Has anyone had knee surgery? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

NBC · 10-01-2009, 09:52 AM

Wondering if anyone on CP has ever had knee surgery? I had a bone-to-bone patella graft ACL reconstruction in May. It sucks. No wonder guys are out for a year when they tear ligaments.

4X4 · 10-01-2009, 09:56 AM

I had knee surgery when I was 12. I'm not entirely sure what they did; all I really remember is that the Doctor's name was Dr. Lim and it hurt like hell. My dad couldn't stop making Lim/limb jokes. They weren't very funny.

habernac · 10-01-2009, 10:05 AM

ACL reconstruction 16 years ago. Doc said I'd be out 6-9 months, I was playing hockey again in 3. Make sure you get a good physiotherapist and work hard at recovery.

AC · 10-01-2009, 10:11 AM

I had ACL reconstructive surgery about 5 years ago now.

I was walking again (albeit limping) within a week. I've always had a high pain tolerance, but wasn't bothered by the recovery at all. I even stopped taking my pain meds after the first 2 or 3 days.

The thing that probably helped most was a CryoCuff. Basically a hollow pad you wrap around your leg connected to an ice water bucket. You raise the bucket, ice water rushes to surround your knee.

My tonsillectomy however, was hell.

NBC · 10-01-2009, 10:12 AM

I've been using the trainer from a professional soccer team, he's good.

I wish the consultant I saw in Calgary would have done something years ago when this happened, instead of me having to get the work done on the British National Health Service 6 years later!

FLAMESRULE · 10-01-2009, 10:18 AM

Twice on both knees. I've got Chondromalacia (sp??) that gives me a fairly soft patella. So when the patella moves in the joint the back of gets roughened up causing swelling and chronic pain. They go in arthroscopically and bascially sand it down, clean up the joint and repair some of the meniscus.

I went to the Sports Med Clinic at the U of C...Dr. Bray. Great doc. The worst part is the rehab. I got both knees done at the same time to limit the physio.

OldSam · 10-01-2009, 10:21 AM

I've had three. Make sure you enjoy the effects of the first one because the more you have, the less chance the future ones will be successful. First surgeon - orthopaedic surgeon for the Montreal Canadiens - 7-8 years of pain-free success. Second surgeon - orthopaedic surgeon for older people - gave me a 50/50 chance of success - success for another 4 years but not as comfortable as the first one. Third surgeon - good calgary orthopaedic surgeon - gave me 30/70 chance of success and once he got in, realized there was little to nothing he could do.

Buff · 10-01-2009, 11:03 AM

I'm a prime candidate for knee replacement when I'm a senior citizen. Trying to do whatever I can now to prevent that but I'm not sure it'll help since I can't seem to lose any more weight.

NBC · 10-01-2009, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSam

I've had three. Make sure you enjoy the effects of the first one because the more you have, the less chance the future ones will be successful. First surgeon - orthopaedic surgeon for the Montreal Canadiens - 7-8 years of pain-free success. Second surgeon - orthopaedic surgeon for older people - gave me a 50/50 chance of success - success for another 4 years but not as comfortable as the first one. Third surgeon - good calgary orthopaedic surgeon - gave me 30/70 chance of success and once he got in, realized there was little to nothing he could do.

Sorry to hear that. I sure hope I only ever have one of these procedures.

Thanks for your reply.

mykalberta · 10-01-2009, 11:28 AM

I busted my left knee in football my senior year in highschool.

Went down to Oregon to have the surgery and a little rehab and recovery before coming back and doing therapy in Edmonton. No problems 12 years later knock on wood.

JiriHrdina · 10-01-2009, 01:00 PM

I had surgery almost 3 years ago to repair my miniscus and ACL - I worked my ass off post-op but developed a very stiff knee. I was on crutches for months and limping for about 2 years. I had a scope done a year after the surgery that helped but even then my knee is still not perfect. On some days I still have a limp. The good news is I am back playing sports - but the knee hurts like heck the day after.

