Why would I own swelling nearly 6 months post-op after ACL replacement surgery?

I had my Acl replaced in November and have be going to physical therapy. In February it swelled up and after 2 months my doctor finally drained 70cc of fluid from it and gave me a steroid shot and told me no physical therapy until he saw me within 2 weeks. Well, here I am 2 weeks later and it's swelled again. My doctor says it's fine and he wants to see me backbone in 10 days. I'm frustrated because I'm in pain and not where on earth I should be at this point. Any insight would be great!!
Answers:
Swelling can be caused by any number of things, in your case it be probably the tissue damage during the operation.

According to one website, it is not uncommon for swelling to occur months after a knees operation. It may be that all the blood vessels or lymph nodes haven't quite heal yet. Lymph needs movement or gravity to circulate and drain, hence why you need the exercise contained by part and why you should elevate your injured part above the level of your chest. Your lymph nodes in actual fact drain into the blood vessels in your chest area.

One entry to remember is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

If you are in physical therapy (PT), one thing you may want to do is, after doing the PT regime, do some cool down exercising (if you are working unyielding in the PT session) as your blood vessels may still be inflamed and pooling blood in your legs (leaching dampen into the tissues surrounding them). Doing cool down exercises will help your vessels cool down and constrict.

Another thing you may want to study is your sodium intake, as sodium helps the body retain water. Increasing your potassium levels may assist reduce swelling as it helps your body to regulate its water retention systems. Because your knees has had some trauma to it, even if it has be months ago, the blood vessels in that area may still seize inflamed and more blood in the area can equate to more water seepage into the knees, there may still need some healing which may stipulation to occur. I don't know what your diet is like, but vitamins and minerals can all hold an affect on the healing process.

The last link below will impart you a full list of vitamins and minerals that can have an affect on your healing process, and may cut swelling to boot. Source(s): http://www.wisegeek.com/what-causes-swel…

http://knee1.com/reference/faq10.cfm/2

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Book…

http://health.howstuffworks.com/home-rem…

http://healthybeings.blogspot.com/2007/0…
see a doc
1. Here's a link to a Q&A that may be helpful.

2. The second lists the types of ACL surgery and some of their after effects.

3. Between 3% and 10% of race who have ACL surgery still have knee affliction and instability and may need another surgery (revision ACL reconstruction). 4 Revision ACL reconstruction is generally not as successful as the initial ACL re-enactment.

Risks
ACL reconstruction surgery is generally safe. Complications that may arise from surgery or during rehabilitation and repossession include:

Problems related to the surgery itself. These are uncommon but may include:
Numbness in the surgical blemish area.
Infection in the surgical incisions.
Damage to structures, nerves, or blood vessels around and surrounded by the knee.
Blood clots in the leg.
The usual risks of anesthesia.
Problems with the graft muscle (loosening, stretching, reinjury, or scar tissue). The screws that attach the graft to the leg bones may cause problems and require removal.
Limited breadth of motion, usually at the extremes. For example, you may not be able to completely straighten or bend your leg as far as the other leg. This is uncommon, and sometimes manipulation under anesthesia can oblige. Rehabilitation usually attempts to restore a range of motion between 0 degrees (straight) and 130 degrees (bent or flexion). You may nouns a few degrees at either end of the breadth of motion after surgery and rehabilitation.
Grating of the kneecap (crepitus) as it moves against the lower end of the thighbone (femur), which may develop in people who did not enjoy it before surgery. This may be painful and may limit your athletic performing. In rare cases, the kneecap may be fractured while the graft is being taken during surgery or from a fall onto the knees soon after surgery.
Pain, when kneeling, at the site where the tendon graft be taken from the patellar tendon or at the site on the lower leg bone (tibia) where a hamstring or patellar tendon graft is attached.
Repeat injury to the graft (just close to the original ligament). Repeat surgery is more complicated and less successful than the first surgery. : ( Source(s): http://www.sports-injury-info.com/severe…
http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/acltear…
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/anter…

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