I had my right ACL repaired about 6 years ago. My doctor had a very aggressive physical therapy program and I was up and around quickly. As soon as I got home he had my leg in a machine that moved and bent my leg for 12 hours a day. At the time I knew another girl that had hers done at the same time. Her doctor did not use aggressive physical therapy and she was on crutches far longer than I was. She never moved her knee until her physical therapy started and then they had to force hers to move she said it hurt alot. My therapy did not hurt.

I had my patella tendon used as the ligament replacement. What is your doctor going to use?

I went close to 15 years before I had mine repaired. I tore mine skiing and they told me it was a sprain. It was later in life when I found out the ACL was actally torn. But I was cycling regularly through many of those years and my legs were strong I didn't have any problems with my knee. It was only after I quit riding for about 5 years that I started to have problems when I played racketball.

My doctor told me that at my age (38) that if I wasn't going to be playing racketball etc., that if I was planning on being a couch potato that he would reccomend that I not get it done. But since I did play sports I went ahead and got it done.

I have to say that if I had to do it again I probably wouldn't as my knee bothers me more now than it did before the surgery. The only reason I had it done was because I was playing racketball and if I cut hard sometimes my knee would try to go out. Everyday living never bothered my knee.

Good luck with yours,dug