So overall my experience wasn't good. It was frustrating, long and painful despite the fact I did everything I was supposed to do and more.

Good luck with it though. Most of the surgeries go very smoothly.

habernac · 10-01-2009, 01:28 PM

Jiri, who was your surgeon so I can avoid them if I need work done later?

JiriHrdina · 10-01-2009, 03:52 PM

Dr. Mark Heard - and in general he's considered one of the best out there. I don't blame him.

hendy89 · 02-16-2011, 02:43 PM

So I just got my MRI results back and have a torn ACL. Does anyone have any updated advice on things I can do pre-surgery to speed up a recovery? Only 21 and missing activity already..

IronDave · 02-16-2011, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Dr. Mark Heard - and in general he's considered one of the best out there. I don't blame him.

He was my doc and I feel really lucky. I have had no problems with the knee but the research coming out is that ACL reconstructions are very closely linked to knee replacement later in life, so for myself it feels like a countdown. Best thing to do is strengthen beyond belief because it makes the recovery much easier and faster with less degeneration of leg strength. I'm no doctor but when I had mine (5 years ago) I thought they were tending away form patellar graphs as hamstring were better. Have you explored that avenue? I have never felt any weakness in the hamstring that was harvested as you have 5 ligaments there, they take the dominant one and then another asserts itself as the strongest. Good luck with you surgery and recovery.

JiriHrdina · 02-16-2011, 03:04 PM

My knee has improved dramatically since I last posted in this thread. However – that improvement has come at the price of pretty much giving up any competitive sports that require pivoting and what not. Since I stopped playing ball hockey – my knee has been a lot better. So I’ve come to the hard decision that to preserve my day to day quality of life I have to give up some of the sports I love. Doesn’t mean I can’t be active – but its tough to give up competitive sports.

Raekwon · 02-16-2011, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

My knee has improved dramatically since I last posted in this thread. However – that improvement has come at the price of pretty much giving up any competitive sports that require pivoting and what not. Since I stopped playing ball hockey – my knee has been a lot better. So I’ve come to the hard decision that to preserve my day to day quality of life I have to give up some of the sports I love. Doesn’t mean I can’t be active – but its tough to give up competitive sports.

Its a sad thing, after my second torn ACL I never played basketball again

CaptainCrunch · 02-16-2011, 03:35 PM

After I finished with Hockey and Football, I had to get work done on both knees. I work out at the gym, do cycling and treadmill and do weights to strengthen it.

But after the first pickup ball hockey game that I went to last summer with other guys from the board I had a lot of trouble walking for two weeks and I've now got that interesting broken glass feeling in my left knee again.

NBC · 02-16-2011, 03:42 PM

My knee, unfortunately, is going to take a long time to get back to where I'd like it to be. Since it took me 7 years to get treatment, I had incurred significant damage to the articular cartilage (joint-surface) on the medial side of my knee. While the surgery was a success and the graft is strong, I've got more pain in the knee than I thought I would have 20 months post-op. The pain is preventing me from strengthening my quadriceps muscle enough to have confidence in sporting endeavors. I've been told that I'll have to strengthen the muscles aerobically as any weight-bearing exercise and/or high-impact activity causes too much pain in the joint and in the weakened muscles.

It sucks.

Circa89 · 02-16-2011, 03:46 PM

I just had a open front and back resection of my Knee on the 13th of January.
A 10 inch incision on the front and 12" on the back where they remove everthing including cutting the muscles and to remove a tumor growth. Amazingly I have 90% range of motion back already and I am at the gym everyday on the bike. Great Surgery!! Great Surgeon ( He is a orthopeadic oncologist here in Calgary). Start radiation next week. Stability is good just very weak. I can not yet lift 10 lbs at the gym.

I had Mark Heard too a few years back and yes he is considered one of the best in the Biz. Highly reccomended. Unfortunately the tumour grew back.

I do not plan on any Sports this summer but I have a feeling i will be back at it in the fall.