ACL Surgery?
- Thread starter 12packAbs
- Start date
skiiing accident years ago caused a tear to my ACL on my left knee...
the doctor who did the surgery was the team doctor for the new york jets and did a pretty good job I think - though I will never forget being handed a Sharpie the day before surgery and being told to write a big X on my good knee so the doctor wouldn't mistakenly operate on my good knee.
I was on crutches for about a week after the surgery then they were more trouble than they were worth. I then underwent physical therapy 3 times a week for abouot 6 weeks - which at the outset was like a torture session with the marquis de sade and not in a fun way...
this was my second round of knee surgery so it was suggested that I stay away from skiiing after it because my knee couldn't take much more damage...
the surgery itself is honestly a piece of cake -as long as your surgeon has a high success rate - -you really have to commit to the physical therapy - it is not a pleasant experience but in the long term worth it.
It's honestly never given me any trouble since - though i can soetimes tell when it is going to rain because it gets stiff - though that oculd be 42 years talking as well... though I was at a fitness expo recently and a chiropractor whi was dooing evaluations (I have little patience for chiros but it was free) said I had a bit of a limp that could cause me hip pain long term..
the doctor who did the surgery was the team doctor for the new york jets and did a pretty good job I think - though I will never forget being handed a Sharpie the day before surgery and being told to write a big X on my good knee so the doctor wouldn't mistakenly operate on my good knee.
I was on crutches for about a week after the surgery then they were more trouble than they were worth. I then underwent physical therapy 3 times a week for abouot 6 weeks - which at the outset was like a torture session with the marquis de sade and not in a fun way...
this was my second round of knee surgery so it was suggested that I stay away from skiiing after it because my knee couldn't take much more damage...
the surgery itself is honestly a piece of cake -as long as your surgeon has a high success rate - -you really have to commit to the physical therapy - it is not a pleasant experience but in the long term worth it.
It's honestly never given me any trouble since - though i can soetimes tell when it is going to rain because it gets stiff - though that oculd be 42 years talking as well... though I was at a fitness expo recently and a chiropractor whi was dooing evaluations (I have little patience for chiros but it was free) said I had a bit of a limp that could cause me hip pain long term..
oh and little known fact about this surgery you get to have a bunch of really hot nurses at your beck and call... and they love tofluff pillows and you get to eat ice cream... no wait -that's tonsils.. for knees you get to drink guiness it's medicinal.. .
you get to have a bunch of really hot nurses at your beck and call... and they love tofluff pillows and you get to eat ice cream... no wait -that's tonsils.. for knees you get to drink guiness it's medicinal.. .that can't be said enough - if your surgeon hasn't done this a bazillion times... find one who has - it's not brain surgery but you want someone whos' done it more than a handful and specializes in it.
12packAbs
New member
Thanks...
The surgeons that the clinic deals with do lots and lots of ACL surgeries...so I have faith that they'll know what they're doing. Actually most of the people that I saw in physiotherapy were recovering from ACL surgeries...and they were all doing fantastic! So that's good.
I hope Mal is right about those hot nurses!
Hey....maybe Sunnydee will be my nurse! Wouldn't that be a freakish coincidence?
The surgeons that the clinic deals with do lots and lots of ACL surgeries...so I have faith that they'll know what they're doing. Actually most of the people that I saw in physiotherapy were recovering from ACL surgeries...and they were all doing fantastic! So that's good.
I hope Mal is right about those hot nurses!
Hey....maybe Sunnydee will be my nurse! Wouldn't that be a freakish coincidence?
have i ever lied to you?
hot nurses and guiness.. trust me
hmm - what a coinkadink you going in for surgery the same time Sunny is heading to your area?
me thinks you are a little diobolical
excellent
hot nurses and guiness.. trust me
hmm - what a coinkadink
you going in for surgery the same time Sunny is heading to your area? me thinks you are a little diobolical
excellent
brokenstar
New member
you posted this three months ago, but i am new to this forum and have had acl reconstruction so i thought i would share my experience.
I also tore mine skiing. I had surgery one year ago,. I only really remember waking up in pain and asking for drugs. The nurses were bitchy and made me wait for drugs and they wake you up every 4 hours so you can’t get any sleep. And then the in hospital physio was mean and made me put a lot of weight on my knee which almost made me faint.
Then I was on crutches for two weeks. Did all my ROM exercises (the most important part) and then went to physio for a bit. I didn't like my physio, so i just went to the gym and worked on strengthening myself.
I was running (on the elliptical) by two months. Skiing (not aggressively) by four and skiing aggressively by five/six months.
I did however wear a brace for athletics for the first year, and will continue to wear it for skiing only from now on. (don't try diving while playing beach volleyball with a knee brace! sand stuck under the brace, not comfortable)
I hope you have had surgery by now and are doing your exercising (remember your ROM). Let me know how its been.
What kind of reconstruction did you get? hamstring, patella, taken from a dead body (nasty!)
I also tore mine skiing. I had surgery one year ago,. I only really remember waking up in pain and asking for drugs. The nurses were bitchy and made me wait for drugs and they wake you up every 4 hours so you can’t get any sleep. And then the in hospital physio was mean and made me put a lot of weight on my knee which almost made me faint.
