I had surgery on my knee three years ago (torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament, torn medial meniscus), and by far the "fix" that kept me off my knee for two weeks was the ACL repair. Arthro surgery for torn cartilege should make you "cautious" on your knee for only a couple of days, and it's usually done on an outpatient basis. All you ortho TFPers can weigh in here and support/refute me. Ask those same questions to the specialist. Explain your situation. Ask if there would be an optimal time for the surgery. Who knows, maybe you'll have to wait anyway.
As for the recovery, it really seems hit-and-miss with people. Some people recover fully (like me -- I play competitive ultimate again on the same knee that ultimate messed up), while others have to take it a little easier on the knee. In some circumstances, leaving the tear rather than having it corrected might be prudent, but I'm not hearing that very often from other people.
Let us know how it turns out, eh? Good luck, and take it easy
