Arthroscopy Surgery for EDS/HSD Patients: Experiences and Recommendations

Hi there! I have not had surgery to correct my labels tears, but wanted to offer my insight anyway. I work in ortho and I am also a patient at Mayo Clinic. My doctors have told me that it comes down to the severity of the symptoms versus the risk of needing multiple repeat surgeries + increasing the risk of future dislocations. If your FAI keeps you from walking and functioning at the bare minimum, surgery should be considered. If it’s a matter of pain rather than instability, conservative treatment and management of pain is usually the choice. Unfortunately, we as EDS patients don’t get the leisure of choosing whatever helps us function “optimally”…we have to choose the option that simply prevents us from being completely disabled because of the risks involved with attempting to function maximally. With that being said, YOU know what is best for your body, and YOU know how much pain you can handle, and it is ultimately up to you to determine your care. Advocating for yourself is hard, but you deserve the care you are seeking! Best wishes to you. 💕