Newbie with torn ACL and PCL

[culbymama]

Hi there!  I'm Sherri and I'm a 37 year old wife and mommy to three.  I just found this site tonight and I'm sure I will be visiting very often over the next several months.  In April 2003, I fell in a local restaraunt injuring my ACL.  To make an incredibly long story as short as possible, after a misdiagnosis, I was finally diagnosed with a torn ACL.  I was told by the second DR to lose some weight, gave me PT to do at home.  I went back just a couple of days ago, and I was told that I am ready for surgery <FINALLY!!>  But I was also told that I had torn my PCL as well, and that the surgery and the recovery would be more involved than if I had only torn my ACL.  Is there anyone who has undergone both of these procedures?  How long were you kept in the hospital?  What all did the recovery involve, and how long until you really began to feel "normal" again?  Also, I work a quite physical job and have been off since my injury occurred, and the DR told me that I may never be able to go back to that type of work.  Have any of you NOT been able to return to your job?  Does this mean that I will be on disablity for the rest of my working life?  I'm sorry to ask so much in my first post here, but I am very happy to have found such a site, and I'm sure that there are folks out there who have experienced or who are currently experiencing what I am.  I will appreciate any info, stories or advice I can get!  Thanks!

[Philip]

Hey culbymama

I had ripped my ACL and the LCL, initially I was told that my PCL had also ripped. The length of recovery I was told depended a bit on the surgeon. One OS said that it would take at least 12 months, but probably 2 years and whether I can ski and play football is another question. The other surgeon said that he had cases of multiple ligament rupture and they playes rugby 12 months later.

...guess what..the latter OS operated me and he has the policy of doing everything in one go. He said, he will open the knee and repair all the damages and that's it. So he intented to do the ACL, PCL and LCL in one operation - 'luckily' the PCL needed no reconstruction.

I was in hospital for 5 days overall but only because I was an accident and emergency and the accident happened in the evenings. So just for the operation I was there a day before and 2 days after the op I went home.

Currently I am 4.5 months post op - I  started running again do loads of excercises and have had hardly any pain for 2 months - I still feel discomfort but it is not too bad. I was in pain for quite a while after the op but my knee was heavily traumatised as injury and op where within a week.

The Physiotherapy is quite involving - I did `excercises' pretty much every day - stretching and the standard excercisis for ACL reconstructions and also you will need loads and loads of patience.

Prospects at my last meeting with the OS where that at the 12 month stage I can do any kind of sport again....  

So hang in there - it is a bad injury but you can do it...!

Cheers,
Philip

[culbymama]

Thanks for the reply Phillip.  Your story is encouraging!  My surgeon is Dr. Frank Noyes.  He actually one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the world; the knee is his area of specialty.  I noticed last night that he is a featured author on this site as well as one of the surgeons profiled on here, too.  I travel about 3 1/2 hours to his office and everytime I'm there I hear people from all over the U.S. and Canada talking about how far they've come for him to care for them.  That is very comforting!!  

[Philip]

It sounds you are in best hands then. The rest is then up to you to do the physio and also keep your knee rested and stay positive (although that is not very easy sometimes).

Keep us updated on your progress - and all the best for your surgery!!!
Philip