Travelling Magette ACL help/advice.

I know, Gimp Central JONG!

But, posting here for more eyes and views. This community has been amazing and helpful for us and we appreciate the continued support. Thanks for indulging me…

Copy/paste below from ACL thread in Gimp Central…feel free to reply there to not cunt up General Ski or PM me directly.


“My wife, Mrs. single, just popped her ACL at Snowbird on Tuesday. Had X-ray at Snowbird clinic same day (bones all ok) and MRI same day in SLC. MRI results show ACL. We have both X-ray and MRI results on hard disk. Currently have knee brace, crutches, and on the R.I.C.E. program.

Now the interesting part… We are travelling around the West by truck camper from the East Coast. We have a place in Bozeman for a week (here now) then we were planning to go to PNW mid-March. We just left SLC area to come get our stuff stored in Bozeman, but could go back that way if warranted.

Looking for recommendations/connections/advice for ortho surgeons that might have availability. This is all new to us and we feel like we’re in a bit of a rock and a hard place situation. We live in very rural Maine with not so great health care. Thinking that orthos out west would have better experience and more positive surgical outcomes. Wife (52 y/o)wants to continue to ski hard for decades.

Any Mag help appreciated! Thank you. Adulting sucks!”

You're definitely better off here than rural Maine. Here's some that I have good personal experience with. No ACLs thankfully, but Garrett Davis at TopOrtho did my wife's TKR. UofU (https://healthcare.utah.edu/orthopaedics) is also top shelf but I haven't personally been treated there.

https://www.toportho.com/
https://www.mountainstarmedicalgroup...k-orthopaedics
https://intermountainhealthcare.org/...ialty-hospital

Well, though I have zero experience with ortho surgery and injuries, I would have full confidence in University of Utah Hospital, Intermountain Medical Center, and The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH), back in SLC. UofU and IMC are level 1 trauma centers.

Other folks probably can give better feedback regarding these options, as well as overall.

Perhaps St John's in Jackson, WY is sufficient, and would be closer. Not sure if you're hesitant on a Bozeman hospital or Big Sky.

Just throwing spit at the wall, but traveling and living out of a truck camper in Winter post op sounds brutal. Eastern Maine Medical Center should have some good surgeons, although with Lisa we have gone to Portland for her several orthopedic surgeries. I think you are right to avoid MDI. Ben, who you know, wife had it done twice. First with a harvested hamstring which didn’t work and second with a cadaver which did. Working range of motion seems important. I am around through Saturday March 9 and then again after March 16 if transport from airport to home or anything else can help. Reach out for anything, you have my number and always good to visit family on the island.

SLC is one of the best places in the US to get a knee surgery done, as several have recommended above. You could probably get an airbnb for a few weeks to make things easier for the Mrs.

Injuries while traveling suck, hope you guys are managing things okay!

Not on your planned route, but you can't go wrong with the orthos at Steadman Hawkins in Vail.

If you intend to still spend time in the PNW, I would have her see Grant Garcia in Seattle. Excellent, informed young surgeon. Several of my friends who work with him endorse his ability. Also, toured last month with a close friend who tele skis hard after an ACL repair from Grant. My friend is an anesthesiologist in his mid-50s who could have chosen anyone in Seattle or elsewhere, and chose Grant - he speaks very highly of his thoroughness and his willingness to discuss options.

I’m no doctor but I can Google: consider delaying the surgery until you’re settled. Traveling post-surgery would suck. There’s even a study that suggests a delay of 6-10 weeks post injury is beneficial.

Conclusions: Our analysis showed a delay in ACLR of at least 6 weeks in patients younger than 40 years to be associated with a 65% reduction in the risk of surgical intervention for arthrofibrosis and a delay of at least 10 weeks in patients 40 years and older to be associated with only a 35% reduction in the risk of surgical intervention for arthrofibrosis.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3677...20respectively.


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Originally Posted by cat in january

Just throwing spit at the wall, but traveling and living out of a truck camper in Winter post op sounds brutal.

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This. Don't underestimate the pain and misery post-op. And the difficulty getting around. For the first week AT LEAST I think you're going to want to be in an Airbnb with a good recliner.

Then there is the issue of PT. Be tough to manage that on the road.

I'm really sorry this happened when it seemed you guys were having an awesome road trip. Best of luck to your wife.

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Originally Posted by snowaddict91

SLC is one of the best places in the US to get a knee surgery done, as several have recommended above. You could probably get an airbnb for a few weeks to make things easier for the Mrs.

Injuries while traveling suck, hope you guys are managing things okay!

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This. And the U is excellent. Dr. Bob Burkes has done as many ACL surgeries as anyone, he’s a skier and his daughter was a pro skier.

My .02 is let the swelling subside, finish the road trip and have it done back here.

I've had four of them done, happy to discuss with you and Mrs Single.

Shit dood

Thanks for the helpful replies so far.

After working the phones this morning we have a couple of ideas.

Dr. Timothy O’Brien at Alpine Orthopedic in Bozeman. Had a fellowship at the Steadman Clinic in Vail before moving to Bozeman.

Dr. Eric Heiden (yes, that Eric Heiden) or Dr. Daniel Gibbs at Heiden Orthopedic in Park City.

Any experience with either of those by Mags? Gibbs did my non-mag ski buddy.

Part of those ideas become attractive because we may be able to finagle places to stay and recover in both Bozeman or Park City/Heber.

We will not attempt post-Op recovery out of our camper. She’s tough, but not that tough, and I love her. Comfy recovery spot will be cheaper than divorce!

