

KNEE SURGERY

	KNEE REPLACEMENT ARTHROSCOPIC PROCEDURES KNEE ANATOMY AND FUNCTION
KNEE CONDITIONS

	PATELLAR TENDONITIS CHONDROMALACIA PATELLA RUNNERS KNEE BAKER'S CYST BURSITIS ARTHRITIS OSTEOARTHRITIS PLICA SYNDROME OSGOOD-SCHLATTER DISEASE OSTEOCHONDRITIS (OCD) PATELLOFEMORAL DISORDERS
KNEE INJURIES

	ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURY (ACL) ARTICULAR CARTILAGE LESIONS LATERAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENT INJURY (LCL) MEDIAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENT INJURY (MCL) PATELLAR TENDON RUPTURE POSTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURY (PCL) TORN MENISCUS (Cartilage) FRACTURES & DISLOCATIONS
PATIENT RESOURCES

	SPORTS RELATED KNEE INJURIES BEFORE KNEE SURGERY KNEE SURGERY RECOVERY Insurance Carriers

Before Knee Surgery

Preparing for Surgery

If you decide to have knee arthroscopy, you may need a complete physical examination with your family physician before surgery. He or she will assess your health and identify any problems that could interfere with your surgery.

Before surgery, tell your orthopedic surgeon about any medications or supplements that you take. He or she will tell you which medicines you must stop taking before surgery.

To help plan your procedure, your orthopedic surgeon may order pre-operative tests. These may include blood counts or an EKG (electrocardiogram).

Almost all arthroscopic knee surgery is done on an outpatient basis.

Arrival

Your hospital or surgery center will contact you with specific details about your appointment. You will likely be asked to arrive at the hospital an hour or two before your surgery. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your surgery.

Anesthesia

When you first arrive for surgery, a member of the anesthesia team will talk with you. Arthroscopy can be performed under local, regional, or general anesthesia.

Local anesthesia numbs just your knee
Regional anesthesia numbs you below your waist
General anesthesia puts you to sleep

The anesthesiologist will help you decide which method would be best for you.

If you have local or regional anesthesia, you may be able to watch the procedure on a television monitor.

Your surgeon's first task is to properly diagnose your problem. He or she will insert the arthroscope and use the image projected on the screen to guide it. If surgical treatment is needed, your surgeon will insert tiny instruments through another small incision. These instruments might be scissors, motorized shavers, or lasers.

This part of the procedure usually lasts 30 minutes to over an hour. How long it takes depends upon the findings and the treatment necessary.

Arthroscopy for the knee is most commonly used for:

Removal or repair of torn meniscal cartilage
Reconstruction of a torn anterior cruciate ligament
Trimming of torn pieces of articular cartilage
Removal of loose fragments of bone or cartilage
Removal of inflamed synovial tissue

Your surgeon may close your incisions with a stitch or steri-strips (small bandaids) and cover them with a soft bandage.

You will be moved to the recovery room and should be able to go home within 1 or 2 hours. Be sure to have someone with you to drive you home.