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Yikes! I did a stupid thing. I went skiing before my repaired ACL was healed. I tore the graft that was used to replace the ACL. I'm supposed to see the doctor next week, but I'm wondering what will happen. Can they do the same operation again?

It's possible to repeat the surgery using graft tissue from another donor site or another donor. It's not advised to take tissue again from the original donor area. Even up to six years later, the donor tissue doesn't return to normal and remains thinner and weaker
than normal.

But before you borrow more trouble, let the doctor take a look at you. Maybe the damage isn't as much as you think. Or perhaps the repaired ACL can be salvaged. If skiing is a must in your future, then a rehab program will be important for you.

Reference: 

Michael Svensson, MD, et al. Does the Patellar Tendon Normalize after Harvesting Its Central Third? A Prospective Long-Term MRI Study. In The American Journal of Sports
Medicine. January/February 2004. Vol. 32. No. 1. Pp. 34-38.

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