What happens during knee arthroscopy, step by step?

Before the operation

You will usually be asked to fast for several hours beforehand. On arrival, the nursing team checks your details, the surgeon confirms and marks the correct knee, and the anaesthetist discusses the options, commonly a general anaesthetic or a spinal anaesthetic, sometimes with a nerve block for pain relief. Bring your medicines list and any scans.

In the operating theatre

• The leg is cleaned and covered with sterile drapes
• A cut of about a centimetre is made beside the kneecap for the arthroscope
• Sterile fluid expands the joint so the surgeon can see clearly on a screen
• Every part of the knee is inspected: cartilage, both menisci, ligaments and the joint lining
• Small instruments are passed through another cut to trim, stitch, remove or reconstruct as planned
• The fluid is drained, the cuts are closed and a padded dressing is applied

How long it takes

Simple procedures such as trimming a meniscus or removing a loose body often take thirty to sixty minutes. Meniscus repair, cartilage procedures and ligament reconstruction take longer. Time in hospital includes preparation and recovery, so plan for most of the day.

Waking up and going home

You recover in the recovery area until you are comfortable and alert. Many patients go home the same day; some stay overnight after bigger procedures. Before you leave, the team explains weight-bearing, crutches, wound care, ice and elevation, and when to start physiotherapy. Dr. Gelber explains what was found and done, often with photographs from inside the knee.