Knee Surgery Bundaberg

Understanding the Complex Structure of the Knee

Your knees are fickle things, one day you’re walking long distances daily getting your steps in, running errands, mowing the lawn and going about your everyday life, and then it feels like just the next you’re limping and struggling to walk even half the distance you used to. Sometimes people find they put a pillow between their knees to sleep, they get an ache on the inside or outside of the knee when they drive with the knee bent for more than 10 minutes, or experience problems going down stairs – you never thought you would end up going one at a time, sideways, to get down a flight of stairs.

Common Causes of Knee Pain and Instability

The knee is a complex structure comprised of cartilage bearing surfaces covering the ends of our femur and tibia bone, meniscus on the inner and outer half (medial and lateral), anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL and PCL), and stabilising ligaments outside of the joint – medial and lateral collateral ligaments.

Types of Knee Surgery: Arthroscopic vs. Open Surgery

There are different knee surgery types – knee surgery involves accessing the inside of the joint which can be done as arthroscopic knee surgery (camera through a keyhole incision and instruments through another small incision) or open knee surgery – an incision used to access the joint of varying size.

How Long Does Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Take?

A common question I have asked of me is “how long does arthroscopic knee surgery take” and “how long is my recovery after arthroscopic knee surgery”? Arthroscopic knee surgery tends to take between 15 and 60 minutes to complete depending on the operation, and has a quicker recovery time than traditional knee operations. This recovery can vary from most people returning to work, driving, walking and general life activity the day after the surgery, to rarely some people who may take a lot longer to recover and feel limited in activity for weeks and weeks. Your knee surgery is not the same as the patient before you – each problem is different and the surgery time, problem necessitating surgery, degree of difficulty, your natural healing and your mental state/anxiety/perception of pain will all affect how fast you recover.

What to Expect During Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Recovery

Generally people can drive the next day after arthroscopic knee surgery, and can fly 48 hours after their surgery (short distance flights) or 2 weeks after their surgery (longer distance trips eg to Perth or overseas). This delay is due to a slightly increased risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and due to the discomfort of keeping the knee in a tight space for a prolonged period.

Returning to Daily Activities After Knee Surgery

Knee surgery is not overly a painful procedure especially when done arthroscopically. Most people need some Panadol or a stronger tablet that you are discharged home with from your surgery on the first few evenings, but local anaesthetic is used in the procedure around the incisions which definitely helps. The pain at the incision sites used to access the knee tend to be sore and tender for some time – this can be for weeks. Swelling after surgery is controlled with ice, movement and physiotherapy.

Pain Management and Post-Surgery Care

How much pain you experience also depends again on the problem you are having fixed, and how much activity/work is done inside the knee. A long operation with repairs etc will be more sore as more is done naturally, versus an arthroscopic shaving of meniscal tears and removing a loose body or two. Bleeding inside the knee can occur after the operation and whilst this is only a small amount of blood – the knee will swell and be much more painful than if the blood was not there. This can take 2-4 weeks to settle, and there can be extensive bruising around the knee and sometimes tracking right down to the ankle. This will settle also with time and movement. Ice, pain relief, and physiotherapy is commonly used to help with this.

Common Surgical Procedures for Knee Conditions

There are many different operations that can be performed in knee surgery – each individual component of the knee can be addressed surgically. The decision if your knee needs knee surgery is made by your surgeon based off the pathology (problem in the knee) and the best method in literature and evidence to solve your issue.

Why Younger Patients Often Undergo Knee Reconstructions

Younger people tend to have knee reconstructions performed. People over the age of 50 tend to not be candidates for reconstructive procedures, but there are some people who fit the category to try to reconstruct – your surgeon will guide you on this.

Risks and Potential Complications of Knee Surgery

Like all surgery, there are risks in knee surgery and your surgeon will discuss these with you in detail before surgery. Generally with an arthroscopic procedure, they can be bleeding, infection, anaesthetic related, wound healing problems, ongoing pain, DVT, or the pain derived from the issue not being solved. There are many others that will be discussed as part of your consent.

How Age Affects Knee Surgery Options and Outcomes

After a certain point in life – certain factors determine what surgery is most appropriate. We don’t perform ACL reconstructions generally on people after the age of 40 unless they are very high level athletes or have chronic instability (recurrent giving way) in the knee. Meniscus have little healing capacity as we age and become degenerative, so meniscal repairs tend not to be an option when old – the meniscus is debrided (shaved) instead. These are some small examples of the changes in knee surgery as we age.

Anesthesia Options for Knee Surgery

The surgery is done generally under a general anaesthesia, however this can vary according to your health, and the anaesthetist preferences that is looking after you on your surgery day.

Choosing the Right Surgeon for Your Knee Procedure

Like all things in modern day – ensure you research your surgeon before your appointment, and choose someone that you are comfortable with after meeting, and consulting on your problem. Speak to your GP, or contact a surgeons consulting rooms directly if you would prefer for them to care for your problem.