Patient Testimonial – Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction
Kristel, Gibraltar
‘Netball has been a big part of my life. I have trained and played with the Gibraltar National Netball team and competed in the Gibraltar league division, but last year I ruptured my ACL during a netball match. I decided to go ahead with surgery with Dr. Thomas Boerger for a full ACL reconstruction. I wanted to maintain my active lifestyle and with a young family, I want to feel like nothing is holding me back’.
The Injury
Kristel was 35 years old when during a netball league match, she jumped and whilst in mid-air, she heard that tell-tale load pop of an ACL injury.
She explains, ‘I fell to the floor and knew that I had torn my ACL. I was in so much pain! My knee really swelled-up, and it was bent the wrong way, so I couldn’t be moved. I was given gas and air on the pitch; it was like I was in labour again!’
‘Then the ambulance came and took me to A & E. I was given morphine on the way to help with the pain.
Once in the hospital, the doctor ‘clicked’ my knee back into position, gave me pain killers and said I’d need to see an orthopaedic surgeon to decide on the treatment going forward.
The Consultation
Luckily I already knew about Dr. Thomas Boerger, as the year before he’d operated on my dad, a prominent local sportsman and no stranger to sports injuries. So, I was aware that I had to prepare for the consultation. I therefore arranged for an MRI in Algeciras, so I’d have all the information for Dr. Boerger.
I already had a good idea that that Dr. Boerger was a good surgeon. Once I met him I found his style and approach to be excellent. He doesn’t sugar-coat things; he gives you the facts you need. I found him very approachable, and I knew that he was not just looking at me in medical terms as a patient, but he was thinking of me holistically as a person and considering my lifestyle.
He was able to review the MRI and explained in detail to me what it showed. Basically, it was a full ACL rupture – there was nothing there.
Dr. Boerger gave me the options. I could learn to walk again without the ligament, without the need for surgery, but that would mean I could not take part in sport. For me that would have been a complete change of lifestyle, I could not have maintained my love of sports, or gone skiing with my family for example. With a young family, I wanted to feel I was going to return to things as they were before the sports injury.
Based on these factors, Dr. Boerger recommended I have ACL reconstruction surgery and I agreed with that assessment. He also said he would look at my meniscus during the procedure too.
The Surgery
I knew that an ACL reconstruction is a significant procedure; and that I was going to have general anaesthetic. So, I prepared for the op. Because of the sports I’ve played over the years, my legs were strong, but I knew I had to continue to strengthen the muscles beforehand to help make my recovery as fast as possible.
The Recovery
The recovery has gone very well, although with COVID it has meant that I have had two lockdowns through this time, making it more challenging. I knew another netball colleague who had chronicled their recovery and I found it really interesting and helpful. So, I decided to do the same, sharing updates with online ACL recovery groups. I also created an Instagram Story as a summary. You can see it here.
The day after surgery I started to focus on straightening my leg as much as possible and working towards 90 degree flexion. By day 2 I had already recovered quite a range of movement and within the first week I felt I was making good progress.
It is amazing how much muscle you lose from surgery, so I was having plenty of physio support when I could and during the lockdowns as I was focusing on it at home. Despite the challenges, I felt I was reaching the different milestones quite quickly.
Now, it’s 7 months since the surgery and I feel I have regained my fitness and the recovery has gone well. I am cycling, jogging, and sprinting and the knee feels good.
The Future
I have recently had a check-up with Dr. Boerger and the assessment seemed very positive. But during some of the movements like twisting, he noticed a ‘jump’ that suggested maybe the knee still doesn’t have the complete stability he’d like. The advice is to continue building muscle and training and have another assessment.
If things have not changed then he recommends a less-invasive procedure to fit a strengthening ‘loop’ device to the knee to maximise stability
I am very happy to have chosen Dr. Boerger. As a patient I felt like I was being heard. And it feels good to be well on the way to full-recovery.