How long to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery

You may notice some discomfort as the anaesthetic wears off and also some swelling. This is a normal response to surgery. Make sure someone can take you home.

Ask someone to stay with you for a day or so while the anaesthetic wears off. You may not be able to put weight on your leg for up to a week after your surgery, so you may need some help to stand or walk.

Your hospital may give you crutches or a walking frame to take home. Your surgeon or nurse will give you advice on how to use these, and for how long. A physiotherapist may give you some exercises to do. These will help you to move your knee and stop it getting stiff.

Your nurse will give you some advice about caring for your healing wounds before you go home. These will be covered with a waterproof dressing. Your wounds will be closed with stitches or skin glue. How long it takes for dissolvable stitches to disappear depends on which type you have. If you have non-dissolvable stitches, these are usually removed by the practice nurse at your GP surgery a week or two after your surgery. You may be asked to wear a compression stocking while you recover. This will improve blood flow in your leg and reduce your chances of getting a blood clot deep vein thrombosis, DVT.

You may be given a date for a follow-up appointment. This will usually be six weeks after your surgery. Everyone recovers from knee arthroscopy differently. How long it takes you to recover will depend on lots of things, including whether you had any treatment during your knee surgery. It takes most people two to six weeks to recovery completely.

Ask your friends, family and neighbours to help you with practical tasks, such as food shopping or lifting heavy items. After knee joint surgery, your knee is likely to feel sore and swollen. Try keeping your leg up and applying a cold compress, such as ice or a bag of frozen peas. This may help to reduce swelling and bruising. After the first 48 hours, you may be able to take the dressing off and uncover your cuts. You may be able to get them wet around this time too.

Your surgeon or nurse will tell you exactly when you can have a bath or shower. If you need pain relief, you can take over-the-counter painkillers , such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Always read the patient information that comes with your medicine. A general anaesthetic can affect you in many ways. This should pass within 24 hours. You may be able to walk around almost straight after your surgery. But this will depend on why you had surgery and the type of surgery you had.

Some surgeons recommend a week or two of rest, followed by gentle exercise and then sports later on. After around two to three weeks, you may be able to do some more strenuous activities.

Avoid impact sports for at least six weeks, and always check with your surgeon first. You may not be able to do some sports for the first six months. Surgeons often have a post-surgery exercise plan that you can follow. Getting back to work or your daily routine may help you recover more quickly. But how much time you need to take off work after your knee surgery will depend on your job. If you work in an office, you may be able to go back to work within a week or two.

If your job involves heavy physical work, you may need to take up to six weeks off. Your surgeon and employer should be able to advise you. You should avoid travelling by air for at least four to six days after your surgery. If you want to travel, you may have to delay your trip because of the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis DVT.

This will depend on whether you have any other risk factors for DVT such as your age and the length of your flight. If you have a torn or damaged cartilage removed from your knee joint during knee arthroscopy, this could make you more prone to osteoarthritis later on.

Your physiotherapist may recommend some exercises for your knee that you can do at home. You may have physiotherapy for several weeks after your operation. You can start with some gentle exercise, such as walking. If you were given a knee brace to wear after your surgery, you should wear it all times except for showering and performing the non-weight-bearing exercises, completed while sitting or lying down, provided by your physical therapist.

All standing exercises should be performed with the brace on. Your surgeon will instruct you as to when it is safe to remove the brace and walk and exercise without it.

Recovery from knee arthroscopy can vary depending on the procedure performed. It is important to follow all instructions from your surgeon and physical therapist to promote optimal healing and recovery for the best possible outcome. Recommendations for optimal recovery include:. You may experience pain and discomfort in your knee after the operation. Your healthcare provider will prescribe you pain medication to help manage symptoms after the surgery.

Each incision site will be covered with a small bandage after the surgery is completed. You may shower within a few days after the surgery, but your incision sites should remain covered and dry for four to five days after the operation.

You can use a plastic bag or plastic wrap to cover your knee in order to shower without the incisions and bandages getting wet.

Your surgeon will give you specific instructions about how long to keep the bandages covering the surgical sites. Once you remove the bandages, wash gently around the incisions and pat dry. Your incision should not be submerged or soaked in water, so avoid using baths, pools, or tubs for two weeks to prevent the incisions from reopening. Also avoid applying lotions, creams, or ointments directly to the area unless specifically instructed to do so by your healthcare provider. If stitches or staples are left in place, do not remove them yourself or ask someone to help you remove them.

Your healthcare provider will remove any stitches or staples at your follow-up appointment once the incision sites have adequately healed. Applying ice to your knee can help provide pain relief and decrease swelling and inflammation. You can apply ice between minutes to your knee every one to two hours if needed.

Do not apply ice directly to the skin as it can cause temperature-related damage to the skin and blood vessels. Ice or cold packs can be applied to the knee on top of wearing pants or by using a towel or pillowcase as a barrier.

Elevating your leg will also help decrease swelling from pooling around the knee and into the lower leg and ankle. You should elevate your leg above the level of your heart as much as possible in the first week following your operation. Decreased swelling will result in less pain, increased range of motion, and quicker recovery time. If you develop a fever or if the surgical sites become red, hot, or swollen, contact your healthcare provider immediately as these are signs that you may have an infection.

Also contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience increased throbbing or cramping pain, tenderness, warmth, or redness in your calf.

These are characteristic signs of a deep venous thrombosis which requires immediate medical attention. The length of your recovery can vary depending on the type of procedure performed.

Remember that you should play an active part in your recovery, which requires maintaining healthy lifestyle habits, staying active and limiting the amount of time you spend sitting each day, and following your prescription for physical therapy visits and home exercise program, if applicable.

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Knee arthroscopy. Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Instructions. Updated Your Privacy Rights. Dressings can usually be removed after 5 to 10 days. Your wounds should start to heal within a few days.

If non-dissolvable stitches were used, they'll need to be removed after 1 to 2 weeks. This can usually be done by a practice nurse at your local GP surgery.

You'll have a follow-up appointment a few weeks after the operation to discuss the results of the surgery, your recovery, and any additional treatment you may need. Your surgeon or care team will let you know how long it's likely to take for you to fully recover and what activities you should avoid until you're feeling better.

You'll probably need a week or two off work, but this varies from person to person. It will depend on how quickly you recover and whether your job involves strenuous activity that could damage the joint. You can drive when you no longer have pain and have enough strength to safely do an emergency stop. This may not be for a few weeks or several months after surgery. Your surgeon can give you more specific advice.