Anyone had knee arthroscopy?

BeepaStar

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2009
Messages
211
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
I have an extensive tear in my meniscus according to the MRI results. The consultant I've seen has recommended surgery to remove about 25% of cartilage as the tear will never heal.
Has anyone had this surgery and did it make your knee better or worse?

I really don't want surgery and have heard lots of people say their knee was worse after the op than it was before..!

Thanks in advance :)
 

Auslander

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 November 2010
Messages
12,622
Location
Berkshire
Visit site
I have. Had a similar problem with my kne, and the surgery sorted it out perfectly. I have two tiny scars, and no feeling in the skin on my knee between the scars, but the knee itself is perfect. I just have to be careful not to kneel on sharp things!
 

Toby_Zaphod

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 August 2005
Messages
9,259
Location
Midlands
Visit site
In 2003 I had this procedure at my local NHS hospital & it was terrible. I had many issues afterwards, it was worse & the hospital were useless & just turned their back on me. The operation was not done by the specialist but by one of his minions & that was the problem. Fortunately I was in a private medical scheme at work & had the knee operated on again by a specialist who did the job himself. I hobbled into the hospital & I walked out after it was done feeling great. The surgeon didn't want to get involved but he told me that as far as he was concerned when he went into the joint the job had certainly not been done. It was a real mess.

I was told the knee should be alright for about 10 years, it's now been 14 years & it's been fine but recently I'm starting to feel similar symptoms so we'll have to see.

Have the job done & hope you get the organ grinder to do the operation rather that his monkey & you should be fine. :)
 

Meadow

Member
Joined
29 January 2017
Messages
13
Visit site
Me! I have had many an operation on my knees over the past 7 years. Mostly on the left one but I tore the meniscus in my right knee about 4 years ago. I was squatting down skim reading an article in a magazine I didnt want to buy and it tore as I went to stand. Moral of the story, take a photo of the page and read it at leisure when you get home ;). I opted for the surgery and its been fine since.

It was very simple and easy, (compared to my other surgeries) and I've retained all feeling. I have read some articles that say physiotherapy can be used as an alternative, although those articles seem to be championed be physios themselves so I am skeptical.
 

BeepaStar

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2009
Messages
211
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
I have. Had a similar problem with my kne, and the surgery sorted it out perfectly. I have two tiny scars, and no feeling in the skin on my knee between the scars, but the knee itself is perfect. I just have to be careful not to kneel on sharp things!

Auslander, that's good to know! Thanks for commenting, I'm finding it difficult to convince myself I should have surgery!
 

BeepaStar

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2009
Messages
211
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
In 2003 I had this procedure at my local NHS hospital & it was terrible. I had many issues afterwards, it was worse & the hospital were useless & just turned their back on me. The operation was not done by the specialist but by one of his minions & that was the problem. Fortunately I was in a private medical scheme at work & had the knee operated on again by a specialist who did the job himself. I hobbled into the hospital & I walked out after it was done feeling great. The surgeon didn't want to get involved but he told me that as far as he was concerned when he went into the joint the job had certainly not been done. It was a real mess.

I was told the knee should be alright for about 10 years, it's now been 14 years & it's been fine but recently I'm starting to feel similar symptoms so we'll have to see.

Have the job done & hope you get the organ grinder to do the operation rather that his monkey & you should be fine. :)

Toby_Zaphod, oh what a nightmare, thank goodness you were able to sort it out privately in the end. This is exactly the kind of thing I'm worried about...!
 

BeepaStar

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2009
Messages
211
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
Me! I have had many an operation on my knees over the past 7 years. Mostly on the left one but I tore the meniscus in my right knee about 4 years ago. I was squatting down skim reading an article in a magazine I didnt want to buy and it tore as I went to stand. Moral of the story, take a photo of the page and read it at leisure when you get home ;). I opted for the surgery and its been fine since.

It was very simple and easy, (compared to my other surgeries) and I've retained all feeling. I have read some articles that say physiotherapy can be used as an alternative, although those articles seem to be championed be physios themselves so I am skeptical.

Thanks Meadow, it's encouraging to hear some success stories!
 

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
OH did. He would not do it again. It was not a horror story or anything, but it took a long time to heal, and he does not think it is appreciably better. It is equally no worse though.

I guess if it got so bad he did not have a choice, then he would do it again.

His was done by a good orthopaedic surgeon, in a posh private hospital.

