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Well, the MRI is in.....I'm a candidate for the surgery.
I'm 64, 290 lbs., otherwise in good health. I'm wondering how long the full recovery time including therapy will be. I have insurance for it and also keep a cash reserve for expenses.
My insurance allows 6 months for short term disability. Is that a sufficient recovery period? I do heavy lifting and stairs daily in my job.
At age 62, I suffered a torn medial meniscus doing leg lifts and leg curls. The surgeon shaved away 20% of the meniscus. This is called a partial meniscectomy. It was done on an outpatient basis. The next day the knee was swollen with fluid. The following day, walking on flat surface or uphill didn't give me much trouble but walking downhill was painful. Within a week I returned to my four mile jogging routine.
My experience is probably not typical. Your rate of recovery depends on the nature of the tear. Some tears require removal of the entire meniscus. This is bad news because the meniscus is a protective pad and all that's left is a thin layer of hyaline cartilage and it wears away fast and you're left with permanent bone-on-bone contact. This is why the MDs try to leave some of the meniscus intact.
You know, many MDs today recommend against surgery unless the tear results in a flap of tissue which causes severe pain every time you move. My tear did not have that flap; it was a straight vertical rip in the very back of the medial meniscus. In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have had the surgery.
Nine years later, I have no problems except for squatting down like a baseball catcher.
Your six months should be far more than a sufficient recovery period unless you undergo a total meniscectomy which as I said results in permanent pain.
When I had my torn medial meniscus repaired 15 years ago, it was my first surgical procedure ever and I was looking forward to a little pampering after the 20-minute arthroscopic operation, like having someone roll me out to the car in a wheelchair. Instead, the surgeon said, "No wheelchair, you walk outside on your own". So I did. He had injected lots of painkiller into the surgical site so I didn't feel any pain, actually ever. Personally, taking it easy and making sure I didn't fall down for 3-4 days was all I needed, as I recall.
I've had arthroscopic knee surgery a few times. I spent a day or two using two crutches, then a few days using one crutch, and then was walking normally.
I do have chronic knee issues, though. My knees hurt a lot.
Our daughter had the same thing; of course everyone is different, but I have also had a few friends and my brother who has had surgery. Never has the recovery been more than a few months. and I believe today, it is always out patient. I had a complete knee replacement 9 months ago and have been as good as new for the past 3 or 4 months. Baring complecations and assuming your job isn't terribly phisically challenging I can't believe you will even need 6 months.
Well, the MRI is in.....I'm a candidate for the surgery.
I'm 64, 290 lbs., otherwise in good health. I'm wondering how long the full recovery time including therapy will be. I have insurance for it and also keep a cash reserve for expenses.
My insurance allows 6 months for short term disability. Is that a sufficient recovery period? I do heavy lifting and stairs daily in my job.
I had this surgery four years ago and do not recommend it. It doesn't fix anything unless you have a floating piece of meniscus that causes your knee to lock. I suggest you research this procedure before having it done. There was an article in the New York Times a couple years ago that questioned this procedure. I think insurance companies pay for it to delay paying for a knee replacement. They know that by delaying the surgery, normal mortality will ensure they don't have to pay for as many knee replacements.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smitten
When I had my torn medial meniscus repaired 15 years ago, it was my first surgical procedure ever and I was looking forward to a little pampering after the 20-minute arthroscopic operation, like having someone roll me out to the car in a wheelchair. Instead, the surgeon said, "No wheelchair, you walk outside on your own". So I did. He had injected lots of painkiller into the surgical site so I didn't feel any pain, actually ever. Personally, taking it easy and making sure I didn't fall down for 3-4 days was all I needed, as I recall.
They taught me how to use crutches, but I found they were more bother than help. I actually attempted to mow grass with a push mower two day after surgery. That was a mistake, but I was walking normally in a few days. I didn't do any physical therapy but I do weightlifting exercises, and try to do as many one-legged exercises as possible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Calvert Hall '62
At age 62, I suffered a torn medial meniscus doing leg lifts and leg curls. The surgeon shaved away 20% of the meniscus. This is called a partial meniscectomy. It was done on an outpatient basis. The next day the knee was swollen with fluid. The following day, walking on flat surface or uphill didn't give me much trouble but walking downhill was painful. Within a week I returned to my four mile jogging routine.
My experience is probably not typical. Your rate of recovery depends on the nature of the tear. Some tears require removal of the entire meniscus. This is bad news because the meniscus is a protective pad and all that's left is a thin layer of hyaline cartilage and it wears away fast and you're left with permanent bone-on-bone contact. This is why the MDs try to leave some of the meniscus intact.
You know, many MDs today recommend against surgery unless the tear results in a flap of tissue which causes severe pain every time you move. My tear did not have that flap; it was a straight vertical rip in the very back of the medial meniscus. In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have had the surgery.
Nine years later, I have no problems except for squatting down like a baseball catcher.
Your six months should be far more than a sufficient recovery period unless you undergo a total meniscectomy which as I said results in permanent pain.
I agree with everything you said, except I doubt the exercises caused the torn meniscus.
At age 62, I suffered a torn medial meniscus doing leg lifts and leg curls.
Quote:
Originally Posted by villageidiot1
I agree with everything you said, except I doubt the exercises caused the torn meniscus.
Despite the advanced age and hyperactive lifestyle, the legs were asymptomatic until doing leg curls. Very sharp pain ensued. Changing positions to perform leg extensions, the pain returned during the first rep. Earlier that day, I spent an hr. weeding the veg. garden from a catcher's squat position. No problem. I have to blame it on the sudden trauma resulting from exercise overload.
Well, the MRI is in.....I'm a candidate for the surgery.
I'm 64, 290 lbs., otherwise in good health. I'm wondering how long the full recovery time including therapy will be. I have insurance for it and also keep a cash reserve for expenses.
My insurance allows 6 months for short term disability. Is that a sufficient recovery period? I do heavy lifting and stairs daily in my job.
I had it done about 12 years ago. I was 45. I stayed out of work two and a half weeks. I am salaried and not under Workmen's Comp., but I did ask the doctor what the normal out-of-work time would be and he said Workmen's Comp pays for three weeks.
However, I had a desk job, although I had a lot of stairs to climb to get to it (94, coming out of the underground train). Heavy lifting plus 20 years--you may need more time for sure.
But, the recovery was pleasantly quick and easy and the surgery did fix the problem. I was in pain before. I had a surgery on a Monday, and on the following Sunday, I walked a mile, stopping to rest three times.
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