Lateral Release Surgery - do I or don't I?

by Andrea
(Connecticut)

I am scheduled to have lateral release surgery and possible chondroplasty next week and now I am having second thoughts after all of the bad outcomes I have been reading about. The x-rays show that I have bilateral patellar tilt in both knees but I have opted for one knee at a time. I have also gone through 6 weeks or so of physical therapy to stretch out certain muscles and tighten others and they still cannot get my knee cap to move freely.

When I run or walk for long distances I have a very uncomfortable almost floating knee feeling and I limp. I have pain also but not all that extreme. Also when I do stairs I compensate because it is uncomfortable.

So I guess what I am trying to figure out is do I try a different physical therapist and cancel my surgery and see if there is anything they can do for me or do I move ahead with the surgery? Can physical therapy without surgery really help me? If I do not do either can things get worse?

I have crackling and awful noises in each knee which I am thinking is from the tilt and it is breaking down the cartilage.

HELP.

I am really scared about getting surgery and being worse off. I want to get back to exercising so badly.