Has anyone NOT done Meniscus Surgery After an Injury?

[knightrider922]

Went to the doctor for a checkup on my knee injury from Sept. He originally thought it was a sprain, but it has not gotten better so he’s ordering an MRI. He’s pretty sure its a torn meniscus and feels surgery will be necessary. I have rested it for two weeks solid and it feels better although still has issues.

I’m going to start back in cycle class tomorrow and take it easy… see how it goes.

But I’m wondering if anyone has successfully not done surgery and had good results with no pain down the road?

My other knee was injured with a torn meniscus and it would get better, then worse and would cycle like that so I elected for surgery. But I still feel like I occasionally have issues with - especially since I’ve been overcompensating to help the current injured knee.

[RMJacobs]

I damaged my knee when I was 15 (not sure exactly what was wrong–I think a torn ligament but that was a long, long time ago). So this may or may not be pertinent to your situation. I elected not to get it fixed at that time because it was an invasive, damaging surgery with a questionable outcome–arthroscopy had not become available yet. It started dislocating in my 20s and kept doing it until I was 30–usually at a very inopportune time. It was pretty awful. I had it repaired arthroscopically at 30. It was difficult because being misaligned had caused a lot of damage, and it will never be right. But it is way, way better than it was prior to the arthroscopic surgery, even though I’ve horribly battered that knee and leg since. As always, YMMV. Best of luck! Hurting knees just suck.

Rebecca

[walkers60]

You see a surgeon you get offered surgery. Thats how it goes, thats their business. Physician friends have drilled that into me so I wait and let time ,ah the “tincture of time,” ice and P.T. before letting anyone touch me with a knife. Every surgery has risks, you don’t always come out better. We are a little too casual about anesthesia in this country. Its not good for your brain,. Also hospitals are full of nasty and sometimes deadly infections with MRSA and her friends. Be careful.
I know its hard to believe but many surgeries are done without any research to support them after all ow can you have a control group. Most surgical techniques are built on common sense not science. Back fusions, knee surgeries and many orthopedic and cardiac procedures(Stents) are not necessary and often harmful. sure you break a bone get it fixed, a tumor cut it out but the rest really just someones idea on what might help so we are all part of the great experiment.
You won’t find many doctors having surgery unless there is just no choice.

[KBC]

I opted for surgery 9 years ago, and had the tear in lefty trimmed up, and it has been great. 6 years ago I had righty trimmed and it was good for a couple of years. I think I tore tt again 18 months ago, and have been managing it as it got worse, now I am on the list for a replacement…I’m 60, it is early, but too much damage has occurred now.

I have no doubt that every surgery while it has a good chance of improving the ‘now’ does hurry the journey to new knees.

[2DogsFarm]

@walkers60

You see a surgeon you get offered surgery.

:no:
That was not my experience.

The Orthopod who showed me the tear on my MRI told me I could elect surgery when I felt it was necessary.
“When you decide you don’t want to deal with the pain any longer” were his words.
I was in my 50s, so not a case of You’re Young & will Heal.
I wore the soft brace he suggested & took it easy.
That was almost 10yrs ago & most days I can’t recall which knee had the tear.
BOTH can be creaky these days, but that is arthritis & Age.

[RMJacobs]

I really think the question of whether a surgeon supports waiting or is gung ho on carving us up depends on the surgeon. I’ve experienced both. The otolaryngologist (hope I spelled that right–ear, nose and throat doc) who did my sinus surgery never saw a nose he didn’t think he could improve surgically, one way or the other. On the other hand, the orthopedist who evaluated my torn rotator cuff (involuntary dismount at a full speed bolt-ugh) was supportive of just leaving it alone and seeing what happened. That shoulder works great now, with no intervention. Too bad the other one is so hosed, and it just kind of tore on its own originally.

Rebecca

[walktrot]

A friend’s mother who is a CNA had hers fixed and was walking around on it pretty quickly. Unfortunately she did it again. She hasn’t had it fixed again but gets around fine.

The most realistic surgeon I ever met was in Boston. I have a severe brachial plexus injury which wiped out a lot of function in my right arm. I went several months without any nerves reconnecting so the neurologist sent me to a surgeon who told me what it involved. Seven months after the injury the neurologist found a little flicker of activity, but I still went back to the surgeon. His judgment: No surgery. “God does a lot better than I do.”

[Equibrit]

I started getting knee pain - stopped wearing trainers and haven’t been bothered since.

[SonnysMom]

I tore my ACL maybe 12 years ago. About 2 years ago I came off and reinjured that knee. Chronic partial tearing of the cadaver ACL, a loose foreign body, small meniscus tear, slightly frayed PCL.
The surgeon did not believe the radiologist’s report that there was that much damage since I was walking around pretty well and did not have lots of pain. He sent the MRI to “his” radiologist. Yup same results. I don’t think this surgeon was used to horse people.
That said I did some PT but nothing else. It gets sore occasionally but not enough to want to do any surgery on at this point.

[Emily190]

I’m not sure if this will help, but I tore 2 of my major ligaments in my knee a few years ago and opted not to do surgery because it would be fine for a while. When it was bad though it would swell up like a ballon and I could hardly walk. I wish I had the surgery. You might be fine and not have problems down the road since the meniscus is different from ligaments, but I would talk to your doctor more about it.

[vineyridge]

With the meniscus, it very much depends on what type of tear is involved and maybe if you have intact ligaments . The meniscus is a sort of cup that the femur sits in, and if the cup side is torn so much that the femur head is able to slip out, you will have a collapsing leg if nothing is done. I had what is called a bucket handle tear, and my leg was completely unstable to the point that I could not use it for balancing when my foot slipped the slightest bit; but I also had a torn ACL. I had cadaver ACL replacement and my meniscus was cleaned up, and I haven’t had a single problem since the surgery.