ACL Surgery sucks
Massachusetts
So this is hunting related because I want to be ready for the fall and I value your opinions here. Trying to be healthy, out on my morning run last week I felt a nice pop while running downhill and immediately knew it wasn’t good. MRI confirmed. I had acl reconstruction 12 years ago, another major cleanup and bone graft 6 years ago due to a cyst growing out of my bone where they anchored my acl. Looks like I’m going for lucky number 3 major knee surgery on my right knee. Does anyone have a knee orthopedic doctor they would recommend? I’d like to go see 3 docs and see what they say. One doc I booked an appointment with said he only takes new patients under 40, so referred me to another at his practice. I’ve never felt so old haha. I’m 43 and I’d love to get back to running, hockey and hunting asap! Thanks guys!
Kevin Mitts in Pittsfield at Berkshire Ortho is very good. If looking for best of best, you need to go to Mass Gen...
That sucks Josh. New England Baptist, Lahey, or the sports med group at Umass University campus. All are solid. In a perfect world, I'd go talk to a few. You can have multiple good options, but one just feels better to you - so do that.
The problem is that post-surgical care can be tough, given nurse/MA shortages...
But, If I'm correct and you are in central MA, that Umass group is pretty solid, and Central Mass PT in W.Boylston is as good or better than anywhere - nationally - for PT after surgery.
Thanks guys I appreciate it. Yes Will I’m in Gardner. I went to Umass for my last surgery and they were great. I’m glad you mentioned Central Ma PT, that place looks fantastic. My last 2 procedures I felt like I could have had better PT. It’s a bit of a ride for me but if I can somehow make it work I would love to go there. I knew I’d get some help here!
If you were looking for a shoulder guy, I'd be able to help. Thankfully, I have no experience with knee surgeons. Good luck!
I’d be willing to give it a try if you’re not too picky about credentials and so forth. Unfortunately though, I’m not taking any new patients over 42.
Jeb, I think you're confusing squirrels with people, LOL.
Dr. Michael Brown at UMASS hahnemann campus did my knee back in 2012. but it was a cartilage clean up, not a ligament. no issues since and was back on the ice in 4 weeks.
Josh - You are young and active - so good PT is worth a hassle. They are good with homework too - to help reduce how often you have to go in. Definitely worth looking into.
Good luck ! Father time has a way of making us prioritize what is important.
Josh, I wish you a good result
Get some BPC-157 and TB-500. Problem solved. You’ll be healed in no time.
Considering both are banned by USADA/WADA, and 157 has at best a shaky evidence base and no safety evidence... TB500 is shakey as heck too.
I know if I suggested either to an athlete and they tested positive (they would if they were tested) I'd kiss almost 3 decades of my life away. I know based on the evidence for both that I wouldnt suggest either to any human for any reason.
Not trying to be an A-hole coodog. But Ill disagree on this one. Those are not fixing an ACL, and they come with some legit health concerns - which is why 157 is on the banned list. Can not strongly enough suggest avoiding those approaches Josh, and sticking to docs (MD) or other well trained medical providers who are able to physically see and work with you (NP or PA or MD).
Also noting that part of me wanted to just say zero on this. But I have to take classes from USADA and WADA every few years and they drill this stuff into you - have to "see somethiing say something" so to speak.
I had to total blow out of my rite knee in college . Acl mcl and miniscus. I had orthoscopic surgery done in December and was ready to play by June and regained my starting position before the season started . The body’s an amazing thing . Granted I was 21 years old but the body is a tough mother! Good luck
Getting old ain’t easy! I try and schedule my surgeries in the 1st quarter when I can so I’m ready to go in Oct! I wish you the best and a speedy recovery. If I had any advice I’d say stick with the PT took me a while to learn that lesson.
I was reading those peptides were reviewed in scientific studies. That should be enough right?
Pt is definitely the way to go
Just because something is banned does not mean it is not good for you. I’ve been down the rabbit hole of steroids, performance enhancing drugs, SARMs, peptides, etc since middle school when I read Jose Canseco’s books. Peptides have little to no side effects whatsoever… that’s why they are being praised by the masses in the health and fitness world now. Yes, there are no published studies done on human use of any such thing, but just like all performance enhancing, anti aging, and healing drugs there is so much positive anecdotal data and very little negative that makes it speak for itself. The stigma around steroids, testosterone, HGH, SARMs, and peptides is changing. People are finally realizing that when everything is taken properly and blood tests are performed regularly, then there is very little to fear. I’m not telling him to just take an entire bottle of pills or inject an entire syringe full. There are plenty of resources out there to figure out what is best. Do your own research instead of just nodding your head and listening to what is “drilled into” you.