To be fair, he was quite heavy, and has a lot of compensations in the way he walks. I do wonder if he would have a different outcome if he had lost a load of weight and had more physio afterwards. However, it is difficult to lose weight when not able to exercise.
 

frostyfingers

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 May 2011
Messages
459
Location
Herefordshire
Visit site
I had this exact op last summer - I'd "a significant tear to the meniscus" which was not going to heal by itself. It was agony and there was no question that I needed the surgery. I went private (NHS wait was 6 months) and it was absolutely fine. In and out in the day, a couple of stitches in each wound which have reduced to red marks.

I was told to do very little for the first 4 days except for the exercises I'd been given and then to take it slowly. Yes, it was painful and yes it took a while to resolve but just about 6 months on and it is fine. During recovery I did wonder whether I'd done the right thing as it was more painful than I'd anticipated and at my 6 week check I complained about that but the consultant said to wait another 6 weeks and come back if it wasn't improved - it was.

More cartilage was removed than originally anticipated and it does ache a bit after a long day's hunting, my spring when getting on (such as it was) has definitely reduced and it's a struggle but all in all I'm happy with it. The alternative was too grim to contemplate - I couldn't ride, couldn't walk any distance and the pain kept me awake at night. My advice if you go ahead is to make sure you follow their instructions (ie don't do too much), do the physio religiously and expect it to take longer than you'd like.
 

oldie48

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 April 2013
Messages
7,027
Location
South Worcestershire
Visit site
I have. I tore the meniscus and the ACL in a skiing accident, prior to the op I did a lot of work to build up the muscles in my leg that help to support the knee, ACL was borderline needing harvested replacement but they left it and tidied up the meniscus as best they could. I did lots of physio afterwards and the result has been fine. I was 60, when I did it and apart from being banned from skiing because of the ACL it's not been an issue.
 

Dancing_Diva

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 May 2013
Messages
895
Visit site
Me, I had same thing. Had the surgery to repair the cartalige which failed to knit it back together due to the severity of the tear.

Had a second surgery last august to remove the cartalige altogether and so far not had any problems since.
 

ycbm

Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Joined
30 January 2015
Messages
56,545
Visit site
I've been reading research about this lately. OH has some knee issues and we have decided against intervening.

From one study:

'The observed difference in treatment effect was minute after two years of follow-up, and the trial’s inferential uncertainty was sufficiently small to exclude clinically relevant differences. Exercise therapy showed positive effects over surgery in improving thigh muscle strength, at least in the short term. Our results should encourage clinicians and middle aged patients with degenerative meniscal tear and no definitive radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis to consider supervised exercise therapy as a treatment option.'


And another which included fake operations as the control group, showing no significant benefit

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1305189
 
Last edited:

oldie48

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 April 2013
Messages
7,027
Location
South Worcestershire
Visit site
I've been reading research about this lately. OH has some knee issues and we have decided against intervening.

From one study:

'The observed difference in treatment effect was minute after two years of follow-up, and the trial’s inferential uncertainty was sufficiently small to exclude clinically relevant differences. Exercise therapy showed positive effects over surgery in improving thigh muscle strength, at least in the short term. Our results should encourage clinicians and middle aged patients with degenerative meniscal tear and no definitive radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis to consider supervised exercise therapy as a treatment option.'

That's interesting as I did wonder if the exercise regimen that I followed was the major part of my recovery!
 

ycbm

Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Joined
30 January 2015
Messages
56,545
Visit site
Isn't it?

There is also a meta study, a study of studies, showing no significant benefits for any knee surgery after one year, whether for meniscus tear or osteoarthritis or cartilage fragment removal.
 

Paint Me Proud

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 October 2010
Messages
4,166
Visit site
I had both my knees done at a private hospital when I was 14, the operation went well and pain was vastly reduced however after about 18 months I still couldnt kneel and started getting some pain again. They re-scanned and discoverd the scar tissue had grown back awkwardly and I has retorn the meniscus. I had them both operation on again age 16. Since then they have been generally okay, i do get pain now and then especially if i over do it too much but that is due to my muscular conformation and not a result of the operations.
I am glad i had them done as I dread to think how painful it would have been had I left them.
I no longer have private health insurance though so doubt I would have got the treatment I did if it had been through the NHS.
 

MDB

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 June 2014
Messages
955
Location
Spain.
Visit site
I used to specialise in rehabbing people after knee surgery and probably dealt with hundreds of arthroscopy patients.

