I had ACL surgery over a year ago and have a question on long term recovery?
535688
well i am pretty certain that with the knee brace that it will help take pressure off of the area around the screws .. so i feel that money isnt an issue if you are in pain
61057
Where are you located?  I am from Ohio and my mom was one of the first to get a total knee replacement with the new procedure. The doctor was an orthopedic surgeon...I would call the nearest place to your location that handles Orthopedic Surgery and find out if they are doing the new 3 in incision.  By the way my moms knee turned out great and the scar is barely noticeable and from what i have heard about the longer incision the time that it took to heal was alot faster "she was walking on it the day after her surgery".  Hope this helps :-)
960020
Everyone heals differently, so there is not a firm answer to this.  Also, what is your definition of "recover"?  You'll be out of the recovery room in a matter of minutes to hours.  There will be swelling and soreness for a week or so.  Full tissue strength after any surgery takes 12 weeks.\n\nCosts vary widely based on location, and by practitioner.  Call some plastic surgeons in your area and ask them.
5550
I dislocated my knee about 3 months ago.  I was supposed to keep my knee stabilized- completely immobile for a long time, but I didn't know that. I did this 10 yrs ago to my other knee. It seems like this one is healing slower. I still have pain when I walk, and sometimes it still feels like my knee is going backwards when I walk.  I'll get shooting pains up and down the outside of my knee just out of the blue.  I just recently feel like my walk is almost back to normal.  I went to the doctor for a recheck about 3 weeks ago, and asked her the same question you just did.  She told me everyone is different, and the knees always take a very, very long time to heal. I now am taking glucosimine for my joints.  Its just something you can pick up at a vitamin store.  It actually feels as if it may be working, or maybe its just coincidence.
524733
You need to talk to your surgeon or attending physician. There are some activities that they will recommend that you do not participate in for a specific amount of time due to the possibility of re-injury. You're still in the recovery phase and while you shouldn't "sit home and feel sorry for yourself" patience really is a virtue. You're still healing.\n\nGood luck and glad to hear that you're doing well!
510818
I had Arthoscopy surgery back in Nov. I had a chipped bone and also had arthritis clean up. My knee still bothers me at times, are you in an immobilizer or anything to keep your leg straight? Or on crutches? Its going to take time for it to heal, knees have a long healing process.
532409
I had a similar experience about 2 years ago.  I fell and I thought I had a really bad sprain.  It was really swollen and I had bruises all the way up to my knee.  I had never broken anything before and I was pretty sure it wasn't broken.  I didn't hear anything snap and it hurt when I fell, but not too bad.  My mom, a nurse, came and looked at it and told me to keep it elevated.\n\nAbout a month later, I had an appointment with a Podiatrist for something totally unrelated.  When he saw how swollen and bruised I was after 4 weeks, he took an x-ray.  I had broken my leg and my ankle was broken in 3 places.  I was shocked - I always thought breaking a bone would be excruchiating pain!  I had to have surgery and they put a plate and some screws in there.  Now I'm back to normal, with a lovely scar to show for it.  No offense to my mom, but I'm thinking it's a good thing she is retired.\n\nIf after 6 weeks you are still swollen, there is definitely something wrong.  They've ruled out broken bones, but you'll have to wait for the MRI to find out what is really wrong.  Sure, you might need surgery, but it could be worse.  For example, did I mention the fact that I have MS, which affects my left leg and my breaks were in my right leg?  What this meant is that, because my left leg is not able to hold me up, crutches did no good.  I was basically living on my couch for 2 months.  \n\nGood luck with everything - I'm sure you'll be fine =)
243203
Talk to your doctor.  They should recommend rehab exercises for your knee post-surgery.
