I'm looking into getting a second and third opinion next week. I want to make sure this is done the right way the first time, I refuse to be one of those guys that has nagging knee issues for years.

A few years ago I was told that one of the ligaments holding my knee cap in place was weak, and that it would get worse down the road. They told me then that I would likely need an operation at some point. After going a few years without any problems I forgot about it. At the time I was a beyond-broke college student, so surgery was just about the last thing I wanted to do.

The doctor that said I needed sugery hasn't done any MRIs yet, and hasn't seen the old ones. All he did was poke the knee a bit, test its flexability, and take a look at a few X-rays. I assume that the guy has seen this injury a few times since he specializes in athletes and knees, but its still a bit concerning that he was so quick to diagnose the problem.