ACL Surgery
Well, it looks like I will be having ACL surgery next week. I have had a history of bad luck with my knees. I have already had two knee surgeries… meniscectomies on both knees. Those surgeries were relatively simple because they just go in arthoscopically and shave down the meniscus. There is no stitching and no repairing done.
The surgery scheduled for next week will not be so simple. Unlike the last two times, I will need my meniscus repaired. Instead of just shaving that little piece out, they will be stitching it up and getting it to sit back in place.
To make things much worse, I need to have my ACL repaired as well. They think my torn ACL is causing my knee to shift ever so slightly and its destroying my meniscus. They could stop after the meniscus repair but its just going to happen again. ACL surgery should fix that, but its a very long rehab and my knee may never be the same again. There are three options for the surgery (patella, hamstring and cadaver). Each has different advantages and disadvantages. I was going to do the Patella but have been convinced to go the Cadaver route.
Long story short… I will be off my feet for a month to a month and a half… training SUPER light in about 4 or 5 months… training decently hard in about 9 months and fighting in around 12-14 months. Its going to be a long rehab… but thats how it goes.
Looks like I will have lots of time to play Xbox… (and no, not giving out my gamertag… sorry).
Keep your head up bro!!! You will be back in there before you know it
Best of luck and a speedy recovery. Folks who are in shape usually recover quicker, so don’t get too down.
Best of luck!
DUDE bummer. ive been a fan of your forever. its gonna suck not seeing you in the ring. when i had surgery on my knee i play a bunch of games too. i dont blame you for not giving out your gamertag. what games do you play?
Dude that sucks! But hey it’ll give you a chance to heal up any other minor injuries as well.
Good luck, Joe.
It sucks we wont get to see you fight for quite a while, but I’m sure you’ll be back better than ever.
dude, that sucks bro. Good luck with the surgery and speedy recovery. I hope to see you in the octagon soon/
Loooks like we will have to get back to the old days of aim and mxc like your last surgery…mmmhmmm
damn, that sucks man, was hoping to see you fight a top name after that last performance
good luck tho, hope everything goes well
Good luck with the rehab. You will be fighting BJ for the title in 2 years now instead of one. youll be back befor you know it.
Well now u can become an MLG pro!!! Halo and COD ftw!
yeah man a Cadaver is the best way to go.. i had knee surgery about 2 yrs ago took me a good year to get back into fighting.. i feel your pain man.
Hey that really sucks – but better to have taken care of now before more destructive non-repairable damage is done – hope it all goes well – take care – what’s your favorite cookie – will make some and give to Chuck to get to you!
Your the type of guy that will recover 100% and probably do it quicker than most other people.
Looking forward to seeing you back in the cage handing out beatdowns!
good choice with the cadaver…sounds gross but its the smartest way to get back in the octagon! good luck next week
Wish ya the best of luck! we will all be here wishing you a successful surgery and a speedy recovery!
Aww, I’m so sorry to hear that Joe. That just sucks. Wish you a speedy recovery and you’ll be back real soon! Your a TIGER!!
Have fun with playing XBox play lot’s of guitar hero always addicting. Take care sweetie. We’ll be here leaving lot’s of messaging and wishing you all the luck. ::hugs and kisses::
Tammy.
Sorry to hear this, Joe.
Hope all goes well and you heel fast.
Maybe you should write a training manual now (like Bruce Lee did when he was shut down for a while).
well get well quick bro so you can get in there and kick kenny florians ass!!!!
Wow, that’s really unfortunate, I wish the best recovery for you. Don’t let this bring you down, you got way too much talent. Get back in the octagon and go after that title. Please, please comeback and beat Kenny Florian’s ass to a bloody pulp. I really feel bad for him, fighting BJ Penn after a loss, he’s gonna be ready to take his head off.
That sucks man. The injury bug has been non stop this year…everyone getting hurt.
I hope your recovery goes smoothly. It seems ACL recovery times have been decreasing a bit these past couple years so that might be something positive.
Hey buddy,
I hope your knee is gonne be ok. Take your time, we all want you at a 100% when you come back.
Good luch m8
Cheers from a dutch guy in australie.
Good luck with everything. My brother had to have his ACL replaced in both legs!!! They actually take a ligaments out of his thigh and use them to fix what is damaged. Took him about 6 months to feel 100% and even after 1 year since his last surgery, I still catch him babying his leg sometimes when we play football, basketball, etc. Then again, he weighs about 300lbs…
Wish you the best on a full safe recovery.
-K
well i guess we will have to wait a year til your fully recovered to see you beat kenny florians ass!!!
Sorry to here about your knee. Even with a bum knee we saw the best J-lau ever in your last fight. It has been ten months since my ACL reconstruction. I feel pretty good, but when the doc says 12 months he means 12 months. Find a very good sport related rehab trainer to work with and stick with it. It will make all the difference. Good luck and give my best to Joe P.
