Meniscus :
Post Surgery Update - - Posted by Amanda (Amanda), 17 November 2004
It has now been five days since my surgery. Went in at about 1:45pm and came out at about 3:00pm. They kept us all in for observation for three hours! Last time (public hospital) they sent me on my way as soon as I woke up! Weird. I woke up with no sick feeling and wasn't too tired. My knee ached heaps more than last time, but I assume it was because they put less local in there afterwards. On a scale of 1-10 I would rate the pain during the first 24 hours to have been from a 2 to a 4. Anyway crutched around for two days and then started tentative walking and haven't used the crutches since. But by the end of teh day I started to notice that I had a really sore calf muscle. I just assumed it was sore coz it hadn't been used for ages and was being used again. So I mentioned this to the OS when I went back for my check up and he was worried so sent me for an ultrasound And what did they find? A bloodclot! Not a deep vein one, but on in the veins through the calf muscle. It is 3cm long. And I have been doing foot pumps and exercises to stop this from happening! Anyway then I had to see a Dr, more waiting, bloodtests, blah blah blah. I spend the whole day from 11am till 5pm at the hospital and drs. Turns our for the moment I am not going to have any injections or DVT treatments but I am on some asprin stuff, have to go off the pill (argghhh), will have to wear those stocking things when we go overseas (just in case), and am being screened to see if I have the gene that makes you get blood clots. I have to go back and have an ultrasound again in a week to see if it has gotten smaller/bigger and if it has gotten bigger then I will have other treatments. The bandages came off yesterday, looks OK. It doesn't look too swollen, it doesn't have many contours though! He made two new holes so I will have four now. And to top it off I noticed last night I have a patch over my knee cap which is completely numb. It feels disgusting. So I was all set to go to physio this afternoon, but apparently I am not allowed to because of the blood clot! And would you believe that my calf hurts more than my knee does when I walk?! So I hope that this doesn't slow my recovery down any. I am still elevating it and icing and trying to do small exercises/movements. I almost forgot to mention what the Dr found/did during the scope! Well I got to see the video (ew!) he said all my other bits are good (especially my articular cartilage apparently, so that's good news). But (this is where it gets weird) he said that he noticed that my lateral meniscus (the torn one) had a sort of hard consistency to it (not good), he wasn't sure why either. Maybe because it has had such a hard life over the last decade. He said it could soften up later, he wasn't sure. As the meniscus is not soft and malleable, it could mean that I am more susceptible to tears or the existing stable tear tearing back further. And apparently I have a weird shaped end of my bones, not perfectly round, a little more contoured than normal, what I was born with.. Anyway, he said that he shaved the meniscus back to a stable rim (though technically it still has a tear through it) he cleaned up the floppy edges of the two layers until he couldn't push the probe any further through the tear. He said that I have about 40% of my meniscus left now. Also he found a soft tissue collection on the outside of my knee near where I was getting the pain, he wasn't sure what that was either maybe from my previous trauma. So to cut a long story short, he tidied my knee up and the good news is that I have perfect cartilage on the ends of my bones and the bad news that I had a weird meniscus which could cause me more problems. He said that if I still have more problems or tear it more then next step would probably be complete removal, and he would be extremely hesitant about doing that! It would have to be pretty bad before I considered that! So at least now I know exactly what is going on inside my knee, as the Dr that did my last scope (public system) didn't write any observations down!
I will keep you up to date on my progress. Hope your knees are being good to you all. Manda.
Posted by kporterjud (kporterjud), 17 November 2004
Hi Amanda;
I'm slated for a scope next month (my 1st); it's a good possibility that I have a meniscal tear that didn't show up on the MRI. It sounds like my surgery will be similar to yours; can you answer a couple of post-op questions for me?
Did you have to wear a immobilizer? Did the hospital staff show you how to use the crutches? I know I'll have to elevate my leg and ice my knee (& I hate ice, the OTs could hardly get me to do ice "dunks" when I was rehabing my wrist). How difficult is it to sleep with the post-op knee? I had a whale of a time with my wrist; I had to wear an external fixator and sleep with my arm elevated...
Posted by Amanda (Amanda), 18 November 2004
Hi kporterjud
Sure. No I didn't have to wear an immobilizer. I don't think that meniscectomies usualkly require an immobilizer. My first one I didn't even use crutches. But I do recommend crutches for the first day or two. No, the hospital staff didn't show me how to use crutches. I got them the day of my surgery from a medical supplies place and had a little practice at home beforehand. There are two different types of crutches the ones that go under the arms and the ones with cuffs that stop at the elbow. I prefer the arm pit ones, but you should have them fitted properly and use them appropriateley (don't rest you under arms on them, use your arm muscles). Re sleep, the first two nights are a bit uncomfortable (the knee aches) and you will have to sleep on your back (flat, not elevated) until you feel ready for your side. Icing is not so bad! I enjoy it it feels nice. I sit with my leg elevated and just rest an ice pack on top of my knee (with a cloth inbetween) while watching telly (every couple of hours) . Well I wish you lots of luck with your op. Fel free to ask any more q's. Take care.
Posted by Mcat33 (Mcat33), 18 November 2004
Hi Manda 
,
I sent you a message the other day and have been thinking of you since your surgery and praying that everything went well. I'm sorry that you have a blood clot to deal with 
I also had an ultrasound on my leg 5 days post - op to see if I had a clot ( I posted on here 3 posts actually about it !! ) but, thank goodness it was negative. I'm glad the surgery all in all went well .. I have about 40 % of my medial meniscus left too Could be worse ... like none at all ! Now that you found out all about your knee inside make sure to take good care of it and no more injuries .... ok !!
Hope you get to do therapy soon but, in the mean time rest, ice, elevate and get yourself better 
Take care,
Michelle
Posted by Amanda (Amanda), 9 December 2004
Hi all
Just thought I would update you on my progress. It has been 4 weeks tomorrow since my surgery. I am improving slowly. Most of my swelling has gone down, but my knee still doesnt look like the other one. I have hard masses around my two incisions, which I am starting to massage gently to break up. I get my blood clot ultrasounded on Monday so hopefully it will be gone and I can stop wearing this damn compression thigh high horrible white stocking 24/7. My knee still feels rather stiff and I still have a little limp. I am icing and elevating still. I have a sort of slight burning sensation inside my joint on the dodgy side sometimes which I am hoping will go away. It is different to the soft tissue surgery ache/tenderness else where. Has anyone else experienced this post partial meniscus removal?
I hope all your knees are being good. They sure make xmas shopping difficult! I havent done any yet...
Posted by kporterjud (kporterjud), 9 December 2004
Hi Amanda;
Glad to hear about your progress. Keep up the good work. (Shop online for Christmas... I always do, knee or no knee.)
regards
Updated Sat Oct 11 2008