Meniscus Surgery

[mageilpol]

I am a 20 year old female who is currently playing sports on a collegiate level.  I have had three surgeries on my left knee, starting with an ACL reconstruction and medial meniscus repair my freshman year of high school, a lateral and medial meniscectomy my senior year of high school, and I just recently had the same surgery, a lateral and medial meniscectomy this past January, 2010.  I have recently been feeling the same pain I had felt before receiving my last surgery and since I know the feeling all too well, I am almost positive I have torn at least my medial meniscus, if not my lateral as well, again.  I plan to finish out my spring season, but am unsure of where to go once the summer comes.  I will be a Junior next year, and plan to continue athletics, but I have heard that doctors will not do a certain amount of surgeries on one knee.  Is this true? I strongly wish to continue in athletics, but what would be the consequences of taking out so much of my meniscus, and why does it keep tearing?

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

The best thing for you is to strengthen your knees after appropriately resting and after your healing is complete.

Check with the latest scans what can be done by a consultation with an orthopedician and plan accordingly.

Avoid intense physical activities till then take intermittent NSAIDs and apply ice packs.

Take care!

[jdesouza]

Hi,

Surgeries are the quickest way to get back playing but you should seriously consider non-surgical solutions as well. I have played sports competitively for over 25 years and understand the desire to get back quickly. I tore my lateral meniscus about 10 years ago and even though they strongly recommended surgery I opted or PT instead. It took about a year but all symptoms went away and I returned to competitive sports. I recently tore the meniscus in the other knee and am doing PT for that as well.
The decision is how important is it to return to sports quickly versus playing for a long time.
Hope that helps.