Torn meniscus on both sides left knee Help!?
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Well, the surgeon will be looking at the MRI results to try to get some idea of what kind of repair he/she will likely be doing, and will examine your knee to see what it looks and acts like. I assume yours has gotten to the point where your knee is unstable and causing you plenty of problems and pain, which is why you are being refered for surgery. Anyway, the actual repair done depends on how bad things are. In some cases, the tear can be sutured closed. In other cases, the tear is too ragged, and they have to remove the damaged part. If the tear is in a part of the meniscus that hasn't got blood supply, then repair by suturing isn't usually possible and they have no choice but to remove it. The surgery is done using a laproscopic procedure. There will be one incision in the joint, so they can insert the camera to see what they are doing. There will be usually one or two other small incisions made for the instruments they need to do the repair job itself. None of the incisions are usually more than 1/2 inch long at the most, so you won't be left with frankenstein like zipper scars on the sides of your knee. Those are usually closed with one or two stitches each, not a big deal there. The surgery is usually done with either a local anethetic, or what is called conscious sedation. In that, you have an iv and are given a sedative to get you nice and mellow. You still have a local anesthetic for actual pain control in the knee, but you sort of drift in and out of a twilight sleep. You respond to things, but for the most part you just don't mind what's going on. They can also do the procedure with an epidural, or even general anesthesia. Generally they prefer to do a conscious sedation, because you will bounce back a lot faster and can go home that same day. It's not usually very painful afterwards, fortunately the knee isn't a really well wired area as far as pain goes, but you will be given medications to take just in case. Most folks do just fine with ibuprofen and ice. You will have a swollen knee for a few days, which you will put ice on. For that, little frozen peas work best- they conform to the shape of the knee really well, and don't weigh a lot either. I usually suggest people buy two small bags, one to use and one in reserve. Eating them afterwards is up to you. You will have crutches to use, and depending on what repair is actually done, you may be able to leave them behind once you feel confident on your legs again, or you may have to use them a while longer. The doctor will let you know about that, as well as any activity restrictions you will have. For simple repairs, folks usually don't have many restrictions after the first week. Some joggers are back at their old routine in about a month to 6 weeks, but of course it depends on the repair. Of course, any time you have knee surgery and repairs, there is the increased likelyhood that you will experience "arthritis of the knee". However, that is usually handled pretty easily with things like ibuprofen and a knee brace for support, and ice to the joint for swelling. It isn't usually nearly as painful and problematic as what you are having now. Your fears are normal, and you should certainly discuss all of your concerns with the surgeon when you see him/her. Make a list of questions you want to ask and have answers to, and don't be afraid to ask them. But truthfully, most of what you fear is based on the old horror stories before laproscopic repair was so common place. It really isn't that bad, and it can give you a lot of relief from the pain and trouble you have now. Unless you are a leg model, the scars aren't that noticeable. If you like, you can use a product called Mederma, sold in pharmacys and department stores like Walmart, during the healing process. You can start putting it on the scars as soon as the stitches are removed, and it will help improve their final look. But even if you chose not to do anything, you will not have some massive zipper scars on both sides of your kneee. Good luck, and relax if you can. The dread is much worse than the actual repair.
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