Re: Arthroscopic Surgery - Meniscus

[Guest guest]

Ed,

If the orthopedic surgeon is like the one I used to work with in

surgery you should be able to walk out without much of any assistance.

They don't generally give people crutches, but with your CMT this may

be something you may want to discuss with your surgeon. Also a

specific recovery therapy could be useful.

The surgery itself is simple, and can be done under a general or local

anesthetic along with sedation. This can also be discussed with

anesthesia prior to your procedure. They can also tell you if the

surgeon puts in a local anesthetic prior to closing the trochar holes,

which controls the pain initially and helps with recovery. The trick

is to move even though it hurts otherwise you will end up with

contractures that will be even more difficult with the CMT.

I hope this was helpful. I sometimes ramble. If you have any

questions that you want to ask me just email me.

[Guest guest]

Hi Ed,

I had surgery on my patella when in my mid-20's and I lost about 50% of my

muscle strength in my thigh, compared to the other leg within a short time after

the surgery. I did all of the exercises and actually did PT for about a year

afterwards, but couldn't get the strength back. The surgery didn't completely

relieve my pain, so the muscles didn't contract fully in rehab...at least that's

the explanation the doctor provided. They didn't know I had CMT. Ten years

later, I was able to regain some of the strength with very precise exercises

provided by an excellent physical therapist.

Point here is that the downtime is a risk for us. So, 's advice to " move

even though it hurts " is really good advice! Move as soon as you are allowed

and do all the exercises & stretches they tell you, safely and with the goal of

regaining complete function as soon as possible, to minimize any chance of

atrophy.

[Guest guest]

,

Thank you for the advice. You've helped calm some of my fears. You can never

have too much information, especially when it comes to CMT. I'll make sure to

stay mobile, no matter how much it hurts.

Thanks again,

Ed

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thanks for sharing your story. I can completely relate to losing strength after

surgery. It's exactly why I'm so concerned, even with a simple procedure, but

the pain is becoming too much of a hindrance so I'm taking the chance. I have a

good physical therapist who knows

my history. Hopefully, he'll help me get me back on my feet quickly. I'm really

glad to hear you were able to regain some of your strength.

Thank you again for your time.

Take care,

Ed