Arthroscopy - Any experience?
Discussion
I know it's minor, but I'm wondering if anyone can give me their experiences of having an arthroscopy and anything which follows, and also anything I need to know.
I've obviously read all of the materials, but some real life examples would be great.
To give a bit of background, I 'sprained' a ligament in my knee 2 years ago. I still don't know which ligament - sorry! One night I just twisted and it popped.
I went to A&E and they gave me crutches. I was back on my feet properly within a week - easy peasy.
Since then, my knee has been crunching, and when I try to use my knee properly, it swells up and gives me pain - that means since then there's been no ability to squat or run. Cycling doesn't really affect it, so I do that.
I went for an MRI, and they could see nothing wrong, but the doc has booked me in for an arthroscopy to investigate further, suspecting some knee cap problem.
My two primary concerns are the long-term implications of an arthroscopy and any other potential work required, and also the time it'll take to get back on my feet. I'm incredibly busy with work, and pretty much will be until April/May next year, so trying to avoid being stuck at home.
Any help appreciated!
I've obviously read all of the materials, but some real life examples would be great.
To give a bit of background, I 'sprained' a ligament in my knee 2 years ago. I still don't know which ligament - sorry! One night I just twisted and it popped.
I went to A&E and they gave me crutches. I was back on my feet properly within a week - easy peasy.
Since then, my knee has been crunching, and when I try to use my knee properly, it swells up and gives me pain - that means since then there's been no ability to squat or run. Cycling doesn't really affect it, so I do that.
I went for an MRI, and they could see nothing wrong, but the doc has booked me in for an arthroscopy to investigate further, suspecting some knee cap problem.
My two primary concerns are the long-term implications of an arthroscopy and any other potential work required, and also the time it'll take to get back on my feet. I'm incredibly busy with work, and pretty much will be until April/May next year, so trying to avoid being stuck at home.
Any help appreciated!
I've had arthroscopy three times on one of my knees. The biggest advice I can give you is to make sure you get a knee specialist to carry out the procedure. Read up on the background of your surgeon and ask lots of questions, if in doubt don't let them carry out the procedure.
The first time I had it done (6 months after a bad accident) I was told that my knee joint was so severly damaged that there was nothing they could do; I would eventually need a total knee replacement and was advised to go back to my GP once the pain became to much to bear and they would then go down that route. I was also told I had ligament damage. However, when I asked if the surgeon could go back in again and repair the ligaments, he said he couldn't as it was a "specialist" skill.
This set off alarm bells and and I begain a lot of research to find a decent knee surgeon who operated on the NHS to get a second opinion. I had help from a physiotherapist who gave me his "top five knee surgeon list", even he told me (off the record) that I need to change hospitals and get a proper specialist. I found a surgeon who ONLY operates on knees and does a lot of top level sportsmen from around the world. knee guru is an excellent source of information.
After fighting with primary care trusts to allow me to go out my area to see this surgeon, I eventually got to see him. He carried out arthroscopy and the results were shocking; I DIDN'T need a knee replacement and the ligaments were NOT damaged. Yes there was damage to the surfaces, but in terms of grading it was far better than what the first hospital had told me. He showed me photos that were taken during the procedure so I could see for myself. He cleaned out the joint and removed scarring etc.
I remained in hospital overnight with a drain in my knee to allow the bleeding post surgery to escape. He explained that if blood is allowed to accumulate it can leed to scar tissue forming in the joint which is the last thing you want. By the time the bleeding had eased, I would estimate that there was well over half a pint of blood/fluid collected. I was advised to not put any weight through the joint at all for at least the first week and take lots of rest. The first hospital operated on me in the morning and discharged me in the afternoon; no drain etc, I hate to think what damage the trapped blood/fluid etc did, no wonder the swelling was far worse that time.
I've had to have it done a third time but thats because of other surgeries which had a knock on effect to my knee (I had to have a tibia nail inserted/removed due to other issues with my lower leg and that meant opening up the knee again (allowing scar tissue to reform).