Good luck- I was nervous I would have to go through through the same after a ski injury at Stowe a few weeks ago. It’s MCL so I guess I’m lucky. I’m still wearing a hinged brace and getting a little fat. My wife is keen on reminding me that I’m unable to help around the house yet miraculously should be completely healed for turkey season, which doesn’t sound far off.
Thanks guys, I’ve got 3 appointments lined up in the next couple of weeks. We really are lucky to be close to so many good doctors. Really can’t believe how soon I can be seen by all 3. If I don’t like what I hear I’ll be reaching out to you Jeb, what insurance do you take ha. Noob hopefully you are ready to go for Turkey!
Coondog thinks out of the box. Interesting take.
Josh aging has a way of wearing us down. Do your research and find the right Dr. give yourself more time to heal up and you will be back in the game. TB is an injection, BPC 175 sound promising ask your Dr about them. Everything seems to take more time with aging. My Back has been in recovery for the last two plus years and I'm finally just seeing improvements. lot slower than i thought, pain management is a new way of life and sucks. A good attitude and outlook help tremendously.
Saying "Do your own research instead of just nodding your head..." to someone like Will just shows you have no idea who or what he is. the guy does nothing BUT research scientific papers.
Use them after the surgery to promote healing and get you back out there. How do you think athletes like Aaron Rodgers or Bryce Harper or Ohtani are coming back from major surgeries in record time? Anyone ever wonder if they are just miracles, special humans, one-offs. I’m using their names as examples of someone healing in record time, not implicating they used anything. Yes, some peptides are banned for professional sports, but they’re not illegal to buy or use. And some of these are out of your system in hours….. so if an athlete knows when or if they are getting tested…..
I would find a hormone specialist that is extremely knowledgeable and use them a resource. And then make your own decision on what you want for recovery time. There are a few really great orthopedic doctors that use peptides for recovery and for pre-surgery instead of going under the knife. Especially if you’ve exhausted other options, it could be life changing. Ask your physician what they are going to do to enhance your recovery period and build you back better.
When is the last time a regular physician gave you a prescription to heal you from a surgery. All they prescribe is pain pills, antibiotics and blood thinners.
I hope your surgery goes smoothly. Sucks we all get old.
Don’t take insurance, I get paid in chicken eggs. And I’m booked out to 2031. Joking aside, hope it goes well—good luck. Time is relentless. These days the forecast for my day hinges on how many things hurt when I wake up.
This will be my final comment on this.
Coondog, look, I'd have this convo over coffee and it would not come off like me being a mega dick, so apologies for this coming off that way - not my intention. Doing your own research is not what you did. You came up with a hypothesis based on discussions or reading or listening that you did. Maybe from good sources, maybe not. If it was mostly internet based, it's mostly not. If it was books, I have no idea, there are great looking books like The Carnivore Diet that are so rich in Bull Shitake as to be literally laughable, but they sell hundreds of thousands of copies because they look and sound great... So maybe / maybe not. If it was peer reviewed papers, and you are summing MANY and incorporating expert consensus, then ok, that's a different beast. Things are banned because either they work and require legit medical intervention to be used safely due to their impact on human physiology or because they come with health risks.
Those risks come from many levels - could be contamination, could be over/under dosing - and given the large body of clinical evidence on such things which are NOT beholden to any organization for verification - one could be getting different dosing within the same bottle let alone same lot or what not. I shouldnt say could, I should say WILL as the evidence is pretty clear that supplements and similar things like these have an epically bad consistency history.
That all said, if taking one of these has legit evidence that it can re connect a ligament to a bone, I'd love to see it. I'd bet there are a ton of orthopedists who would love to see it too. And, I'm super confident that Merk or J and J or one of the other big Pharma companies would LOVE it too, as they could do research that shows it works and then sell the heck out of it.
Will, there’s a pretty powerful study on BPC 157 and Achilles tendon repair of a severed tendon. Obviously not a human study. You probably have seen it. Not advocating its use, but there is some anecdotal evidence that peptides are gaining traction as a healing agent for various applications.
