KNEE ARTHRITIS - Autologous chondrocyte implantation (A.C.I.) :
Had ACI/Carticel (Updated 11/11/03) - - Posted by receo (receo), 12 September 2003
3 DAYS POST-OP. (9-13-03) Had ACI on 9-10-03. Outpatient, home by 2pm with very little pain. Had femoral block. 2 by 2.5 centemeter lesian on trochlea. 1st day had little pain. 2nd day took pain meds because of more pain, meds worked. Today its noon and have not taken any pain meds yet, does not hurt at this time.
10 DAYS POST-OP. (9-20-03) Pain is not bad. I can definitly go the entire day without meds. Not to say it dosen't hurt a little. The most amount of pain is coming from the shin (where the patch was taken from). But again not bad. Staples, 33 of them, come out in 2 days.
Also posted on this thread
http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/cgi-bin/KNEEtalk/YaBB.pl?board=aci;action=display;num=1064354145
20 DAYS POST-OP. (9-30-03) Have not taken pain meds since 10 days post-op. No pain, knee just feels stiff. Can get it wet now so I can go in the pool and jaccuzi. Going to wait a few days more because one of the insictions (sp?) needs abit more time. Cant wait for 5 week/partial weight bearing. Knee feels good.
1 MONTH POST-OP. (10-10-03) Knee feels better then last report. Riding recumbent bike with no resistance for 15 min/day. Helps in losening it up. Also it is helping with the swelling. Doing straight leg raises for a little quad excersize. Because injury is in the trochlea (PF joint/compartment) I can stand on it with no pain. This puts no stress on the injury because of location. Just keep leg straight. Most people have ACI, I think, in the weight bearing compartments. Then no weight bearing is the call. This is me saying it not my/a Doc. Please dont take this as proticol. For all I know I could be screwing myself up. Went to the gym last week for the 1st time post-op. Went a half hour before closeing so not crowded. A little flat bench and a few pull-ups, felt great to get out. I think the real challenge is going to be in 6 more weeks (on crutches) when I start bending it doing excersize. Thats when the ACI/patch job is going to be put to the test. But for now...Doing good.
Also went out for dinner and a few beers lastnight. Favorite Chiense food, P.F. Changs, and couple bars afterwards. Also Cheesecake factory. The only reason I could do this (have some fun) 4 weeks post-op is because for the 6 months before ACI I got myself in good shape. Meaning get bodyfat down and get strong, in the gym. This also gets you strong in the head. It gives you a feeling of control. So if ACI/Knee surg. is in your future shut that piehole and do some push-ups.
1.5 MONTHS POST-OP. (10-25-03) Knee feels good, a little achy at times. I should be partial weight bearing but I'm not. I stopped useing the crutches last monday (5 days ago). Saw the doc. on monday and got kind of a tounge lashing because he asked me to extend my knee. Meaning while sitting on the table with my knee at a right angle extend it so the leg is straight, horizontal with the ground. Well, I used my other leg behind the one he wanted extended to help it up and down. I do it because it dosent feel good (ie hurts a little) when I do that. I guess the patella is riding over the patchjob with some force. I also do it to protect the ACI site. He wants me to do something that loads up that compartment of the knee and makes it hurt a bit. Well walking with a little limp doesn't hurt or load up the ACI site (PF joint/compartment) so I stopped useing the crutches. My PT now is riding my bike every other day, went about 5 miles (flat) 2 days ago. I'm going to start working on those leg extentions (no weight). If I had a brain in my head I Would do exactly what the doc says.
2 MONTHS POST-OP. (11-11-03) In the last few days the knee has been feeling good. Holly cow this ACI/Carticel might really work. But I'm VERY VERY cautious. It is going to be another 4 months at least till I can say it was worth it. My heart has been broken before in the 4 years since my injury. It was aching about five days ago and it got me very depressed. Like damn this thing is never going away. But the last fews days its been better then I could ask for at this point. For pt I'm riding my bike up this hill by my house, it goes uphill for about a mile (at least). Yesterday I did it 3 times. Today once. I thought I would not be doing this for another 2 months or so. I should still be on crutches for another week. I should add that I could do this bike ride before ACI. And did it the morning before my surgery. So at this point I have not gained anything. We'll see if at my 3 month report if there is anything that I can do better then before ACI. I hope so.
Posted by cray (cray), 27 September 2003
Sounds like you're doing great. Keep the info. coming. I'm waiting for a surgery date for ACI.
How long did you stay in the hospital? How long did the surgery take? I've already had the first stage.
Anxious to hear your reply!
Posted by Jules (Jules), 23 October 2003
I'm waiting for a date for ACI too, from Oswestry Orthapaedic Hospital UK. They told me 6 - 12 months, had a lot of muscle wastage from previous 3 bi-lateral arthroscopies, so not eating pie, I've been going to the gym and swimming for about a month now, does aggrevated them though, but find swimming after the gym releaves it a little.
If not too personal have you any pics of your knee after surgery? Like to see what to expect, someone sent me one, but due to previous ops, the insision was in a different place.
Jules
jab831b@hotmail.com
Posted by receo (receo), 24 October 2003
I E-Mailed the following to Jules:
Hi
My name is Andy and you asked for a pic of my knee post op. I had it attached to this E- Mail and then I took it off. For you to see a pic of my knee is not going to make a difference. You don't need to see it. I've been in your shoes, mentally. It could only do harm for you psychology. The pic looks gnarly. The only thing you need to know is 1. The incisions heeled up nice and 2. The knee feels better then it did before the surgery. Pre op I would have never dreamed it would feel this good only 6 weeks after the surgery.
The people on this website are small % of ACI patients. These are people who's outcome was not the best (a minority) and the second group are people who will just talk. They never move on. They could talk the fun out of a good beer buzz.
I too had to wait for my surgery. It was 1st scheduled for 6/25 and 5 days before they call and say not enough cells were cultured. I was bummed out. It was rescheduled for 9/10, 2.5 months later. That was a long 2 and half months.
Sounds like your doing all you should. The only thing I can add is tweak the excercise up a little and the calorie intake down even more. English food sucks so that should not be to hard.
The only picture you need to see is one I will take, and send to you, in the next couple of days of a patient 6 weeks post op. Out by the pool in the California sun.
I hope you get what I'm trying to say between the lines.
P.S. When you see the photo don't tell my doc that I'm not useing the crutches.
Updated Sat Nov 21 2009