Yea Tom… that’s what my guy told me. He said expect 12 months and that this isn’t an injury that I can try and rush. Unfortunately. I will tell him you said Hi.
Thanks to everyone else…
Dang that sucks! I can relate…I have to get surgery here in about a month to fix my knee I messed up my meniscus, tore my acl & mcl, and messed up some other ligaments…so I feel you’re pain! lol But good luck with the surgery, and hope you have a speedy recovery so you can get back to the fights! Best Wishes!
that sucks you will be out for a year, but better to do it now than when you are holding the belt i guess
I had to have my left shoulder reconstructed and rehab was a BITCH! I don’t think I’ve ever felt as much pain…ever. My shoulder has never been the same since.
It really sucks that you’re going to be out for so long though. I’m sure you’ll have a really fast recovery. You’ll be fighting before you know it. Although, now you have a really good excuse to get sponge baths from hot nurses and have people bring you everything you want.
That what doesnt kill you makes you stronger. You will persevere and come back with a vengence. You are young enough to eovercome thing and be very successful. Seems like the cadaver thought is a good idea, just make sure you are making an informed choice. I read that cadaver tissue fails 25% of the time. Good luck and speedy recovery.
Just read the news on Sherdog and came right over to verify if it was true. And it is!!
Like most of your hardcore fans, I am just as saddened by the setback as you must be, Joe.
On the bright side, it has to be done. And what better time than when you are still so young with many years left before you even reach your prime.
Best wishes on a speedy and healthy recovery.
Hey Joe, Sorry about the knee. I had my ACL and lateral ligaments reconstructed 6 months ago and I’m back rolling (carefully!) now. Best of luck with the rehab. I really enjoy your fights, so can’t wait for your comeback!
Hope all goes well for you. Relax as much as possible and hone those poker skills!
Joe, we will be silently waiting for your return. Growing stronger each day, as you will, anticipating the carnage to come. Stay focused. Your fan base is simmering, looking to once again jump from the couch upon submissions to the foolish. Bear.
Man that SUCKS. You should write an MMA book in your free time or something.
I wish you a super speedy recovery!
that sucks man, good luck with that.
Ps. your only not giving out your gaming tag cause you dont want to get beat, haha
Some good things can happen when there’s suddenly more “room” in your life. We’ll be praying for the doctor’s hands and a good recovery. Hope to see you at the gym every now and then.
thanks everyone…
Hey Joe,
Sorry to hear about the injury. I have had knee surgery on each leg. In 2003, I blew out my left ACL, partial meniscus, MCL, and chipped my femur bone. I used a patella graft and was strong and sturdy but the problem was that recovery for the patella took longer than the actual ACL to tighten up.
Pros: Fastest to recover and strong
Cons: Takes longer to get back to peak performance. As far as mobility and just feeling normal. Took me about 1.5yrs before I was, “ohh yeah I am rolling like a freak again.”
Right ACL tore it in 2008 right when we brought Marcelo Garcia in for a seminar. Rolled with him Sat. and got drunk and blew it out that night… long story. Missed Sunday’s seminar… sucked.
I did a bunch of research this time on the ACL and I decided to go with the cadaver. I did over 60 hrs. of research from scientific studies, case studies of BJJ athletes, doctor’s advice, to other ACL recoverees, etc.. It just made sense because the less cuts you get the less stress on your body. So great job on the cadaver choice.
Con – It feels fucked up at first because your quads are not firing at all. Doing a 6-inch leg left for rehab felt like I was trying to raise 500lbs.
Pro – 6-months after rehab I am rolling 100% and passing to the right with not a hiccup. I did cheat and hit the mats 4 months into it but that is not advisable. First off physically you shouldn’t be moving in dynamic quick motions and second off mentally I was shocked at what my body couldn’t do. (Or remembered what it was like before).
Over view– Rehab like a mad man!!! The first surgery I rehabbed hard and was back on the mats in 6 months but it took 1.5 yrs to feel normal. Second surgery I rehabbed and there were professional athletes in the room and I made sure I kicked their asses in the rehab facility. I even made sure I kicked the 60 year old lady’s ass next to me rehabbing her knee injuries(kidding… somewhat.. hahaahaa).
I rehabbed and stretched the knee 3 times a day for 3 months straight. Another 3 months of 3 time a wk of strength training and stretching 6 times a wk. Got to get the knee to bend so your heel touches your butt as soon as possible for the ACL. The meniscus is going to be different, the rehab facility will help you with the correct protocol. I know from the football players that had a full meniscus tear that they were off their feet for 6 wks and then they could do their rehab. Also get a ice pack that pumps with air to surround your knee. Make sure you ice after each rehab session or you are going to be in a bunch of pain.
