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From: jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Info on arthoscopic knee surgery?
Message-ID: <182@osiris.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Mar-85 08:56:00 EST
Article-I.D.: osiris.182
Posted: Fri Mar 15 08:56:00 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 17-Mar-85 01:14:33 EST
References: <16200003@hplabs.UUCP>
Organization: Johns Hopkins Hospital
Lines: 37

> I'm considering having arthoscopic knee surgery.  Has anyone had this done,
> and if so, what were the results?  I've talked to some people who've had 
> it done, and I find that the results were varied.  Some were better than
> before the operation, while others were not.  Obviously, the results are
> dependent on the person's condition prior to the operation as well as on
> the skill that the doctor has who performs the surgery.  Any comments?
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> 	Curt Kolovson (hplabs!kolovson)

	I had arthroscopy done on my right knee about 3 years ago. I've
always had problems with my joints, and so when my knee started hurting
more than usual, I shrugged it off. However, after a while, it got so
painful I could hardly walk so I decided to go to a doctor before I had
to be carried in. He x-rayed, poked, prodded and yanked (the examination
was VERY painful) and told me I was going into the hospital in two weeks.
I went in on a Sunday, was operated on (for less than an hour) on Monday
and walked (limped) out on Tuesday morning. I went back to work the
following Monday.
	Now, what did this do to/for me ? They expected to find chunks
of torn cartilage floating around and did not - it seems my joint just
naturally separated so far that the cartilage was floating around freely
and getting pinched under the kneecap. So they did nothing at all ! I
had 3 stitches - one hole for the fiber optics thingie, and two for
the doctors instruments. They insisted on knocking me out, when what
I really wanted was to watch my knee on TV. The upshot of all this was
the the combination of the rest I had to give the leg, and the exercise
regimen I was given, did work to fix the problem. The surgery itself was
not at all difficult and was quickly recovered from. Blue Cross/Blue
Shield payed for everything but the phone in my hospital room.

-- 
  

jcpatilla

"'Get stuffed !', the Harlequin replied ..."