caniplay
Junior Member
Posts: 66 
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Post by caniplay on Aug 13, 2015 22:44:59 GMT
Can anyone share experiences? MRI just revealed this and I'm wondering if surgery is my only option. Thanks.
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Post by mommythree on Aug 13, 2015 23:22:58 GMT
my husband tore his acl, they did the surgery as an out-patient, and his recovery wasn't as bad as he thought it would be...six weeks of physical therapy and back to work. he wasn't given any option other than surgery. hope you're on the mend soon.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 8:26:09 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2015 23:36:41 GMT
The answer is: it depends. I tore my ACL in my left knee in 2000 after a bicycle crash. I saw an orthopedist who diagnosed the injury. I was 33 at the time, worked full time, had a 2 year old and 6 year old. His recommendation was that I did NOT have the surgery. His reasons? I wasn't actively participating in any sports. At the time, it would be a minimum 4 month recovery followed by 6 months of PT. He knew that it would be nearly impossible for me to manage that with my life situation at the time. He said that the average repair "life" was 10-15 years and my age meant I would possibly need several surgeries over my life time. The concern was that I would run out of my own tissue to harvest and then have to move on to cadaver tissue. Lastly, he told me that I could lead a normal life without one. My leg muscles would learn to adapt to support the lack of ACL. The only thing I couldn't do was participate in sports where I had to plant/pivot my left leg. Sports like baseball, football, basketball, etc. Considering I never played those sports, it wasn't a great loss  What I can do is walk normally, run, swim, hike, ride a bike, etc. He did tell me that later in life I *might* start having pain and at that time may want to consider surgery. It's been almost 15 years (this fall) and I haven't regretted not having surgery at all. *Very* occasionally, I'll step oddly and get a "twinge" of discomfort. Now things may have changed quite a bit in the last 15 years and surgery recovery may be shorter and PT not needed quite so long. On the flip side, I had a friend who tore her ACL play adult league soccer who had the operation right away because she just had to play soccer again. Watching her go through the surgery/recovery made me glad I declined. As they say, your mileage may vary |
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caniplay
Junior Member
Posts: 66
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Post by caniplay on Aug 14, 2015 0:15:55 GMT
Thanks for your replies. I fell at work so it's under L & I. My concern with not doing the surgery is if I somehow injure it more in the future and it's not covered under L&I. I had the cortisone shots done today to see if that will help with the the pain and swelling. Have read that cortisone may not help, or may help for a while then you're in the same boat. All I know is it hurts!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 8:26:09 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2015 0:19:22 GMT
{{{ hugs }}}
Those first weeks were painful. In that first year I had many occasions of my knee giving out. I never did the shots.
The issue of having this happen at work does put a different spin on things.
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AllieC
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,087
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Post by AllieC on Aug 14, 2015 0:35:41 GMT
I wold get the surgery. Anyone that I know that has not had surgery straight away for a partial year has ended up having it done later on. You are restricted with what you can do and often the kneed will give way.
Technology with this sort of repair has improved immensely in the past 15 years (even the past few) with recovery being much quicker and little likelihood of having to have it re-done in the future. the sport in involved in (netball) is notorious for ACL injuries and being involved as a player, trainer and coach for 40 years I've seen an incredible difference in surgery techniques and recovery.
Good luck with it.
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Post by gorgeouskid on Aug 14, 2015 0:41:55 GMT
DH had a complete tear playing lacrosse a couple of years ago. He did some PT, and had surgery three months later. He was back on the field officiating six games a day about six months later.
He had a sports orthopedist perform the surgery...
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gitana
Junior Member
Posts: 85
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Post by gitana on Aug 14, 2015 1:58:14 GMT
I have a partially torn ACL. It may have been there since I was 10. It comes and goes. My dr has never suggested surgery, and in fact, says there is no reason to operate. Yours may be different, but a cortisone shot and some PT does wonders for mine.
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