Knee Arthroscopy Surgery- Benefits, Risks and Recovery

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A knee arthroscopy surgery is a safe and modern method of diagnosing and treating ailments in the knee joints. It involves inserting a tiny high definition camera in the knee joint through a small cut. This helps the surgeon to get an exact view of the present knee condition.

Here are the benefits of a knee arthroscopy surgery:

  • Fewer cuts, fewer scars, less pain: A knee arthroscopy surgery is a minimally invasive procedure. This means that you will experience the least amount of cuts or incisions as part of the surgical procedure. Hence, there is less bleeding and smaller scars.
  • Faster recovery: Owing to the advantage mentioned above, there are lesser wounds to heal, comparatively lesser pain, and fewer stitches to remove.
  • Reduced chances of infection: Since the area of open wounds and cuts is small, there is minimal exposure to germs.

 

A knee arthroscopy surgery can help manage:

  • Ligament tears in the knee joint
  • Damaged cartilages of the knee
  • Broken knee bones
  • Repositioning the knee cap
  • Removing cysts
  • Swelling of the knee joint

 

However, you must keep in mind that it is very crucial to get a knee arthroscopy surgery done from a reputed hospital. If the surgeon is not an expert you may face the following risks:

  • Internal bleeding or bleeding inside the knee after the surgery: This is dangerous as it can lead to infections and even damage the areas surrounding the knee.
  • Nerve damage: This can happen if the surgeon is inexperienced and accidentally harms your nerve during the operation.
  • Blood clots in the knee: This could lead to swelling of the legs, discomfort in movement, poor blood circulation in the lower legs and stiffness in the knee joints.

 

A point to be noted here is that many times these risks are case sensitive i.e. their occurrence or non-occurrence also depends on 3 patient-related factors:

  1. The state of your current knee problem
  2. Your general health condition
  3. The precautions, taken during the recovery stage. If you don’t follow the post-surgery care instructions given by your doctor, it can lead to complications.

 

The recovery time from a knee arthroscopic surgery varies one individual to another. Here’s what you need to know about the recovery stage:

  • A knee arthroscopic surgery is an outpatient procedure. This means you are allowed to leave the hospital after the operation. However, in a few cases, one might have to stay in the hospital for a night.
  • You are allowed to go back to your routine within 5 to 7 days post the operation.
  • You can get back to your physical activities like exercise, playing sports, etc. in 2 months.

 

For the first month after surgery, you have to keep your physical activity as light as possible. This should be done to avoid straining your knee joint or else it can lead to internal bleeding or hampered/ slower healing.

Your surgeon will advise you to keep your legs elevated, use walking aids and apply ice packs to bring down the pain and swelling.

If you are facing a knee problem, then do visit an expert before it gets too late. To consult the best knee arthroscopic surgeons in the country, get in touch with Apollo Spectra, now