Knee Surgery

So I think there's few people that really want to read all the medical details of my surgery. I will include a few. I went to see Dr. Guettler down in Detroit. (side note: No he doesn't actually practice in what I guess down state people know as "Detroit". However being from the northland if you point to the pad of your thumb/palm it's all "Detroit" to me).  Basically if there was something very significant wrong, Dr. Guettler had more advanced procedures and the experience and to try and repair those things (ex. cartillage defects). But hopefully it wouldn't be anything too bad.

As a side note a family member of mine is in the orthopedic field, and he gave me lots of advice and his professional opinion. As it turns out he also was in need of a knee scope (i.e. old knees). So we decided to have them done at the same time. That person is my dad.

So surgery day rolls around (March 15, 2012) and I'm obviously a little anxious. I'm in the OR prep room and the nurses are all doing all their thing. One nurse walked in and trying to make a big deal about how she now had to shave my leg for me. I think she was disappointed when she found out I had taken care of it already. Sometime after, they roll dad into the area next to me. Mom is also there and we open the curtain and just have a grand time while we wait. Next thing that happens is a nurse comes in, pokes me with some "feel good" drugs and I'm wheeled into the OR with a big smile. I see some people in masks and a bunch of lights and then I'm out.

So I wake up in recovery and am a bit punch drunk and STARVING, not having been able to eat since midnight. I eat anything they'll bring me and make jokes and hope around on my crutches. I was about in the same shape after getting my wisdom teeth taken out. "I can do it myself. I'm fine. Let me walk out of here." Dad gets wheeled out and the doc comes to tell me what the story is and show me the scope pictures.

So as far as knee scopes go this one was about as easy as they come. All the cartilage looked spectacular! (big grin on my face) Meniscus was fine! The only issues were some spots of scar tissue around the synovium and some sheath around my ACL. Basically it's the best news I could have, and a HUGE mental and emotional relief. Check out some pics below.

ACL and some scar tissue.

Intact Meniscus.