Then I was on crutches for two weeks. Did all my ROM exercises (the most important part) and then went to physio for a bit. I didn't like my physio, so i just went to the gym and worked on strengthening myself.
I was running (on the elliptical) by two months. Skiing (not aggressively) by four and skiing aggressively by five/six months.
I did however wear a brace for athletics for the first year, and will continue to wear it for skiing only from now on. (don't try diving while playing beach volleyball with a knee brace! sand stuck under the brace, not comfortable)
I hope you have had surgery by now and are doing your exercising (remember your ROM). Let me know how its been.
What kind of reconstruction did you get? hamstring, patella, taken from a dead body (nasty!)
chef1
New member
I also have had the surgery...old post, but I am wondering how you are doing?
I had ACL / MCL / PCL gone in 2000 after a skiing incident...
I was 250 and fairly in shape at that point (played a LOT of football and baseball...lifted a lot etc) but when 250lbs comes down on fleshy joints...joints lose eh?
I attribute my weight loss to my VERY slowed activity post surgery...I had no desire to lift anymore because I lost so much muscle in the process...my calf still is not back from atrophy (different shape) but the knee is 105% of natural capability!
Chef Solon
I had ACL / MCL / PCL gone in 2000 after a skiing incident...
I was 250 and fairly in shape at that point (played a LOT of football and baseball...lifted a lot etc) but when 250lbs comes down on fleshy joints...joints lose eh?
I attribute my weight loss to my VERY slowed activity post surgery...I had no desire to lift anymore because I lost so much muscle in the process...my calf still is not back from atrophy (different shape) but the knee is 105% of natural capability!
Chef Solon
12packAbs
New member
Thank you for sharing your experiences!
I have my surgery scheduled for the first week in September and I'm still on and off about it. I'm back to karate with sparring and everything. The knee doesn't bother me that much these days. It was bothering me a lot after a very heavy training week last month, but most of the time I don't notice a problem anymore...that's what's making me think twice about it. I have to confirm the surgery two weeks prior, so that'll be mid-next week that I have to decide I guess.
I'm having some of my hamstring taken out to make a new ACL...it seems to be the preferred method, as donor tissue can cause some rejection problems.
I have my surgery scheduled for the first week in September and I'm still on and off about it. I'm back to karate with sparring and everything. The knee doesn't bother me that much these days. It was bothering me a lot after a very heavy training week last month, but most of the time I don't notice a problem anymore...that's what's making me think twice about it. I have to confirm the surgery two weeks prior, so that'll be mid-next week that I have to decide I guess.
I'm having some of my hamstring taken out to make a new ACL...it seems to be the preferred method, as donor tissue can cause some rejection problems.
brokenstar
New member
Personally, I think that you should have the surgery. I know at least 8 people who have had the surgery (one person twice on the same knee) and none of them had any issues. Of course every person is different and it depends on what kind of use you are going to need. I need it to ski (as did most of my friends), so if you are only a recreational athlete then you might not want to go through with the surgery. And if in a few years you find your knee giving out and you want more stability in your knee, then you could get back on the list and have the surgery.
But if you do decide to have the surgery, then you have to be committed to the rehab. It will be hard work and it will not be fun. But the pay off is worth it.
Regarding knee pain, I think that knee pain will continue regardless of having the surgery or not. Everyone that I know who has had the surgery occasionally has knee pain after a hard work out, or sometimes with weather. It will be something that you will learn to live with. On a related note, my dad blew his knee when he was young and did not have surgery, but he still gets knee pain.
Hope this helps you in your decision.
But if you do decide to have the surgery, then you have to be committed to the rehab. It will be hard work and it will not be fun. But the pay off is worth it.
Regarding knee pain, I think that knee pain will continue regardless of having the surgery or not. Everyone that I know who has had the surgery occasionally has knee pain after a hard work out, or sometimes with weather. It will be something that you will learn to live with. On a related note, my dad blew his knee when he was young and did not have surgery, but he still gets knee pain.
Hope this helps you in your decision.
12packAbs
New member
I'm normally fairly indecisive...so deciding on something like this is brutal!
Well, I have to confirm the surgery by tomorrow...and I think I'm going to postpone it. Reasons are:
- I rarely have any pain in that knee
- No instability issues right now
The only problem that I have found is that if I tire out the leg muscles (after a very high level of activity) then I begin to feel some discomfort. But that was after doing karate all day at a kids camp, then doing another adult class at night, then feeling some discomfort the following day. There won't be many days that I do 10hrs of karate in a day, then go back for four more days of all day activity.
It's a lot to go through....so i think that I should wait until I'm sure....I think....
Well, I have to confirm the surgery by tomorrow...and I think I'm going to postpone it. Reasons are:
- I rarely have any pain in that knee
- No instability issues right now
The only problem that I have found is that if I tire out the leg muscles (after a very high level of activity) then I begin to feel some discomfort. But that was after doing karate all day at a kids camp, then doing another adult class at night, then feeling some discomfort the following day. There won't be many days that I do 10hrs of karate in a day, then go back for four more days of all day activity.
It's a lot to go through....so i think that I should wait until I'm sure....I think....