Knee Surgery-Torn Meniscus Cartilage

Anyone have experience having this done in Shangahi? Must have micro-surgery per MRI + 2 Drs. opinion. Have checked w/ Shanghai 1st People's Hosp intern'l dept. for foreigners.the surgeon has only done this surgery "20 or 30 times." This doesn't seem like much experience with this procedure?

Anyone know another state hosp. that specializes in knee/joint surgery? I'm a poor expat teacher and can't afford private. Cost alone for surgery-10,000RMB + room-180RMB/day+ meds etc. and I don't have/didn't get insurance before leaving States. Need to get this done right away.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERENCE AND SUGGESTIONS

Thanks in advance- Memphis Quickstudy Memphis

Haven't experienced this personally but I've heard great things about Ruijin and Huashan. I know Huashan has some advanced development with hand surgery and rehab so I'd imagine they'd be competent with lower extremity conditions as well. Since you are an expat they might try to steer you towards the foreinger VIP ward. Just explain - with a translater if necessary - of your budget situation and make sure they give you the rates for a local. Also, make sure you get physical therapy after a knee surgery - makes a world of difference on recovery. Huashan has a outpatient PT clinic. Hope that helps.

Thanks much,Elane. Will follow up on both these, but Huashan does sound like a winner w/the hand surgery they're doing. I was also concerned when surgeon didn't recommend phys. therapy post op and that he said crutches wouldn't be at all necessary!?. Good idea to insist for locals ward; that should cut costs some. I do have Chinese friends who will be glad to translate. What do you think about a surgeon who has only done a procedure 20-30 times?

I had a different kind of knee injury and a different kind of knee surgery, and it has been a long time. But, there is a lot if info available on the internet, have you researched this on the internet? It seems I vaguely remember that a torn meniscus basically allows a small piece of (broken off) cartilage to slide in between the joint, which locks it and prevents the knee from bending? If it is simply a matter of pulling out a tiny piece of loose cartilage, maybe the doctor is right about not needing extensive rehab? Some knee surgeries are much less invasive than others, especially with arthroscopy. However, if you do read and find that rehab is needed, don't skimp on it! During my own physical therapy I met two people who had torn anterior cruciate ligaments. Now, that is a bad injury! One had good rehab and the other didn't, and the results were dramatically different for them.

Internet is first place I went after getting the news from the doc to understand what the heck he'd been been talking about in Chinese through a poor translation!

You're right, lots of different types of knee injuries/surgeries. Mine, wasn't even an injury-and never had problem before. Darnest thing! Just woke up one morn and it was hurting. It requires arthoscopy, so isn't too serious...I hope! But not sure of procedure details...It's simply a tear, literaly, in this meniscus cartelege in the joint socket, in between the femur and tibia bones. Quite common w/age or being overweight so it seems. Will ask more questions for the PT post surgery and maybe good to write home to my Dr to be sure...Thanks again

Livingsimply,


I just tore my meniscus(again) over the weekend. Before I go to the doctor here in Zhuhai, I want to be able to tell him I'm 99.9% sure it's a meniscul tear (this is my third time tearing it). If you get a chance, please let me know how to say meniscus, thanks.

Wow! Third time, so sorry!...I really don't know how to say it in Chinese, but his might help. I had a translator from my school for the first ortho appt, so someone not up on English medical terms. From what the Chinese Dr told her, she translated that there was "damage to the pad." I'd just guessed that he was probably talking about the knee joint carilage since I could walk. Plus, a torn ligiment would've really been painful, bad news. From there I went straight to the internet and came back armed to the next appt w/ medical drawings/ terms (printed out from www. ww.arthroscopy.com/sp0500.htm - "knee joint -anatomy & function".)

These are understandable even to docs who speak little or no Eng. That way, when I pointed to the meniscus the doc confirmed this was the "pad" that was "damaged." You might want to do the same and find someone to translate as well so doc will know about your past history with this.

Would like to know more about your experience -Tough luck hapened again? Was this from a fall or accident? What about physical therapy post-op?

Let me know if I can be of further help.You can contact me direct at livingsimply03@yahoo.com. Thanks os much for sharing- I've been so worried about the surgery! J.