Baker's Cyst Archives

Baker's Cyst

Hi Dr. Stall,

In 8 days, I am scheduled for surgery on my right knee. A week ago, I met with the surgeon and learned that the MRI was NOT delivered. I picked up the MRI myself and looked at it with my own "non-medically experienced" eyes. I saw what the radiologist (who did the MRI) saw and it CLEARLY shows a "small" Baker's cyst. What concerns me is that she may have said "small" to mearly minimize what I feel may be THE problem. The surgeon took an X-ray and told me that arthroscopic surgery would be better to have than to remove the cyst. I can see partly why he said this. One reason was that I HAVE been experienceing pain in the center of the knee joint -- which I talked about. But now I feel like the surgery will be for the wrong thing, since I HAVE in the past (and even now sometimes) been feeling pain behind my knee (and in the calf). The other reason I am writing is becuase the MRI CLEARLY SHOWS what is obviously the cyst and it does not look like it is a harmless thing. I am not a good judge of what is supposed to be "small", but, to me, this thing looks important enough to REMOVE. My quetion is this: Should I tell him I think my discussion was NOT addressing what I now think IS the problem, AND, is it a much more complex an operation that he may not want to get into right now. I want to run again. It has been 15 months off the roads and I used be capable of 2:53 for the marathon. Now I run zero miles a week. I just feel like he may be going for the easier "clean up the debris" in the knee joint approach, than to actually deal with something that MAY come much closer to really solving the problem -- in the long run. I would appreciate your response.

Chip

Follow Ups:

• Re: Baker's Cyst (Options) Archive Walt Stoll 12:13:39 5/07/03 (0)

In Reply to: Baker's Cyst posted by Chip Bradley on May 06, 2003 at 20:28:42:

Hi, Chip.

In my opinion, it is time for you to give up running and put that time of your life behind you. It is time to take up distance swimming or underwater (chest high) Aerobics.

Has your docs advised EFAs and glucosamine for you?

If you read the Baker's archives you will see that it is not necessary to remove a Baker's to get rid of it--only discovering the rent and repairing the leak will do that.

Hope this helps.

Walt