Also interesting reading on waiting a few weeks before surgery. Learning more about that and the possibility of waiting and traveling East to have surgery.

Five knee surgeries here with each ACL done, see avatar haha. Have been treated at U of U and they are excellent. Was treated many years ago for a complicated femur fracture at Steadman Hawkins in Vail and they were excellent. However both of my knee surgeons, in southern CO, and here in SLC, are Steadman Fellows and they are everywhere. Great credentials to look for. Also ask them how many of these things they do and on what patient population. Be very up front about expectations and intentions ie: "skiing hard for decades to come".

All that said, your wife will want to 'prehab' for 4-8 weeks to get that knee back in shape. There's swelling and pain that causes shut-down of muscle firing and proprioception, muscle atrophy, and severely reduced ROM. Any good surgeon will put her on this program and it's good to be in formal PT 2-3x/week for at least the first few weeks. She'll work to get the swelling down and get ROM back, then work on strength and stability. She should be feeling mostly back to normal for day to day activities and have close to 100% of her strength and ROM back pre-op. They'll have stationary bikes and weights machines etc. at PT and they might let her go in on her own when she doesn't have formal sessions. She'll want access to this stuff every day one way or another.

I did my first ACL at 24 and was ski patrolling full time at six months out. My next was at around 35 and was much harder. My expectation of skiing at 90% six months out was not even close. I returned my season pass and redoubled my rehab efforts. Then by nine months I was feeling pretty good and bought a spring pass.

I'm 50 now and would not want to do it again but plenty of people do. Your wife will do fine but it will take a lot of determination and also patience. Good luck you guys!

Went to edit message and it disappeared. Heiden is great. My wife met with him with an injury initially and his colleague ended up doing the surgery on her ankle.
We really liked him. Best of luck and let me know if there’s anything I can help with.

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Originally Posted by ticketchecker

My .02 is let the swelling subside, finish the road trip and have it done back here.

I've had four of them done, happy to discuss with you and Mrs Single.

Shit dood

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Shit dood, indeed.

Make it $0.04. I agree with the ticket-man.

I saw Eric Heiden win one of his golds in Lake Placid in 1980. I’m guessing he’s an awesome doc with the dedication he put into skating.


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A pleasure to see you both at The Beav'!
Fun chatting and skiing.

You heard most of my stories regarding injuries.
I've been cut three times at Colorado Center of Orthopedic Excellence to good effect.

They often work with the Olympic Training Center if those folks need to be put back together.

Should be on the way home?
Uncertain how quickly they could get you in the OR.

Knee guy is Purcell, ankles by Shank.

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Originally Posted by Buzzworthy

Went to edit message and it disappeared.

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Let me guess, are you using Metro mobile B&W in iOS Safari?

Also if you haven't already looked into this, figure out what/where your insurance will cover. Some insurance plans won't cover a major surgery out of state if it isn't an "emergency". You'll want to figure out what is in network for your plan too. Hope your insurance is decent to make this suck a little less.

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Originally Posted by Danno

Let me guess, are you using Metro mobile B&W in iOS Safari?

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Imma thread jack cause I think the answer will be brief - how does one change out of this “metro mobile” theme if I want to keep using safari

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Originally Posted by snowaddict91

Also if you haven't already looked into this, figure out what/where your insurance will cover. Some insurance plans won't cover a major surgery out of state if it isn't an "emergency". You'll want to figure out what is in network for your plan too. Hope your insurance is decent to make this suck a little less.

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QFT - if shit is "out of network" then the possibility of crippling medical debt is real.

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Originally Posted by bennymac

Imma thread jack cause I think the answer will be brief - how does one change out of this “metro mobile” theme if I want to keep using safari

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At the bottom of the screen on the left, there should be a drop down box with a bunch of style/theme choices.

I have no idea if others work better, but in the thread I linked metro mobile b&w on safari seemed to be the common theme.

I think beaterdlt summed it all up the best

here is my nickles worth of advice
don't do it till you are back home

I doubt a dr is going to touch the knee for 4-6 weeks anyways
so starting today get on the training band wagon stretching and prepping for surgery the more pt prep she can do the better off she will be after surgery

only pro athletes really get the next day surgery thing anyways

the recovery from acl surgery is pretty heavy the pain factor is big compared to other surgeries I've had within a few days she should be at pt and these days you get surgery and get booted that afternoon with just a few doses of low octane oxy which blows being comfortable and in a familiar place afterwords will make the recovery all that much better

just cause you think you can get a better surgeon near a ski town isn't really that true it's the after care which is much more important that the actual surgery hell my cousin does knees and hes in the upstates not a mecca for high powered outdoorsy people but the pros come to him

I have no acls have had repairs done have busted them and have given up I function pretty well without them but thats me and I'm late for a ski

Dr Brandon Beamer repaired my ACL and torn medial meniscus August 2022 but he left California last spring and now is part of the Bridger Orthopedic group out of Bozeman. Stellar surgeon. I believe he works out of their west Bozeman office.

Also - I couldn’t imagine trying to do anything other than exist, piss, and shuffle to PT the first two weeks after surgery. Shit was depressing. Good luck - hope it all turns out for the best.


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Another vote for waiting till youre back home. And even though kinda I like the idea of traveling to the best surgeon , (i would go to a Heiden) Fred is right in that post op is prob the real key to success.

I tore my acl last June and have been kicking the csn down the road on surgery since. My knee was super unstable the first few days but it stabilized and is prob strong enough now to ski w a brace.

I’d enjoy whatever I could of the remaining road-trip and do the surgery closer to home. Insurance is no small thing to consider either