If done properly, its not a massive operation. Yes there are risks, and depending what they do it can be painful for sometime afterwards. In my case I'd say it took about a year for my knee to fully settle down, but mine wasn't a straightforward case and I'd had a serious injury. Other than exercising extreme caution at who you allow to carry out the surgery, I'd say the most important thing is proper post-operative care (adequate rest, physio etc). If you don't do whats neccessary afterwards, the benefits of surgery are greatly reduced.
I've learnt a lot during my experience. Never, EVER take it for granted that the person lined up to operate on you is the best person for the job. Please do your own research, saying you want a second opinion or asking for a different surgeon doesn't make you an asshole, it just means you're clued up and face a better prospect than simply playing the lottery game with who gets to cut you open.
If there is anything else you'd like to know then feel free to ask.
Best of luck
The first time I had it done (6 months after a bad accident) I was told that my knee joint was so severly damaged that there was nothing they could do; I would eventually need a total knee replacement and was advised to go back to my GP once the pain became to much to bear and they would then go down that route. I was also told I had ligament damage. However, when I asked if the surgeon could go back in again and repair the ligaments, he said he couldn't as it was a "specialist" skill.
This set off alarm bells and and I begain a lot of research to find a decent knee surgeon who operated on the NHS to get a second opinion. I had help from a physiotherapist who gave me his "top five knee surgeon list", even he told me (off the record) that I need to change hospitals and get a proper specialist. I found a surgeon who ONLY operates on knees and does a lot of top level sportsmen from around the world. knee guru is an excellent source of information.
After fighting with primary care trusts to allow me to go out my area to see this surgeon, I eventually got to see him. He carried out arthroscopy and the results were shocking; I DIDN'T need a knee replacement and the ligaments were NOT damaged. Yes there was damage to the surfaces, but in terms of grading it was far better than what the first hospital had told me. He showed me photos that were taken during the procedure so I could see for myself. He cleaned out the joint and removed scarring etc.
I remained in hospital overnight with a drain in my knee to allow the bleeding post surgery to escape. He explained that if blood is allowed to accumulate it can leed to scar tissue forming in the joint which is the last thing you want. By the time the bleeding had eased, I would estimate that there was well over half a pint of blood/fluid collected. I was advised to not put any weight through the joint at all for at least the first week and take lots of rest. The first hospital operated on me in the morning and discharged me in the afternoon; no drain etc, I hate to think what damage the trapped blood/fluid etc did, no wonder the swelling was far worse that time.
I've had to have it done a third time but thats because of other surgeries which had a knock on effect to my knee (I had to have a tibia nail inserted/removed due to other issues with my lower leg and that meant opening up the knee again (allowing scar tissue to reform).
If done properly, its not a massive operation. Yes there are risks, and depending what they do it can be painful for sometime afterwards. In my case I'd say it took about a year for my knee to fully settle down, but mine wasn't a straightforward case and I'd had a serious injury. Other than exercising extreme caution at who you allow to carry out the surgery, I'd say the most important thing is proper post-operative care (adequate rest, physio etc). If you don't do whats neccessary afterwards, the benefits of surgery are greatly reduced.
I've learnt a lot during my experience. Never, EVER take it for granted that the person lined up to operate on you is the best person for the job. Please do your own research, saying you want a second opinion or asking for a different surgeon doesn't make you an asshole, it just means you're clued up and face a better prospect than simply playing the lottery game with who gets to cut you open.
If there is anything else you'd like to know then feel free to ask.
Best of luck
Had one done a few years ago because of a swollen knee that wouldn't settle down. They did a wash out and put some steroid in. had 3 small holes that were just closed with butterfly clips. Had it on the Friday and went back to work on the Monday All fine after a couple of weeks. Completely uneventful.
I had one 2 or 3 years ago. I have high (level 4, I think they called it) arthritic wear in the knee which was operated on, but I also had a meniscal tear and a bone fragment floating.
