2nd tear?

[TheRoyalBee]

Hi!
My 21 yr old son had surgery to repair his meniscus 3 years ago. He healed and resumed life and activity (snow boarding.) He thinks he has torn it again. Would they repair it again? Is there anything else that can be done after a second tear to the same meniscus?
Thank you

[Paxiled]

The first question is, what kind of surgery did he get?  If he got that quick in the office laparoscopy that allows you to go back to activities in two weeks he never actually got the meniscus fixed really.  It's quick but it doesn't hold up if you keep doing things that are hard on the knee -- it leaves the meniscus weaker.  Actually, all surgeries tend to leave whatever was operated on weaker, as doctors can't usually do better than nature did.  So if he did get that quick surgery, than he probably is good to get a true meniscus repair, which will take months to recover from but will be a more solid repair.  Of course, nobody here is an orthopedic surgeon, but any sports fan has seen athletes get repeated surgeries.  If it's really messed up they can even replace the meniscus with an artificial one.  What I would tell him, though, is that when he sees the surgeon, gets the diagnostics, and it's confirmed he has torn it again and it needs surgery again and can't be rehabbed, he's probably best done snowboarding for the rest of his life.  Unless this is how he makes his living and makes enough money for it to be worth the risk, he's so young and has so many years ahead of him and that surgically repaired knee will never be as good as the one he was born with so if he wants to be able to walk when he's older without pain, he needs to find things to do that don't stress the knee.  Peace.