Surgery + 7 Weeks & 2 Days: Are you sure it was your hamstring?

When Jeff and I visited his parents this weekend, I got a question that has been in the back of my mind, too. Jeff's dad, a physician himself, wondered why my major incision was below my leg if the graft was from my hamstring. I really didn't do a lot of reading about what goes on during the surgery because I'm squeamish. But, my curiousity is now peaked and since I'm post-surgery I'm more comfortable figuring out what's happened.

Anyway, the hamstring connects to the tibia and that is the portion that gets removed. I found a website that is great about explaining the surgery and the picture below helps to explain the positioning of the scar.

Surgery At Last

The day for surgery finally arrived. I would say I was more nervous on Monday, the day before, than on Tuesday when I went "under the knife". We pulled out the couch in the recovery room (aka my living room) before we left to go to the Ambulatory Surgery Center. We arrived early (a rare occurence for me) and when we went into the brand new facility I could tell that at least Jeff would be comfortable. The waiting room was posh as far as I was concerned with a couple computer terminals, tables, and a lot of space.

I was immediately taken into the surgery prep area, given a bag for all of my stuff along with a gown and socks to change into. The nurse got my IV in and double-checked that I was me and went through some pre-surgery questions. I briefly saw my doctor and his resident as he walked out of his previous surgery. He initialed my right leg and that was the last I saw him for the day. The resident went over the gameplan and then I met the anesthesiologist and her resident. She asked if I wanted general anesthesia or a spinal - definitely general! She also told me that when I woke up I would have the option of a spinal block if the pain was severe when I awoke. This puts anesthetic in your femoral artery to basically numb your leg. She said about 20% of patients have severe pain and can use the block but they don't like to do it until after the surgery because it only lasts for 8 to 12 hours.

The resident gave Jeff a prescription for post-surgery painkillers and he gave me a sedative to keep me calm. Then it was time to say goodbye to Jeff and head into the surgery. I was pretty relaxed (with the prescription). I remember being wheeled in, confirming my name and why I was there and that's all, they put me under.

I awoke in the surgery room (I think) and I was in A LOT of pain. It's all pretty fuzzy but I know my leg hurt much worse than I expected. I was rolled into the recovery room. The nurse immediately increased the pain medicine in my IV. I was shaking, moaning, and having trouble communicating. The pain medicine was helping a little and I'm not sure how long this was going on, but they made the decision that the spinal block made sense and I was all for that!

The anesthesiologist and her resident used an ultrasound to find my artery and the nerves around the patella. They were great about getting the injection in around my groin and it only took a few minutes before I was much more comfortable!

Mercifully, they waited till I had calmed down to bring Jeff back. He had been updated by my doctor right after surgery - he said that the MCL was healing well and did not need any fixes in the surgery. They replaced the ACL and cleaned up the meniscus as expected. They are still concerned with some damage on the outside of my knee - something about bone spurs. I'll find out more about that when I get to speak with him on Friday.

Jeff waited with me in the recovery room for 20 or 30 minutes and then I was released to go. Jeff warmed up the car and I got wheeled out. Everything went smoothly and we were on to the next stage - recovery!!

About this Blog

Two months ago, I tore the MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament), ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and Meniscus in my right knee. I was taking a ski lesson while on vacation with my family in Michigan's Upper Peninsula over Christmas. I am an admittedly unskilled skiier, and won't be returning to the slopes. However, I want to aggressively treat my injuries so I can get back to the sport that I love - soccer - and also enjoy the active life that I've had leading up to the injury.

I have found people's blogs and diaries and the experiences of my friends who have had knee surgeries to be so valuable as I prepare for my surgery. There are so many questions that I have and everyone's experience is different. The more I've been able to learn, the more I've felt prepared.

The reason I want to record my experience relates to a desire to contribute something of my own that might be useful to others who go through this in the future. This in no way replaces medical advice or the knowledge of physicians, physical therapists, or any medical professional. Primarily, my focus is on providing my experiences that may help others know what they may encounter.

It's a week until I have surgery to repair the ACL and Meniscus. The MCL heals itself and usually does not require surgery.