Make sure you go with a surgeon that does 75% or more cadaver surgeries because each of them have their specialty of the graft(hammmy, patela, or cadaver). Just like some people are great from the guard, others passing, or choking from the back. You want that specialist in that particular area to make sure every detail on the table is as perfect as possible.
After you get the surgery that is 20% of the fix. Just remember you have 80% of it is rehab and the beauty of that is that you will have all the control on how the outcome will be. Good luck and if you want to talk more, shoot me your phone number and I can go in more detail of anything you like.
Take care,
Hai
Hey Joe! Man, I am so sorry to hear that. I will be praying for you and a speedy, strong recovery. I will also be praying for wisdom and compassion in the doctors that will be handling your surgery. Hope to hear good things soon.
[...] a snip from his Web site: “The surgery scheduled for next week will not be so simple. Unlike the last two times, I [...]
[...] lightweight Joe Lauzon will be sidelined a minimum of twelve months to recover from a knee surgery he’ll undergo next [...]
[...] Lauzon will be out of the octagon up to 14 months with a busted knee. He writes on JoeLauzon.com: “Well, it looks like I will be having ACL surgery next week. I have had a history of bad [...]
Joe — before u do the surgery, read up on some of the new med journals my knee doctor & chiropractor told me about…basically, in some situations (after a thorough MRI), it makes more sense to NOT go thru w/ surgery. I had a meniscus tear (bucket handle) & never went under the knife. i healed up fine & i have a much lower chaince of arthritis later in life on the knee.
Geoff
Hey Joe, Hope all goes well with your surgery. Stay positive. Ill be praying for you! Take care
Hang in there, you will be back just in time for the UFC’s debut in boston.
[...] After headlining UFC Fight Night 17 Joe Lauzon was on top of the word and appeared to be in the thick of things in the Lightweight division. Now it appears he has hit a bump in the road and could be out over a year accoriding to his blog on his website [...]
[...] lightweight Joe Lauzon announced on his official website that he has torn his ACL and will be forced to undergo surgery which will sideline him between [...]
Joe,I really sorry to hear about your Injury! I known people who had torn their ACL’s over the years too! You keep your head and Rehab your knee as strong as you can to be able to fight again! I always enjoyed watching you fight! Good Luck with everything I hope for a a Speedy Recovery! Hang in there J Lau You’re still the Man in my book!
Don’t sweat taking the time you need off. All of us fans will still be here when you get back. Here’s to a speedy recovery and an even better J-Lau.
[...] and he’s going to be out of commission for over a year. Here’s what he wrote on his blog: Well, it looks like I will be having ACL surgery next week. I have had a history of bad luck with [...]
Man that really sucks. Well take it easy for year. When you do comeback I believe that you will be stronger and you will be back on top of your division real fast. Talk to you later!
I was thinking you and Diego were about to mix it up. I guess not. GL with the recovery and hope everything is well. Can’t wait to see you in action again!
Joe…sorry to hear that. I was looking forward to seeing fight again soon.
Good luck on the surgery and we’ll see you again next year!
Man, that majorly sucks. Best of luck on a speedy recovery. Hopefully Hermes doesn’t claim you’re trying to copy him or something.
your a tough kid j-lau you’ll be ok its not an easy time but youl get through it and come back even stronger
your a tough kid j-lau you’ll be ok .. its not an easy time but you’ll get through it and come back even stronger
get well soon joe ^_^
i’m lookin’ forward for your next fight
Hello love! Hope your in good spirits and once again good luck you TIGER! Talk to you soon.
::hugs and kisses::
Tammy.
that sucks, no joe for at least a year.
what a setback!
[...] Andrea posted a noteworthy aricle today onHere’s a small snippetyeah man a Cadaver is the best way to go.. i had knee surgery about 2 yrs ago took me a good year to get back into fighting.. i feel your pain man. Pam February 26th, 2009 on 6:14 pm. Hey that really sucks – but better to have taken care of now …. Missed Sunday’s seminar… sucked. I did a bunch of research this time on the ACL and I decided to go with the cadaver. I did over 60 hrs. of research from scientific studies, case studies of BJJ athletes, doctor’s advice, … [...]
goodluck and hope to see you in the ring again. Godbless you always
hope all goes well!!! Have fun playing XBOX!!
Hey Joe,
Sorry to hear about the bum ACL. It was awesome watching your last fight though and I’m sure you’ll come back even better than before. Good luck with this process and I look forward to watching you kick ass in your next fight!
-Paul
Joe,
It sucks but it’s googd that you are taking care of it. I tore my acl in my early twenties and didn’t fix it and now have noe meniscus, arthritis and am looking at a high tibial osteotomy in a couple of years for at least one if not both knees which probably means no more training, ever. Keep it in perspective, your knees are forever.
Hey! Can I ask what’s this template you are using in your blog? thanks.
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