Knee arthroscopy surgery at Spire Hartswood Hospital

At Spire Hartswood Hospital, our team of orthopaedic (bone and muscle) surgeons can offer you a treatment and care plan that's personal to you and your needs. Our dedicated nurses and physiotherapists will provide expert aftercare to help you get the most from your operation.

We offer fast access to diagnostic tests and scans and easy booking with appointment times to suit you.

At Spire Hartswood Hospital, we have wide experience of performing knee arthroscopy in our high-quality facilities. We have two laminar-flow operating theatres, which use state-of-the-art technology to keep the air clean, minimising infection risk. The procedures offered to you will depend on your symptoms or condition.

Getting here

At Spire Hartswood Hospital, we’re very easy to reach from the A12, A13 and M11, based just 25 miles from London Stansted Airport and 20 miles from central London. We have free parking on-site for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

All your consultations will take place in an accessible private room, so don’t worry if you have difficulty walking.

During your consultations, we'll:

• Ask about your medical history
• Say whether you need an X-ray, and/or an MRI or CT scan so we can examine your knee in more detail – again, all scanning rooms are on the ground floor so they're easily accessible
• Explain what will happen during the procedure
• Tell you about your different anaesthetic options, and help you choose the right one for you
• Answer all your questions about your surgery

Once you and your consultant have agreed to go ahead with your knee arthroscopy, your consultant and your physiotherapist will explain your recovery plan.

Here’s what will happen on the day of your knee arthroscopy:

• You’ll meet your orthopaedic surgeon again and your anaesthetist
• You’ll be given the type of anaesthetic that you’ve agreed with your consultant – either a general, when you’re asleep, or a spinal or epidural, when you’re either sedated or awake but can’t feel anything below your waist
• Your surgeon will make two or more small incisions into your knee then pass the arthroscope – a thin, flexible, telescopic instrument with a light and a tiny video camera on the end – into your knee joint to view it
• They'll then repair damage to cartilage or ligaments, remove loose bone fragments or scar tissue, and may take tissue samples if there’s inflammation

After your operation, you may go home on the same day or the following day, depending on the time of your surgery and if you had any treatment. Your consultant may also explain to you what’s been found and whether they recommend further treatment.

Although there’s less pain after an arthroscopy than with traditional surgery, you’re likely to feel discomfort once the anaesthetic wears off. How long this lasts will depend on:

• The cause of your knee pain
• Whether you had any treatment during the procedure
• If you have an ongoing knee disease or injury that needs further treatment
• Your personal pain threshold

But don’t worry, you’ll be given painkillers to help you manage over the following days. Your physiotherapist will also give you an exercise plan to help you get active again, plus a guide to how long your recovery will take.

Although everybody’s different and you should always follow your consultant’s advice, here’s a typical recovery timeline for knee arthroscopy: