Knee arthroscopy surgery at Spire Murrayfield Hospital Wirral

At Spire Murrayfield Hospital, Wirral we can offer you a choice of expert orthopaedic surgeons who are committed to providing high-quality treatments and care that's personalised to you. We also offer fast diagnosis and treatment without the wait in our clean, modern facilities.

At Spire Murrayfield Hospital, Wirral we have wide experience of performing knee arthroscopy in our high-quality facilities. The procedures offered to you will depend on your symptoms or condition. Some of our consultants perform microfracture – your surgeon makes small holes in your bones to stimulate cartilage growth.

We also have two laminar flow operating theatres which regulate air flow to minimise the risk of infection.

Getting here

We’re situated close to the M53, and you can also reach us by taking the train to Birkenhead Hamilton Square station, which is a 15 minute taxi ride away. We have free on-site parking for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

For your appointments, you’ll meet your consultant in one of our 13 consultation rooms. All of our rooms are accessible, so there’s no need to worry about stairs if your knee is very painful.

If you haven’t been diagnosed yet, your consultant will do the following before a knee arthroscopy:

• Discuss what may have happened to cause your symptoms (eg a sports injury or fall)
• Ask about your medical history
• They may recommend using our advanced scanning, imaging and diagnostic technologies to look at your knee to help understand the cause of your pain or mobility issues

Your consultations give you an opportunity to discuss your needs and expectations from your surgery. We can then outline a treatment and care plan that’s tailored to you.

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

If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in our lounge or restaurant while you have your operation.

It’s common to experience some pain or discomfort, but rest assured that we have a dedicated healthcare team who’ll be able to provide pain relief medication and ensure you’re as comfortable as possible. You shouldn't feel as much pain after an arthroscopy than with traditional surgery, and how long this lasts depends on:

• Your condition or injury
• What treatment (if any) you had
• If you have an ongoing knee disease or injury needing further treatment

After your surgery, your consultant will discuss how your investigation/treatment went, and any future procedures you may benefit from. Typically, you’ll be able to go home later the same day or the day after your knee arthroscopy.

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