I had surgery for a torn meniscus in the summer of '03. The doctor said recovery can be as short as 6 weeks but it ended up being closer to 6 months before I was completely pain free. I'm glad to say that I haven't experienced any real pain at all since my recovery ended. I will say that I do remember reading that having your meniscus repaired increases the likelihood that you'll get arthritis in the knee as you get older.