Everything you Need to Know About Arthroscopy Knee Surgery

Have you recently injured your knee or have had an injury that’s just won’t go away? If so, you might be considering surgery to repair the problem. Of course, when it comes to having surgery there are a lot of things to consider, including what type of surgery you’d like to have. One of the most common surgeries is something called arthroscopy. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique for diagnosing and treating joint disorders by visualizing the affected synovial joints with an endoscope.

What is Knee Arthroscopy

Knee arthroscopy is one of the most common surgical procedures in the world. It is used to treat knee pain caused by problems in the knee joint, such as arthritis, tendonitis, meniscus tears, ligament injuries, and cartilage injuries. This surgery involves the use of small instruments to examine and repair the knee joint. A small incision is made through this hole, the damaged tissues are removed and the area is cleaned.

Knee arthroscopy can be performed as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia or under spinal anesthesia with sedation. It takes about half an hour to perform this surgery. Patients can go home on the same day provided that they have someone to take care of them.

After this surgery, patients can walk without help immediately after coming out of anesthesia or after 24 hours if they have received sedatives. Patients are advised not to drive for 24 hours but they can resume normal activities at home after two weeks with no assistance. If patients are operated upon under spinal anesthesia, doctors advise that they should avoid sitting for long periods of time immediately after surgery because pressure can be put on their backs while sitting. As a person recovers from knee arthroscopy, he should expect some amount of pain and swelling in his knee

Why Do I Need Knee Arthroscopy?

There are three main reasons why you may need this surgery:

Repair of torn cartilage or meniscus (the pads between your bones)

Removal of loose bodies (small pieces of articular cartilage and bone, sometimes with bits of torn meniscus)

Decompression of the knee joint

If you have an inflamed bursa (the fluid-filled sac next to the knee joint), this may be removed as well. It is common for all three to be done at once, although some surgeons may prefer not to do the meniscus repair if they think it isn’t necessary.

Advantages of Knee Arthroscopy

Knee arthroscopy surgery is a minimally invasive surgical procedure, meaning that it can be performed using small incisions and specialized instruments. This type of surgery is designed to diagnose or treat joint conditions or injuries without altering the rest of the joint structure.

The following are some benefits you may experience after undergoing arthroscopy knee surgery:

Knee Arthroscopy Surgery Benefits

Less Pain

Less Blood Loss

Shorter Hospital Stay

Fast Recovery Time

Less Scarring

Decreased Swelling

Quicker Return to Normal Activities

Fewer Infections

Risk related to Knee Arthroscopy

Although knee arthroscopy is generally safe, there are some risks. These risks include excessive bleeding during the procedure, breathing difficulties caused by anesthesia, allergic reaction to anesthesia or other medications administered during surgery, and formation of a blood clot in the leg.

Recovery after Knee Arthroscopy

It’s easy to recover from the procedure. The doctor will use a cocktail of drugs to numb you. Even though you will probably feel a little light-headed afterward, most patients walk out of the hospital only a few hours later.

In the first few days, don’t walk on your newly operated leg. Put some ice on it and change your bandage regularly. Ask a friend or a relative to be with you for the first few days. Your doctor will tell you further.

The exercises are necessary to help restore your full range of motion and to strengthen your muscles. But the exercises alone won’t be enough: you’ll need someone to train you and make sure you do them properly.