Much depends on what the condition of the rest of the knee structures are like, any existing wear and tear and the location of the tear and extent of which which has to be removed.

The first week post op your knee will probably be swollen, bruised and uncomfortable. Rest is very important along with gentle movement and maintenence exercises. Stitches are unlikely. After about one week the steristrips over the wounds can usually come off. The second week is similar to the first, with a very gradual increase in activity. Static bike can be started around 2 weeks. Everybody's speed of recovery will vary and you may or may not need physio. On average I would see patients twice after arthroscopy and feel that the recovery for this surgery is generally very quick.

It would normally take 6-8 weeks to return to pre op activity levels. All deep squatting and twisting activities should be avoided for several weeks.

Generally I think the outcome after partial menisectomy to be good. What you need to be aware of, is that like all surgery there are risks. In addition, part of the meniscus's job is shock absorption, so there is an increased risk of degenerative changes later in life when the meniscus is removed. However, if you are struggling with pain and it is limiting your activities, you may find the benefits of surgery outweigh the risks. That is the decision each person has to make, and really all of the above shod be discussed with your surgeon as he or she will be able to give you the best advice.
 
Last edited:

Summer pudding

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 April 2013
Messages
414
Visit site
I had this op' a year ago, done by a knee chap who does 75% private work altHough I was lucky to get it on the NHS. My knee was very painful pre op' and was graded 4 out of 5 for severity. The op' itself was better than expected and I seemed to improve, but in reality the pain was different - it's slowly getting worse, now more like a burning pain and my knee feels hot. Saw the consultant 3 weeks ago and he put a steroid injection in which brought instant relief, but that seems to be dissapating and the burning sensation is coming back. Has anyone else had steroid jab as a top up? FYI the op itself wasn't too bad, I drove after 2 weeks, I'm just disappointed with the result but it sounds like results are mixed. Good luck OP!
 

BeepaStar

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2009
Messages
211
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
Thanks to everyone for your responses... it's been very interesting reading them all.

I'm honestly wondering if I should give the op a miss... my initial response when I went to see the consultant was to decline surgery and just have a course of 10 physio sessions and see if it improved... however, I've got an appointment for surgery on the 28th March and the closer it's getting the more I'm thinking I don't want to have it!
I can still ride & jog and I take bufren for pain relief. A few weeks ago I couldn't bend my knee to knee down, but it seems ok now and I can kneel on it again.
How long did it take everyone to get back in the saddle again after surgery?
 

Summer pudding

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 April 2013
Messages
414
Visit site
Thanks to everyone for your responses... it's been very interesting reading them all.

I'm honestly wondering if I should give the op a miss... my initial response when I went to see the consultant was to decline surgery and just have a course of 10 physio sessions and see if it improved... however, I've got an appointment for surgery on the 28th March and the closer it's getting the more I'm thinking I don't want to have it!
I can still ride & jog and I take bufren for pain relief. A few weeks ago I couldn't bend my knee to knee down, but it seems ok now and I can kneel on it again.
How long did it take everyone to get back in the saddle again after surgery?
Tbh it does sound as if you don't need the surgery yet, particularly if you can kneel down on it. I was interested to read that physio could be so helpful and perhaps is the way to go - perhaps talk to the consultant again? Btw in addition to ibuprofen I spray my knee with BioFreeze when it's sore - it really helps. I can't answer the riding question as I'm not on board yet, but that's another story. Good luck.
 

frostyfingers

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 May 2011
Messages
459
Location
Herefordshire
Visit site
I couldn't ride, could only walk short distances and certainly couldn't kneel or squat and even turning over at night was extremely painful so felt that there was only one way to go. I was back riding 6 weeks post op, it was uncomfortable but the consultant (lovely horsey chap) said that it would help to get going and that I could develop the necessary muscles more by actually riding than just doing exercises. As I said before it took a while but I'm happy with it now.
 

shirl62

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 December 2016
Messages
515
Visit site
I had a partial tear and had arthroscopic repair. I also had a small area of arthritis . On reflection it did not make much difference and the knee is more swollen than pre op. I also have a patch of numbness where the scope went in. For me personally it was a waste of time and wished I had not had it done in the first place.

