I tore my meniscus 2 1/2 years before I met Dr. Dines. My knee had some pain when I ran and a Baker's cyst that would form after running. The biggest problem was every time I would bend my knee it would lock up and I could not straighten my leg. It was also somewhat painful. I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Dines based on his on his amazing credentials. When I met Dr. Dines he was very friendly and welcoming. He looked at my knee and sent me for an MRI the same day. Shortly after my MRI, I received a call from Dr. Dines explaining that I had a bucket handle tear on my medial meniscus. Since the injury was old, he could not repair the tear, but he remove the part that was causes the knee to lock.
I scheduled the surgery for a few months later. In the meantime, I was thinking about backing out of the surgery thinking that the problem was not that bad and if the surgery is really necessary. I emailed Dr. Dines with my concerns. He called me back shortly after I emailed him. He made me comfortable and explained that the surgery will help.
I had the surgery December 22, 2014. The staff involved throughout my entire day in the hospital was nothing short of amazing! Friendly, helpful, and comforting! After the surgery, I did not feel any pain and did not use the pain medication prescribed. I was able to walk the next day (still used crutches as a precaution), but by the second after surgery the crutches were not necessary. Everything about my surgery went smoothly and was a good experience.
Almost 5 months later on May 16, 2015, I was able to run at the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I did not feel pain in my knee and I ran an excellent time. Thank you Dr. Dines and everyone that was involved with my surgery!