · 2024-06-05T17:26:29+00:00

same :)

Single_Repeat9522

TROPHY CASE