How long does it take to recover from Arthroscopic Knee Surgery? - Dr. Bala Murali Krishnan

Arthroscopy is a keyhole surgery. “Arthro” means joint and “ scopy” means to look at. Arthroscopy is done in several joints, particularly the knee, the shoulder it can be done for the ankle, the elbow or even the toe joints. This is usually done as a day care procedure. Arthroscopy in the knee is doe for several reasons. If there is a cartilage damage as a meniscal tear or if there is a ligament tear or if there are lose bodies, free bodies, bone and cartilage pieces floating within the joint and cause problem like locking in the knee and sever pain and arthroscopic surgery is undertaken, the recovery for arthroscopy depends on what the surgery was undertaken for. If it is a meniscal surgery, it is done as an office procedure or a day care procedure where the patient comes in the morning and gets the surgery done and is home the very next day. If it is done for ligament reconstruction, the ligament scan be an anterior cruciate ligament or the posterior cruciate ligament or several other ligament surgeries can be undertaken, arthroscopically. So the recovery process depends on what the surgery is done for. But it is generally done as day care procedure or very short stay procedure in the hospital.