Hi, I had been getting Kenalog injections followed by 6 weeks of physical therapy on 3 separate occasions for a badly swollen right leg that was diagnosed as most likely arthritis based upon an X-ray. This lasted over a year and was told an MRI was not necessary. I went to a different PCP as I did not want to endure a fourth round of physical therapy and got an MRI in August 2022 that diagnosed a complex tear on the lateral horn of meniscus with cartilage fissures and a large Popliteal cyst. Having never gone through surgery before, I half-reluctantly opted for arthroscopic surgery in October 2022 as this knee was affecting my ability to work and live a normal lifestyle. My particular Ortho stressed that surgery is a last option and that all other alternatives should be explored first, but considering that I had been through three rounds with PT, received injections, and had been performing all of the prescribed home exercises with no improvement, and given the nature of the tear, that this surgery may be something to give careful consideration.
I was told that healing would be 8 weeks before I’d be back to “normal” resuming day to day activities.
I began carefully walking on it with full body weight within two days post surgery as suggested for the healing process, and at 8-10 weeks post surgery, I would still get painful swelling after a day at work on my feet and honestly thought that this would be a permanent issue, although it felt much better than pre-surgery. It took exactly one year before I started not being aware of my knee when I would work and go walking. What I mean by not aware is that I had no pain at all and my knee was just as normal as my other good knee, which caused me to stop thinking about it and just go about my life without that constant awareness under the surface. Today, at 17 months post surgery, I actually had to look at both knees the other day to try and find the small scars because I couldn’t remember which knee that I had surgery on when I was showing someone. That’s how much this surgery has changed my quality of life for the better. I still think that surgery should be carefully considered. I remember some things my Ortho asked me before opting for surgery were: “Is the worst case scenario of something not working out from surgery going to be better than your current situation?” Also, “is this affecting your ability to just live normally or is this currently a hindrance to your daily life?”, and, “Is it in constant pain when you move without without injections or pain killers to mask it?” If the answer is yes to any of those then surgery may be the better option. My particular surgeon also encouraged me to get other opinions and ask around about other surgeons. I ultimately chose him due to a high success rate, patient recommendations, and having one other doctor from an unaffiliated hospital mention him when I asked “where would you send your own family if they had to have this surgery?” While not letting them know I was looking for this myself. It was just that an opportunity to ask arose at an unexpected moment.