Should I time my ACL surgery around Ramadan or the Qatar summer?

Surgery during Ramadan

Some patients prefer to avoid the first weeks after surgery during Ramadan. In the first days you need regular painkillers, enough fluids and food to take tablets, and sometimes blood-thinning medication on a schedule. Fasting can make this harder, and religious rulings generally allow people who are unwell to make up fasts later.

Others choose Ramadan because work is lighter. If you plan surgery then, discuss with Dr. Gelber and the anaesthetist how medicines and fluids will fit around suhoor and iftar. The site's Ramadan article covers this in more detail.

Surgery in the summer

• Many residents travel in July and August, and the first six weeks of physiotherapy should not be interrupted
• Outdoor walking is hard in the heat, so plan rehabilitation in an air-conditioned gym or clinic
• Heat and dehydration can increase swelling and fatigue; drink regularly
• Long flights soon after surgery add clot risk and are usually postponed
• Schools and some workplaces are quieter, which suits recovery for some families

Sports seasons and work

Footballers and padel players sometimes time surgery so that the nine to twelve months of rehabilitation ends before a new season. Desk workers often return within a few weeks; manual or field workers need longer, which may shape the timing.

When not to wait

Some situations favour earlier surgery: a locked knee from a displaced meniscus tear, a repairable meniscus tear, or a knee that keeps giving way in daily life. In these cases delay can cause further damage, and Dr. Gelber will explain why a sooner date is advised.

Meanwhile, pre-surgery physiotherapy to settle swelling and regain full movement is useful whatever date you choose.