My visit to Dr. Steadman - my microfracture nightmare might END!

Hi,

I'm 5 weeks post HTO and bascially the HTO is healing properly, but did not relieve my pain caused by the microfracture surgery. This has become one of the many lows that has hit me, due to what microfrature surgery took from my life. I'm stuck in this in-between age where I can't really walk without extreme pain, but too young to get a TKR. I still think this is some nightmare and I'm going to wake up, but it just seems to constantly get worse. For the past year, I've sat on my couch "waiting" and being told I will get better and never have or will.

And I keep thinking what my life would be like (normal) if my OS didn't decide while I was getting an ACL replacement, that I needed microfrature. Please, no one end up in my situation, confront your OS, and know the possible outcomes.

I went to see Dr Steadman Vail Colorado, over the July 4th holiday. For those who don’t know he created microfracture surgery, and thus is probably the most knowledgeable doctor on this topic. You can read a bit about my background from the post: (http://www.knee1.com/forum/mes...506&enterthread=y)

Basically I had microfracture surgery in May 2007, from a surgeon (Dr Cumming, Tempe, AZ) and haven’t been able to walk without severe pain since.
Dr Steadman and Dr Sterett, were above and beyond any OS I have ever been seen. Dr Steadman went through all options and possibilities with other doctors and myself, and even talked to me for about 45 minutes in his own personal office. I ended up having a HTO and bone grafts, but the level of in deep thinking he did for a cripple like me was astounding. He didn’t just give the usual 15 minutes most OSs give a patient, but thoroughly reviewed my previous 5 op notes, MRI reports, and bone scans. He also performed a 6 hour surgery, which was not due to the complexity, but the complete detail oriented manner he and Dr Sterett go throughout their business. To give perspective Dr Cummings performed my microfracture surgery in less than an hour.

If anyone is having problems and needs to see the best, I would highly recommend seeing Dr Steadman. It is a pain to get to Vail Colorado, but I lost over a year not seeing him the first time, and maybe more that. He also said I should have never been give microfracture surgery in the first place, due to knee alignment issues, so think about that when your overzealous OS and his PA says he’s the best and he can easily perform your needed microfracture.

I don’t know if his procedure will help me walk without severe pain again, but he is hopeful.
To those of you who wake up and never knew your OS was going to perform microfracture surgery, have that conversation to know it could be an option pre-op.