Had the op in the morning (I was first on the list, 9.30am ish). 3 very small incisions. PPP Hospital. Was wide awake by 11.30. Had some lunch and at 2.00pm there was a physio at my bedside; she got me out of bed, made me walk unaided, then made me walk down and back up a flight of stairs! Biggest problem was convincing my brain that I could still walk - but I could, quite well although I was scared of bending my knee at first.
I don't recall the pain being too bad at all. Physio for several weeks after. My knee still sounds like someone playing the maracas when I go up stairs but I cycle, and more importantly I still ski, with no greater distress than I had before the op. Consultant told me to avoid impact sports, but when my bottom lip started dropping over skiing, he said that whilst it would never be good for it, the limited amount on time spent p.a. skiing means it wasn't going to make a lot of difference.
Genetics suggest I'll need it replaced at some point but I'm told that a replacement knee lasts c. 10 years, and doing it a second time is not preferred, but fortunately nobody has started my 10 year countdown yet....
Had the op in the morning (I was first on the list, 9.30am ish). 3 very small incisions. PPP Hospital. Was wide awake by 11.30. Had some lunch and at 2.00pm there was a physio at my bedside; she got me out of bed, made me walk unaided, then made me walk down and back up a flight of stairs! Biggest problem was convincing my brain that I could still walk - but I could, quite well although I was scared of bending my knee at first.
I don't recall the pain being too bad at all. Physio for several weeks after. My knee still sounds like someone playing the maracas when I go up stairs but I cycle, and more importantly I still ski, with no greater distress than I had before the op. Consultant told me to avoid impact sports, but when my bottom lip started dropping over skiing, he said that whilst it would never be good for it, the limited amount on time spent p.a. skiing means it wasn't going to make a lot of difference.
Genetics suggest I'll need it replaced at some point but I'm told that a replacement knee lasts c. 10 years, and doing it a second time is not preferred, but fortunately nobody has started my 10 year countdown yet....
The arthroscopy itself is nothing to worry about and you'll recover from it in a short time.
However, it depends what they find. I've had a couple.
1) after MRI scan had the arthroscopy to remove some cartilage that had separated. Out of hospital the next day, not even on crutches. Some physio / exercise and back to normal quite quickly. Walking ok shortly after and able to drive in a matter of a few days.
2) was investigative after some soreness when they suspected I'd chipped the bone (which would have required major reconstruction of the joint and no weigh-bearing for weeks). Luckily it wasn't that and was a bit more cartilage tidy up. Again, out the next day and back to normal in a short time. Playing football in a matter of weeks.
My understanding is, if it's an investigative procedure they'll do minor work if they can while they're in there. If they find something that requires more work then they schedule another operation. Arthroscopy (for investigation) is a minor procedure and takes a very short time. After my second one I was back on the ward asking for food within the hour.
Hope it goes well.
ETA you should be back at work (rather than stuck at home) the day after the athroscopy, but as mentioned before if you need further surgery then that's another matter.
If you get the opportunity see George Dowd at the Wellington, St John's Wood, London.
I had an arthroscopy with him and a cruciate ligament rebuild on another occassion and continue to play football, snowboard and cycle. Can't speak highly enough of him or the staff at the hospital
However, it depends what they find. I've had a couple.
1) after MRI scan had the arthroscopy to remove some cartilage that had separated. Out of hospital the next day, not even on crutches. Some physio / exercise and back to normal quite quickly. Walking ok shortly after and able to drive in a matter of a few days.
2) was investigative after some soreness when they suspected I'd chipped the bone (which would have required major reconstruction of the joint and no weigh-bearing for weeks). Luckily it wasn't that and was a bit more cartilage tidy up. Again, out the next day and back to normal in a short time. Playing football in a matter of weeks.
My understanding is, if it's an investigative procedure they'll do minor work if they can while they're in there. If they find something that requires more work then they schedule another operation. Arthroscopy (for investigation) is a minor procedure and takes a very short time. After my second one I was back on the ward asking for food within the hour.
Hope it goes well.
