# Torn meniscus: Arthroscopic Surgery Next Week



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Well crap. Looks like I am off the bike for a while.:madman::madman::madman:

Right knee has been bugging me for the last 6-8 weeks. I have still been riding and hiking, but I notice it constantly. Ran once and it was very painful.

Finally went to the sports med guy today who, after looking at inconclusive x-rays and poking and prodding a bit, wants me to have an MRI on Monday. He suspects a torn meniscus. If the MRI confirms this, I will be having arthroscopic surgery to repair it. 

Thinking about trading one of the mountain bikes for a roadie just so I can ride SOMETHING sooner than I will be able to get back on the trail.

Still waiting to hear how much this little procedure is going to cost us since we have craptastic insurance. $1250 deductible and then 80/20 coverage beyond that. So $1250 + 20% of the remainder up to $10k.

Anyone have an idea of what to expect from this surgery? Pain? Recovery? Anyone had it? I am really curious how long it will keep me off the mountain bike, but I suppose every case is unique there... 

I am guessing it will likely cost several thousand dollars, but anyone have an idea what it might cost? Is it at the hospital or the doc's office, etc? 

I will, of course ask doc all these questions next week, but curious now and don't want to wait for at least some idea...


----------



## gonzoy5 (Jul 20, 2007)

Had this happen to me years ago. You can be back on the bike pretty quick, but it depends on the type of surgery. If they clean it up (partial/full menisoctomy?) then it's not a terrible recovery. If they do a repair then apparently you'll have some downtime. I started rehab within 2 weeks. It's amazing how quickly you lose muscle mass though. I was fine after that for about 6 years, not limited in any way. It will take some time to be confident running, playing sports that require cutting, but you'll be comfortable on the bike quickly. 

Unfortunately last year I broke my ankle though and apparently re-injured the meniscus in the process. Just last month I went for a run and had some pain and I immediately knew what it was. I had an MRI to confirm it. Doctor told me to rest it and see if it improves, but something happened like 2 weeks ago, just STEPPING OUT OF A CAR, and my knee got stiff for a week. I'm afraid I'll have to go for surgery again at some point. Rehab is key, don't cut it short, but even then you'll always have a weak spot. Take care of it regardless of costs.


----------



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

I am taking care of it regardless of cost. Every activity I am interested in involves needing my body to be in good shape, so leaving it alone is out of the question. 

Thanks for the tip on the rehab... that is a must too.


----------



## bbbr (Nov 6, 2005)

Been through 5 knee scopes so far, each one has been a little different as far as post-op rehab and recovery. I was never in enough pain to take the heavy meds, i was fine with just regular icing and Ibuprofen. 

Returning to the bike from #5 (late May of this year) took a little over 2 weeks for easy road rides and a month for the woods. Rehab is key, get a good physical therapist who understands what you want to return to and has a plan to get you there. Also, go into the surgery as strong as possible, it's astounding how fast the affected knee looses strength and how hard it can be to recover it.


----------



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Yeah, I hit a 20 mile road ride this morning and will be doing that every other day until the surgery. Then will be getting back to that as soon as possible afterward. 

Thanks for the encouragement though. I will be ecstatic if I only miss a month of trail riding.


----------



## Eckstream1 (Jul 27, 2011)

bbbr said:


> Been through 5 knee scopes so far, each one has been a little different as far as post-op rehab and recovery. I was never in enough pain to take the heavy meds, i was fine with just regular icing and Ibuprofen.
> 
> Returning to the bike from #5 (late May of this year) took a little over 2 weeks for easy road rides and a month for the woods. Rehab is key, get a good physical therapist who understands what you want to return to and has a plan to get you there. Also, go into the surgery as strong as possible, it's astounding how fast the affected knee looses strength and how hard it can be to recover it.


^^^^
This...

Had several surgeries on BOTH of my knees (all injuries from another sport) and recovery time was pretty short... Just take rehab seriously. Do everything they tell you and you'll be good to go before you know it. :thumbsup:

Gotta give a shout out to my Ortho Doc.... Dr. Stelmach of Commonwealth Orthopedic
He's the MAN!

My last knee injury... Snowboarding


----------



## EclipseRoadie (Oct 7, 2007)

It was 12 weeks for me, the ortho surgeon told me that recovery times are widely variable and depend on how much material will end up being removed (for me they removed 95 percent of my meniscus). I was in a lot of pain the first couple days of the surgery, and physical therapy was key. Now I run A LOT less and bike A LOT more, but my knee feels better than before the surgery. 

Not sure on the cost... good luck.


----------

