Questions about next steps and what it all means

[Jockette]

If you go with a Patellofemoral, I suggest a surgeon really experienced with the procedure. I have one and didn’t know any better and I had it done by a local surgeon in a somewhat small town and my knee is a mess, it’s worse than before the surgery. Partials can be tricky, and my personal opinion is that a Patellofemoral might be the trickiest.

I agree a 5+ hour drive to a surgeon is not something I’d really want to do, but at the risk of a less then desirable outcome with a local surgeon, it might be one of those “priceless” options.

 

[JusticeRider]

ColoradoSnowman, I am following your thread with interest. I am in my 40’s and was extremely active before things with my knee came to a head two years ago. I too had full-thickness cartilage damage to my patella and trochlea with bone on bone pain, in spite of the rest of my cartilage looking great. I had already tried hyaluronic acid injections, PRP, arthroscopic clean out, and other less invasive treatments. In the end I explored all my options and spoke to multiple surgeons and opted for a patellofemoral PKR this last August. Hopefully by next summer I’ll be able to say with certainty it was the right choice…!

Driving 4-5 hours to a surgeon sounds awful, but I think it’s worth meeting with at least three surgeons…maybe one local, one in Vail, and perhaps someone in between? Your choice of surgeon for this particular surgery is so very important. If after meeting a few, your gut tells you the one in Vail is the right one, it may turn out that is the best decision. But do consider as InkedMarie mentioned, if you have complications and need to see your surgeon right away that could be a problem. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

 

[ColoradoSnowman]

ColoradoSnowman, I am following your thread with interest. I am in my 40’s and was extremely active before things with my knee came to a head two years ago. I too had full-thickness cartilage damage to my patella and trochlea with bone on bone pain, in spite of the rest of my cartilage looking great. I had already tried hyaluronic acid injections, PRP, arthroscopic clean out, and other less invasive treatments. In the end I explored all my options and spoke to multiple surgeons and opted for a patellofemoral PKR this last August. Hopefully by next summer I’ll be able to say with certainty it was the right choice…!

Driving 4-5 hours to a surgeon sounds awful, but I think it’s worth meeting with at least three surgeons…maybe one local, one in Vail, and perhaps someone in between? Your choice of surgeon for this particular surgery is so very important. If after meeting a few, your gut tells you the one in Vail is the right one, it may turn out that is the best decision. But do consider as InkedMarie mentioned, if you have complications and need to see your surgeon right away that could be a problem. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Still working things out slowly. I need to figure out where my local surgeon is on PFJ experience. If looks like he averages 350 joints (hips and knees) a year and has been doing this for 20-ish years. Everything about him seems pretty high end, he used to teach at Univ Cal Irvine, uses Mako robotic for partials, and works with a good number of athletes, both competitive and aging like myself with high expectations.

I'm working on scheduling a visit with him, but what level of expertise with PFJ is enough? If he does 30/year and has been doing them for 20 years is that OK, or do you think it is important to work with someone that does 100+ PFJs a year?

 

[JusticeRider]

I'm working on scheduling a visit with him, but what level of expertise with PFJ is enough? If he does 30/year and has been doing them for 20 years is that OK, or do you think it is important to work with someone that does 100+ PFJs a year?

@ColoradoSnowman this is a good question for the moderators. I’m not sure what a good number is. When I was looking for surgeons I did a bit of a deep dive (way too much time on my hands because my knee was keeping me from work!) and found joint replacement specialists, read research papers they had written, found video interviews with them online, etc. I found three in my area that specifically talked about patellofemoral replacements and sounded good and then met with each of them and ‘interviewed’ them. One I could tell right off the bat wasn’t for me. The other two I really liked and respected and agonized over the decision. In the end I went with my gut. Hopefully I made the right choice! I think I did. I guess what I’m trying to say, is do your research and then trust your instincts. I only wish I had known about BoneSmart then so I could have also benefited from the deep stores of experience and wisdom here. I’m hoping one of the staff will have advice for you!

 

[Jaycey]

I'm working on scheduling a visit with him, but what level of expertise with PFJ is enough? If he does 30/year and has been doing them for 20 years is that OK, or do you think it is important to work with someone that does 100+ PFJs a year?

As Justice says, a lot of choosing your surgeon is based on gut feeling. Sure, you can find someone with experience. But can you work with that person? Sounds like the surgeon you are targeting has the knowledge and skill. Go meet this surgeon and take a list of questions. You will know pretty quickly if they are the right choice.

 

[Jockette]

Members can follow @ColoradoSnowman ’s recovery from his recent procedure in the following thread:

exploratory assessment of the knee, and debridement and PRP

An update......Baby steps continue. Drove 7 hours each way through a snowstorm (6 feet in the mountains!!!!) to have the Steadman Clinic do an exploratory assessment of the knee as well as a debridement and PRP. First of all the Steadman clinic is great. My surgeon is Dr. Vidal, can't...

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