Shirl
 

JJones

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 September 2012
Messages
486
Location
UK
Visit site
This sounds like my knee. Osteoarthritis and a tear. I have had 4 steroid injections so far. Being pain free for a few weeks is bliss whilst they last. They are now talking about the surgery as they don't want me having too many injections. Not sure at all what to do. They couldn't tell me if I'd be back on my feet immediately or on crutches for 6-8 weeks until they go in. Problem is I'm a farmer with many horses and I don't know how I'd cope or if it would be worth it. Only 42 and every step is painful once injection wears off. Some days are better than others. Can't run at all and scared to work closely with the sheep incase they knock it as it always feels unstable if only I could keep having the jabs!

I had a partial tear and had arthroscopic repair. I also had a small area of arthritis . On reflection it did not make much difference and the knee is more swollen than pre op. I also have a patch of numbness where the scope went in. For me personally it was a waste of time and wished I had not had it done in the first place.

Shirl
 

shirl62

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 December 2016
Messages
515
Visit site
This sounds like my knee. Osteoarthritis and a tear. I have had 4 steroid injections so far. Being pain free for a few weeks is bliss whilst they last. They are now talking about the surgery as they don't want me having too many injections. Not sure at all what to do. They couldn't tell me if I'd be back on my feet immediately or on crutches for 6-8 weeks until they go in. Problem is I'm a farmer with many horses and I don't know how I'd cope or if it would be worth it. Only 42 and every step is painful once injection wears off. Some days are better than others. Can't run at all and scared to work closely with the sheep incase they knock it as it always feels unstable if only I could keep having the jabs!

I can't really advise you on what to do for the best really. My hubby is a Orthopaedic surgeon but deals with shoulders and upper limb probs. The only thing I can say is that you are much younger than me. I was 59 when I had it done. My knee is still swollen so really no benefit for me. In fact the MRI scan I had showed more arthritis than I actually had when I had surgery. I was certainly out of action for a couple of weeks. I think if you are unsure about the surgery then you should really have another chat with your surgeon . Its hard sometimes not really knowing the all the facts possibly before hand and as you said they really won't know the true state of your joint until surgery.

http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h2747

Shirl
 

Summer pudding

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 April 2013
Messages
414
Visit site
This sounds like my knee. Osteoarthritis and a tear. I have had 4 steroid injections so far. Being pain free for a few weeks is bliss whilst they last. They are now talking about the surgery as they don't want me having too many injections. Not sure at all what to do. They couldn't tell me if I'd be back on my feet immediately or on crutches for 6-8 weeks until they go in. Problem is I'm a farmer with many horses and I don't know how I'd cope or if it would be worth it. Only 42 and every step is painful once injection wears off. Some days are better than others. Can't run at all and scared to work closely with the sheep incase they knock it as it always feels unstable if only I could keep having the jabs!
I am very sorry you are so much pain..I do know the bliss after the injections and the misery when the pain returns and how it effects every aspect of your life. For what it's worth my extremely good osteopath says he is seeing lots of younger people having very successful knee replacements these days. Could you might wake up with a new knee? Perhaps you need to have an in depth discussion with your consultant and explain all your worries..good luck.
 

impresario08

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 February 2014
Messages
779
Visit site
I have an extensive tear in my meniscus according to the MRI results. The consultant I've seen has recommended surgery to remove about 25% of cartilage as the tear will never heal.
Has anyone had this surgery and did it make your knee better or worse?

I really don't want surgery and have heard lots of people say their knee was worse after the op than it was before..!

Thanks in advance :)

sorry to bump this, but what were your symptoms?
 

JennyWren100

New User
Joined
20 September 2012
Messages
2
Visit site
I bust both ACLs in 2015 and wrecked a meniscus in one knee. I had surgery to remove part of the meniscus last year and was back on the horse in 6 weeks and I am fully competing, cycling, jogging, hiking etc. I didn't want to have knee reconstruction for the ACLs as it would have meant 9 months no riding, so just being slightly careful about what I do and hoping they will last. Was done privately.
 

BeepaStar

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2009
Messages
211
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
sorry to bump this, but what were your symptoms?

Impresario08 my symptoms are a clicking knee, knee pain, painful to touch my knee at times, sometimes I can't squat down, I can't really run any more, I tried a few weeks ago which resulted in a lot of knee pain and I couldn't walk properly for about 3 days! Knee hurts after riding. TBH I can't really describe the pain, sometimes its a searing pain, other times its a dull ache. I hope that helps.
 
Top