PCL recovery

Hopefully when this shapes up into something, it will help other people going through a similar surgery... not much out there on PCL's, and I think there should be.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Day 100...and freedom

Today is day 100 after my PCL reconstruction, and it's significant in several ways. First, I decided I need to thank my donor for giving me a chance at a normal life again, and in Asian cultures, a baby gets a name on the 100th day of life. Being how I am a huge sushi fan, and I love Korean BBQ, I am going to name my new knee on day 100. I have decided on calling it Neela. Say it out loud, Neela. Get it? I hope nobody thinks it disrespectful, but I named my cadaver when I was in my first year of med school, and since I don't know my donor or anything about them, at least this way, they can sort of live on.

I also saw my surgeon today, and he was quite pleased with my knee. I am too. He told me that after I was put under anesthesia, and they examined my knee, my knee collapsed and it was graded 3+. Right now, I'm at about a grade 1/2, and I feel a huge difference in stability and pain. My knee used to give out multiple times a day, now, by the end of the day, I realize that my knee hasn't given out at all, and the pain is much improved compared to how it was before the surgery, so I consider the surgery a success. He also told me that if I am able to do rehab at home, I can stop going to PT. My hamstrings are still weak, but I wasn't able to use them for 12 weeks, so that's to be expected. I can work on that on my own though.

Afterwards, I took the train back home and then went to the therapy office. I bought them a bowl of chocolates to say thank you to everybody, and say goodbye, and let them know that I was released from their clutches. I got a very warm reception. Lots of hugs, lots of I'll miss yous, lots of Be sure to visit us again. I now have the tee shirt to prove that I am a PT graduate.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Susan,

    Please tell me what surgeon performed your surgery! It is so hard to find a surgeon that specializes in PCL repair and I am desperate to find an experienced surgeon. There are so many surgeons that "Specialize" in knee repair at HSS, however I can't find one that specifies PCL repair. Was it Dr. Riley? I think it said PCL repair in his bio. I can barely walk. It's terrible.

    Thanks, Kristin

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  2. Great information, you have a wonderful blog and an excellent article.
    alternatives to shoulder surgery

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  3. PCL injuries can occur with low-energy as well as high-energy trauma. Isolated PCL tear occurs in sports, but they are less frequent and less disabling than ACL tears. PCL tears are often missed or misdiagnosed, and therefore probably more common than believed
    symptoms:
    Pain at the time of impact which over time may also be felt in the calf region.
    Swelling, although this may be minimal.
    Instability of the joint, perhaps associated with the feeling of the knee giving way.
    Treatment:
    In general, most partial or isolated PCL tears can be treated non-operatively because the PCL, with its synovial covering, has some ability to heal.
    PCL reconstruction is typically done as an outpatient procedure. Depending on graft choice, open incisions may be necessary to harvest the tissue that is to be used as the new PCL. Knee arthroscopy is then performed to inspect the knee, treat additional injuries (meniscus tears or cartilage damage), and to prepare the knee for the new PCL.

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