ETA you should be back at work (rather than stuck at home) the day after the athroscopy, but as mentioned before if you need further surgery then that's another matter.
If you get the opportunity see George Dowd at the Wellington, St John's Wood, London.
I had an arthroscopy with him and a cruciate ligament rebuild on another occassion and continue to play football, snowboard and cycle. Can't speak highly enough of him or the staff at the hospital
Edited by Hackney on Wednesday 8th August 21:56
Toilet Duck said:
I've learnt a lot during my experience. Never, EVER take it for granted that the person lined up to operate on you is the best person for the job. Please do your own research, saying you want a second opinion or asking for a different surgeon doesn't make you an asshole, it just means you're clued up and face a better prospect than simply playing the lottery game with who gets to cut you open.
Excellent advice. Find your local expert.Will
Specialist Knee Surgeon
Hackney said:
The arthroscopy itself is nothing to worry about and you'll recover from it in a short time.
However, it depends what they find. I've had a couple.
1) after MRI scan had the arthroscopy to remove some cartilage that had separated. Out of hospital the next day, not even on crutches. Some physio / exercise and back to normal quite quickly. Walking ok shortly after and able to drive in a matter of a few days.
2) was investigative after some soreness when they suspected I'd chipped the bone (which would have required major reconstruction of the joint and no weigh-bearing for weeks). Luckily it wasn't that and was a bit more cartilage tidy up. Again, out the next day and back to normal in a short time. Playing football in a matter of weeks.
My understanding is, if it's an investigative procedure they'll do minor work if they can while they're in there. If they find something that requires more work then they schedule another operation. Arthroscopy (for investigation) is a minor procedure and takes a very short time. After my second one I was back on the ward asking for food within the hour.
Hope it goes well.
ETA you should be back at work (rather than stuck at home) the day after the athroscopy, but as mentioned before if you need further surgery then that's another matter.
If you get the opportunity see George Dowd at the Wellington, St John's Wood, London.
I had an arthroscopy with him and a cruciate ligament rebuild on another occassion and continue to play football, snowboard and cycle. Can't speak highly enough of him or the staff at the hospital
Excellent Surgeon, once you get over his brusqueness, and a jolly good hospital as well,highly recommended.However, it depends what they find. I've had a couple.
1) after MRI scan had the arthroscopy to remove some cartilage that had separated. Out of hospital the next day, not even on crutches. Some physio / exercise and back to normal quite quickly. Walking ok shortly after and able to drive in a matter of a few days.
2) was investigative after some soreness when they suspected I'd chipped the bone (which would have required major reconstruction of the joint and no weigh-bearing for weeks). Luckily it wasn't that and was a bit more cartilage tidy up. Again, out the next day and back to normal in a short time. Playing football in a matter of weeks.
My understanding is, if it's an investigative procedure they'll do minor work if they can while they're in there. If they find something that requires more work then they schedule another operation. Arthroscopy (for investigation) is a minor procedure and takes a very short time. After my second one I was back on the ward asking for food within the hour.
Hope it goes well.
ETA you should be back at work (rather than stuck at home) the day after the athroscopy, but as mentioned before if you need further surgery then that's another matter.
If you get the opportunity see George Dowd at the Wellington, St John's Wood, London.
I had an arthroscopy with him and a cruciate ligament rebuild on another occassion and continue to play football, snowboard and cycle. Can't speak highly enough of him or the staff at the hospital
Edited by Hackney on Wednesday 8th August 21:56
I've had Arthroscopy on my hip, about 8 or 9 years ago now. I think pretty much every thread in this post provides a bit of the experience I had with it.
I was experiencing pain in my left hip which just wouldn't budge so ended up going to a sports injury clinic. They helped as much as they could but recommended that I go and see a specialist so dutifully referred me to an orthopedic surgeon. I had xrays, MRI scans and the surgeon told me I had quite bad arthritis in the hip. I had a few small procedures done (anti inflammatory injections etc) which helped for a while, but 6 weeks or so later, back to square one. The surgeon said he couldn't really do much and would have to wait until I was in excruciating pain and pretty immobile before he would do anything.
