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What is knee arthroscopy?
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A knee arthroscopy procedure involves an orthopedic surgeon inserting a narrow tube, called an arthroscope, through a small incision near the knee to examine the joint. Knee arthroscopy is performed as an exploratory procedure to prepare for more invasive surgeries, but can also be used as a minimally invasive surgery to treat inflammation, repair cartilage, ligament reconstruction or remove floating tissue.
After the initial incision, the surgeon will insert saline into the knee to flush away any debris and give a clear view of the joint. Using a video camera and light fed by fiber optics through the arthroscope, the surgeon will look within the knee joint to diagnose the problem. If the surgeon is able to treat the problem during surgery, additional insertions may be made for other small instruments.
For knee arthroscopy, a patient may be given local, regional or general anesthetic to numb associated pain. The duration of the procedure will depend on what the surgeon finds during the examination and diagnosis, but the initial preparation time usually ranges from 30 minutes to 1 hour. After stitching up the incision, the patient will be lead to a recovery room. A normal recovery period from a knee arthroscopy is about 1 hour to 2 hours.
Knee arthroscopy is generally an outpatient procedure, and patients should recover from postoperative swelling within 1 week to 2 weeks. Overall, normal function should be restored within 6 weeks to 8 weeks, but may take longer with more involved procedures such as a ligament reconstruction.
Patients with jobs that involve increased load-bearing activities may be out of work longer than patients who have less physically demanding jobs. After surgery, patients should keep the surgical area clean and dry, and should not drive or put weight on the knee until fully recovered or as directed by their surgeons.
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