Hello - I am new to this board & to knee issues in general, but hoping to find some advice on what to do next. Thanks in advance!
I have had on again, off again knee discomfort for about a year due to a medial ganglion cyst that sits under the MCL. On bad days, I cannot squat down or stand to have that knee bent past 90 degrees for more than a few seconds. With heat and rest, it feels pretty good. I am still very active & work full-time at a job that has me constantly standing/walking w/ little/no problems.
The mass got quite large so about a month I had an MRI. The doc said my 2 options were to cut it out or try aspirating it, which only works about half of the time. Not wanting surgery, I had it aspirated, kept it wrapped for a week & after about 2 weeks it was noticeably smaller & felt pretty good.
Now it's coming back & I'm noticing different pains like when it's straight & I flex my quad muscles. I reached for something in my car recently & felt a sharp/squeeze in that area. The mass feels much smaller than it was before, so I'm not sure aspirating again will do any good.
Anyone have experience with ganglion cyst removal? I watched a youtube video that made the surgery look fairly simple (though the incision was huge!), but I have no idea what recovery is like and, of course, the doc may have to do more work once he can get a scope inside & find the source. The MRI did not indicate a meniscus tear & I cannot remember ever really 'injuring' the knee so surgery seems like overkill for something that is manageable...
Toni
