What is a Knee Arthroscopy?
Knee Arthroscopy is better known as 'keyhole surgery' and allows
your surgeon to look inside your knee joint through a camera
inserted through a small cut in the skin. This allows a
diagnosis of any problems, probably cartilage related, and
treatment using special designed surgical instruments - often at
the same time.
What does this involve?
Knee Arthroscopy surgery is usually done as a day case done
under general anaesthetic and takes around twenty minutes.
Your leg will be strapped down on the operating table your
surgeon will make two small cuts in your skin around the knee
joint. The first is used to pump sterile fluid into the joint
and the second for the arthroscope to be introduced. An
arthroscope is a small flexible tube about the length and width of
a drinking straw which contains a light source and a digital camera
that sends images to a video screen or your Surgeon's eyepiece.
If treatment is required, such as trimming a cartilage, then
another cut in the skin is made which will allow specially designed
instruments to be introduced into the joint to do any necessary
work.
The fluid is drained out and the cuts are closed with stitches
or adhesive strips. A dressing or bandage is wrapped around
the knee.
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When will I recover?
As you are admitted as a day case, you would normally be able to
go home on the same day. Your Physiotherapist may give you
some exercises to help you get back to normal living and you may
need to take a week off work and driving.
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