Torn meniscus of left knee
 

I was recently diagnosed with a complex tear involving the posterior horn and body of the medial meniscus. I have been researching surgical versus nonsurgical options. I have read that with a complex tear, it is not really repairable.
I have a pretty active lifestyle and either walk or bicycle 3 to 6 miles a day. I am still able to do so without much discomfort as long as I am careful not to twist my knee. Any feedback regarding suggestions what to do and recommended orthopedic surgeons to consult with would be greatly appreciated 😊🤞

Dr. Stephen Nguyen in Orlando and Dr. Williams in the Sharon Morse Bldg. Both do knee replacements with quick recoveries.

Thanks for that info. But my situation involves my options in dealing with a torn meniscus, not a knee replacement.

I wish I had tried Physical therapy first before having the meniscus fixed.

I have had my torn miniscus fixed twice. the last time was over 20 years ago and is the best surgery I've ever had...you will not regret it. With the advances in modern technology the recuperation time isn't that bad either... Best if luck to you.

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Had meniscus done twice. What they do is go in and trim. Bad news it does not grow back. If you can afford to live w minor discomfort my recommendation is to leave it. Mine was part of a sports injury which tore ACL, LCL, meniscus etc. Did not do ACL surgery. Built up muscle around it on the advice of a former pro football player. That was 17 years ago. Still have some discomfort but don’t regret the decision

Neither Dr. Nguyen or Dr. Williams are going to rush you into knee replacement surgery. One or both would be a good first start. Should you try physical therapy first, I recommend Dr. Tezia Gonzalez who is located alongside Dr. Williams.
Should knee replacement be needed in the future, Dr. Nguyen for sure. He did mine 6 years ago. Great results. Good luck to you.

I recommend Dr. Karina at UNOVA on Rolling Acres Rd. He won't rush you to surgery.

Tore my meniscus twice, had surgery both times and no regrets pain free today. The second time I tore it , I tried physical therapy and still had some discomfort and pain. Finally was tired of the it all and had surgery again.

Meniscus tear surgery is arthroscopic and has a quick recovery. It mostly involves cleaning up the damage, but can sometimes involve trying to repair minor cartilage damage. It's worth doing as there is little downside and lots of possible upside. Plus, a skilled surgeon can give you very good diagnosis of your overall knee health once they get into your knee with the scope and check everything out. I have had both knees scoped a couple of times, as well as ACL reconstruction on the left knee and a total knee replacement on the right knee. The left knee will eventually need to be replaced, but I am in no hurry to go through that again anytime soon. I really enjoyed skiing moguls, playing football, basketball, lacrosse, and hiking as many big mountains as I could. Unfortunately, if I could do it all again I would have taken it a lot easier on my knees. Oh well, water under the bridge. I wish I could recommend a good orthopedic knee surgeon in the Villages area, but my guy is up north. Get it taken care of and good luck.

Went to 2 ortho Doctors for mine, I have torn both. They don't recommend fix unless last resort. Will advance knee replacement. Tried low level cortisone and gel shots. Worked good in one knee, not the other. So putting up with the discomfort, but it is not stopping me from golfing. Hesitant to go back to pickleball.

Appreciate all the feedback. So far it seems to be pretty evenly split between advising for or against surgery. As I am only having minimal occasional discomfort with my knee, (I have not needed any cortisone injections, etc), it sounds like there is no rush to proceed with surgery? Or will I be making it worse by waiting? I am also thinking about trying physiotherapy as a first step. Has anyone tried physiotherapy with good results as an option to surgery for a torn meniscus?