151118
Since no one else has answered you, and I have had a similar injury, I thought I'd offer you my experience. I am not a medical expert, just a survivor. My injury was L3 L4, and the disc blew up! In other worded it was not your standard slipped disk. They could not do the laser surgery on me, partly because it was not yet approved but mostly because of the number of disk fragment sthat they had to remove. Prior to the surgery I spent 8 weeks flat on my back while they figured out what was wrong with me, i.e. orthopedics, medical and finally surgical. I had lost all use of my right leg, including the feeling from the hip down, and was starting to loose bowel function. They did the full laminectomy, and sent me home from the hospital the next day. I asked for PT or some kind of rehab but they refused. For the next five years I had to fight on my own to regain use and control of that right leg. For ten years I had a noticable limp. To this day there are certain movements I just cannot do. And the hip is still bad with rampant arthritis. Three years ago I had a relapse, and after the same surgeon did the x-rays and MRI's he said he could not do anything to help me, and that I no have spinal stenosis from L2 down. You should see how little bone mass there is in that picture. It's scary! Anyway, I went to my local gym who has a healthy back program, using Medx equipment. I rehabbed with that program, and am as functional now as I was 5 years after the surgery. If you have a program like that I would seriously check it out before agreeing to surgery. The program at my gym has prevented a lot of surgeries, and has an 85% success rate. They train surrounding muscle to support the bones, and carry the weight. We once trained a dog the same way who was born with hip dysplasia bad enough they wanted to put him to sleep in his first year. He lived to 17, and passed away as a result of an auto injury, not his hips.\nSorry this was so long but your husband needs to know there are options to surgery, and not just PT. Good luck and feel better. I do understand your pain and confusion.
1161260
If you play sports on a regular basis, you will want to have surgery. If you have a career or scholarship riding on it, do it. Running it's course, might lead to it not healing properly, and there goes your career.  If anyone said to me, let it go, or your chances are better having it operated on, i'd say OPERATE! I want my life to be in tact as much as it can be for as much of my life as possible!!!!!!!!!!!!!
303835
depends on the injury elevate it or try ice i think is 20min on then 20 off if it hurts inside i'd get it checked by a doctor i  hurt my knee and kept playing sport and i actually had torn by acl
301097
Yes I had a complete knee reconstruction a number of years ago, the procedure in those days was far different than today, these days (depending on the severity of the tear) is generally done by keyhole surgery, the rehabilitation is the most important facet of recovery, physio, and swimming are the initial treatments, and should be continued until complete recovery, you will need to be patient and determined, good luck
1011053
You should have started physical therpy to excercise the musles involved, if this has not been done then you need to talk to a doctor for referral.\n Aside from excerse, the healing could take up too a year
1040780
i had a job where i used my hands and i was out for about 6 weeks after my first surgery (for the right hand) and four weeks after my second surgery (left hand).\n\nbest wishes to you!!!\n\nEDITED TO ADD:\nbe sure to follow through with your physical therapy and do exactly what the doctor tells you to. the physical therapy aspect of recovery is the most important! \n\ni wish you a speedy and safe recovery...
506171
after surgery take a rest to regain your strength,follow doctors orders and you'll be as good as new, as soon as possible.anyways you said youre healthy.
663301
I am not a doctor, but when I tore my ligament, the doctor did go in and look in the knee by using arthroscope(sp?).  They fixed it in the same simple surgery.  I was out the same day...BEWARE...it is now 20 years later, and I am getting ready to have a knee replacement!!  They doctors that I saw all told me that if they did the surgery, which I didn't have much choose, according to those doctors... I would end up with arthritis in 20 year or so... I was only 18..so 20 years seemed like nothing.  But NOW that I am looking at having a knee replacement...20 years doesn't seem that far away......\n\nGet all of your doctors credentials!  Check them all out before you allow them to cut on you!\n\nAgain, I an NOT a doctor!!!  But, this is what happened to me.\n\nUntil you get to a doctor, you can keep it elevated above your heart and keep ice on it for no longer than 20 minutes.  Then switch to heat for 20 minutes.  But, I'd get to see a doctor.  There are braces and "Breg" has many types of items that might help you.
1145820
speaking from experience..i broke my leg in 2 place and my wrist in 9 during the same accident.I was out of work for 6 months..i waited and rested as told but also kept stretching and flexing my foot and hand to keep things in motion. if you have had it immobilized for this entire time it will take some rehab.. you may also look at the possibility that your hooked on your pain meds. they will trick your brain into thinking your in pain just so you'll take more. Be careful and good luck