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ACL Surgery

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natirider10
Posts: 296 - Karma: 16
Hey guys, i just found out that i completely tore my acl so now i have to get surgery and it turns out i cant get surgery till the first week of summer.  so my question is for those who have also had acl surgery how bad does it actually hurt and how long were your really unable to walk or get around?  i searchbared and could find any thread that answered my question and google doesnt say it either.
thanks
Jan 18 2011 1:52PM
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ShredTheGnarnia
Posts: 2544 - Karma: 79
I'm gonna go ahead and dedicate my 2000th post to this thread because it's important to me and you both, and we will both be getting ours fixed the same time.

I tore mine once already, last January, got it fixed, and recovered, only to re-tear it 7 months later. I wasn't being an idiot or anything, we think the doctor picked the wrong type of surgery to do. So, I'm waiting now, and will get mine re-fixed sometime in the beginning of June.

As for the pain, it's really not bad. I still have tons of gnarly drugs left over because I only ended up using them for the first few days. It IS incredibly frustrating not being able to do the things you love, not even being able to walk for the first couple weeks. I'm not gonna lie, I got pretty depressed in those first few days, but make it through to your first session of physical therapy, and you'll feel infinitely better!

Here are a couple pictures of my knee post-reconstruction-failure:

Here you can see the difference between my two knees:
Click for larger image

And here you can see the specific anchors and ACL tunnels:
Click for larger image

Feel free to hit me with any more question you have.
Jan 18 2011 2:02PM
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natirider10
Posts: 296 - Karma: 16
thanks a lot for that  +K
Jan 18 2011 2:14PM
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twin-tip-hero
Posts: 2896 - Karma: 277
I tore my ACL about 2 years ago. Did it at the end of the season, and I had a 4.5 month recovery. I was up running and made my senior year of soccer, which I was super stoked about. But the entire time before my surgery I worked out that fucking knee, and got it in top shape. The better shape that knee is in, the faster you will come out. Also don't shit away your PT. Work your fucking ass off in PT and it will come back to repay you. You get what you put into this entire situation. if you piss away pt and your stretches, then you will take forever to get better. But keep working hard at it, and never give up you will up and running in notime.

As for the pain, if you can bare it, don't take your meds. I got really badly addicted to mine, and when my parents took me off them I went through withdrawal and shit. Having horrible nightmares, night sweats, waking up in the middle of the night screaming from dreams. Not worth it. Take the bare minimum for the first couple days then just man it out dude. Don't fuck with pain meds, they are not a laughing matter. Also more chicks will think you're a bad ass if you tell them you're going with no pain meds.

goodluck bro, know the feeling.
Jan 18 2011 2:41PM
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c.hale
Posts: 636 - Karma: 50

In march of last year I over shot a booter and ended up blowing both of my ACLs at the same time. I was in school and wasnt able to get surgery till the summer, like you. I got the first ACL repaired in May, about a week after school got out. I had a CPM (continual passive motion) device and an ice machine that I used for the first week or so out of surgery. I would definitely ask your doctor about getting one of each of these as they helped a TON. I was able to walk without crutches about 4 days after the surgery. I had a nerve block during this surgery so I was not given pain killers before surgery. The nerve block failed so when I woke up I felt 100% of the pain and I gotta say it was the worst feeling Ive ever dealt with. I got the second ACL repaird about 8 weeks later. For the second surgery I got the nerve block again and this time it worked and when I woke up I felt no pain at all. I was able to be brought home and crutch myself into the house and fall asleep before I started feeling any pain. This time I dropped the crutches just two days out of surgery. Both of my surgeries were done with my own patellar tendon.

I'm about six months out from my second surgery now and my knees feel good. I feel some slight clicks and pops here and there, but the doctors say its just scar tissue. Make sure to take it real easy and follow the therapy closely for at least the first few months. The stronger you go in, the better. Good luck

Jan 18 2011 4:29PM
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iThinkiSki
Posts: 106 - Karma: 16
Omg, that sucks i've never torn anything so i wouldnt know how much it sucks.
Jan 18 2011 4:43PM
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leahey
Posts: 2548 - Karma: 32
p000000000000000000000n
Jan 18 2011 4:45PM
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ShredTheGnarnia
Posts: 2544 - Karma: 79
This is kinda sketchy man.... what I was told is that it is 6ish months no matter what. I worked my knee RELIGIOUSLY, hit the gym on my own every 2 days, went in for therapy once or twice a week, then a back-to-sport-shape program twice a week at 6 months, and it still failed. What I'm saying is, just because you feel super strong and good to doesn't mean you are. ACL recovery has a pretty strict natural timeline for healing, and there isn't much you, as the athlete, can do to alter it.
Jan 18 2011 11:08PM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14477 - Karma: 10,515
I tore my ACL a year ago saturday. I could walk about a week and a half after surgery without crutches. It doesn't hurt too much, but its a pain in the ass and it hurts for the first few days. It sucks having it all bandaged up and your leg is just weak as shit. Plus the weight of all the bandage was pushing my kneecap down when standing which was extremely uncomfortable. The bandages stayed on for about a week, stitches came out after like 3 weeks (should have been 2, don't keep them in for too long). I have had no issues skiing this season, and have been hitting jumps and rails without any issues. The 6 month recovery time sucks, you will feel like you can get back to stuff at like 2 months with sucks because its not even close to being as heeled as it feels.
Jan 18 2011 11:18PM
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MCIRONCOCK
Posts: 3094 - Karma: 30
My best advice is to not watch a video of the surgery before you have it. I made that mistake with my wisdom teeth.
Jan 18 2011 11:57PM
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wolf.
Posts: 958 - Karma: 115
I just found out today I'm getting my second ACL surgery on my good knee. Fuck.
Jan 19 2011 12:25AM
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Simon.k
Posts: 918 - Karma: 1,051
I tore my acl last February. I tried to take it easy but I didn't have much pain so I pretty much kept skiing and it felt fine till I tore my meniscus too:( I had surgery on June fourth and had too have a 6 month recovery. Good luck with your surgery... It blows.
Jan 19 2011 12:58AM
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dat.ass.
Posts: 116 - Karma: 10
getting mine done tomorrow along with meniscus repair and they are fixing my tibia.. not stoked. six weeks on crutches (meniscus) will be very lame.
Jan 19 2011 1:03AM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
This. 