A few weeks later the sports clinic phoned me to see how I was getting on so told them about the outcome. They said a 27 year old shouldn't have to put up with this sort of pain, so asked if I would like them to refer me to a chap (Richard Villar) based in Cambridge. I saw him, he examined the MRI scans etc, said he didn't any signs of arthritis and booked me in for hip arthroscopy.
He discovered I had a labral tear in the hip, so fixed it up for me there and then. The day after the procedure when all the meds had worn off, I did experience quite a bit of pain. I was ok most of the time and moved around fine on crutches, but every now and again I'd get a seriously sharp pain in my hip, normally while seated. I had this for about 2 days by which time I was off the crutches. The week after, I was pretty much back to normal. Like somebody else said, I think I was actually scared to move about and was incredibly cautious when doing so, but there really was no need.
The most surprising bit for me was the size of the wounds created to get the Arthroscope in. I was expecting three neat little slices but found it looked more like somebody had used a drill to get in there. This of course healed in no time at all. The hip never really felt 100% for about 2 years. It was fine, I wasn't in pain really (unless catching a foot on a cable or something, pulling on the leg did hurt for quite some time), it just didn't feel quite right. Apart from this niggle, I could run, cycle and do whatever I did before I had the injury. One day I just realised that my left hip was 100% fine. I have no idea what it would be like for me now had I not been sent on for a second opinion and am very grateful that the referring clinic offered me this.
I was experiencing pain in my left hip which just wouldn't budge so ended up going to a sports injury clinic. They helped as much as they could but recommended that I go and see a specialist so dutifully referred me to an orthopedic surgeon. I had xrays, MRI scans and the surgeon told me I had quite bad arthritis in the hip. I had a few small procedures done (anti inflammatory injections etc) which helped for a while, but 6 weeks or so later, back to square one. The surgeon said he couldn't really do much and would have to wait until I was in excruciating pain and pretty immobile before he would do anything.
A few weeks later the sports clinic phoned me to see how I was getting on so told them about the outcome. They said a 27 year old shouldn't have to put up with this sort of pain, so asked if I would like them to refer me to a chap (Richard Villar) based in Cambridge. I saw him, he examined the MRI scans etc, said he didn't any signs of arthritis and booked me in for hip arthroscopy.
He discovered I had a labral tear in the hip, so fixed it up for me there and then. The day after the procedure when all the meds had worn off, I did experience quite a bit of pain. I was ok most of the time and moved around fine on crutches, but every now and again I'd get a seriously sharp pain in my hip, normally while seated. I had this for about 2 days by which time I was off the crutches. The week after, I was pretty much back to normal. Like somebody else said, I think I was actually scared to move about and was incredibly cautious when doing so, but there really was no need.
The most surprising bit for me was the size of the wounds created to get the Arthroscope in. I was expecting three neat little slices but found it looked more like somebody had used a drill to get in there. This of course healed in no time at all. The hip never really felt 100% for about 2 years. It was fine, I wasn't in pain really (unless catching a foot on a cable or something, pulling on the leg did hurt for quite some time), it just didn't feel quite right. Apart from this niggle, I could run, cycle and do whatever I did before I had the injury. One day I just realised that my left hip was 100% fine. I have no idea what it would be like for me now had I not been sent on for a second opinion and am very grateful that the referring clinic offered me this.
This is a snapshot from the video showing my torn meniscus - about fifteen years ago. This was done privately when I had BUPA cover from work, by a top guy. It's been fine since, as has my left knee which has had two NHS ops for a similar tidy-up. Unfortunately the NHS wouldn't give me video or even stills.
Both knees are reasonably OK and I'm still running at nearly 60. The key thing is physio and exercising correctly after the operation to reduce the swelling and rebuild muscle strength, which you lose remarkably quickly.
Edited by Nimby on Thursday 9th August 16:19
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