I had a hamstring graft done on my right knee roughly 18 months ago.  Do a ton of excercise before your surgery.  Call it pre-hab.  And then do everything your surgeon and PT say afterwards. 

The pain from the surgery wasn't that bad.  I'm getting old, so i'm developing arthritis in my knee, which caused me a lot of grief after surgery.  Honestly, the nightsweats were worse than the pain.   Try changing your sheets twice a night on one leg.

Get a brace.  They're a pain in the ass and expensive, but your insurance should cover them, and it's a constant reminder to slow down just a touch.

Listen to your surgeon and your PT.  If they say no swimming for six months, no swimming.  If they say no skiing until after your six-month checkup, no skiing.  During my six-month my surgeon looked at me and said "Go skiing".  I was glad I waited.  Ligament grafts take six months to heal.  No matter what.  your leg may be strong, but your graft isn't.  

Good luck.
Jan 19 2011 1:11AM
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alexg1687
Posts: 1505 - Karma: 1,581
some doctors might even suggest that you dont have surgery. depending on where you tore it the ACL can fix itself over time. it'll take longer and it'll never be as strong as it was initially but it will perform one important function: you won't feel confident jumping on skis so you're very unlikely to injure it again.

its an interesting paradox....doing a reconstruction of someone's ACL after a knee injury makes them confident enough to go straight back and start skiing again. its a very simple operation and it can even be done in about 20 mins if they don't need donated hamstrings, ie they can just sew the ACL down. once again this depends on where its torn.

long story cut short, you will be able to walk around normally after a few weeks once it starts to heal itself. if it was that desperate then the doctor would have you on the table immediately. but you wont be able to ski again, except maybe on green runs doing nothing special, until you have the operation.

PS: some doctors will advise you not to have the surgery because it can cause arthritis and other problems later on. they'd rather you let it heal naturally and enjoy the rest of your life walking but without skiing. thats not a criticism, its just a conservative opinion expressed by some surgeons.
Jan 19 2011 6:17AM
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adrianms
Posts: 162 - Karma: 86
I had my ACL Surgery exactly one week ago. Went home 2hours after I got it without any pain and with a smile on my face.

The knee swells up quite a bit, but if you take your drugs you'll be fine, you'll be fine without the drugs too I guess, but that is really individual. Just remember to keep your knee high so there wont flow that much blood to your knee 'cause then you wont feel any pain, but when you rise up you'll feel that you've had a surgery. One other thing is don't walk until 1week after the surgery (Minimum) because if you do that, you can be set back a couple of weeks in the training. Bend and stretch your knee from day 1!!

Ps. I had the ACL surgery that you take a piece from the patella to reconstruct the new ACL.

How my knee looked like 5days after the surgery
Click for larger image
Click for larger image
Jan 19 2011 8:13AM
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beowulf
Posts: 893 - Karma: 164
How'd you tear it.
Jan 19 2011 8:17AM
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natirider10
Posts: 296 - Karma: 16
thanks for all your responses its helping a lot.  but i tore it when i over shot a decent sized jump at vail and landed flat.  im just going to keep working it out and not doing any sports so i dont mess up my meniscus.
Jan 19 2011 12:47PM
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ShredTheGnarnia
Posts: 2544 - Karma: 79
Not necessarily true, this really depends on the person. I am skiing gently this year without an ACL, I just can't hit jumps or cliffs or anything, but I can ski pow and slay groomers and stuff just fine, it's dope.
Jan 19 2011 1:15PM
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C-Burg
Posts: 4729 - Karma: 130
check out my videos and watch the scope before my ACL surgery
Jan 19 2011 4:43PM
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C-Burg
Posts: 4729 - Karma: 130
I had the same surgery but they took my left patellar tendon and use it to fix my right ACL
Jan 19 2011 4:44PM
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Greenish
Posts: 2047 - Karma: 367
I just had my second ACL surgery 2 weeks ago. i've done hamstring graft both times and i recommend it. Recovery isn't usually too painful but it takes a while. after a few months you'll be feeling a lot better but you really have to wait about 6 months before the new ACL has regrown and fully taken
Jan 19 2011 4:57PM
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COskier
Posts: 1066 - Karma: 131
Jesus, to the guy who posted pictures, WTF? I got my acl and mcl replaced and meniscus repaired and my knee had like a quarter of the incisions yours has. Is your doctor sadistic?
Jan 19 2011 5:25PM
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C-Burg
Posts: 4729 - Karma: 130
no it just depends on the type of grafts you get. A cadaver has no scars, hamstring has an incision on your hamstring, and if they use your patella tendon then you will have scars on the front of your knee like he does
Jan 19 2011 5:42PM
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COskier
Posts: 1066 - Karma: 131
I got the patellar graft though...
Jan 19 2011 6:22PM
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SkiThe603
Posts: 5376 - Karma: 498
That sucks, good luck to ya sir
Jan 19 2011 6:23PM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
Only have a partial tear of your ACL, it may repair itself in time.  As the OP mentioned, he had a complete tear.  A complete tear will never repair itself.



And for the guy that posted pics of his patelar graft, you're going to have some bitchin' scars in a few months.



Jan 19 2011 11:10PM
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