Meniscectomy surgery

Meniscectomy surgery aims to remove or, where possible, repair any damaged meniscus cartilage in your knee. Your consultant will discuss likely outcomes with you before you decide to go ahead. The key benefits are:

• Reducing or eliminating your knee pain
• Restoring your knee's range of motion, eliminating any locking sensation Improving your stability
• Getting you back to your everyday activities, including exercise and sport

Arthroscopic meniscectomy is also a minimally invasive procedure that requires smaller incisions than open surgery, helping you recover faster.

Meniscectomy surgery is a common and effective treatment that you'll only be recommended if there are clear benefits for you. Like all surgeries, it also comes with some potential risks, which your consultant will explain to you and our experienced team will take steps to minimise. Rare complications include:

• Infection around your incision
• A blood clot, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which can be avoided through movement and elevation after surgery
• Nerve damage
• Some people can also have bad reactions to anaesthesia, such as sickness

Having a total meniscectomy can make you more prone to developing osteoarthritis in your knee in the long term due to losing more cartilage. Your surgeon will aim to preserve as much healthy tissue as possible. Leaving a severe meniscus tear untreated also increases your risk of developing osteoarthritis due to increased cartilage wear.

Before the procedure, your consultant will suggest an MRI to examine your knee and decide the best procedure for you. They'll explain their recommendation and answer any questions you may have.

If your surgery is going to be performed under general anaesthetic, the most common option for this procedure, our team will let you know how long you should avoid eating or drinking beforehand.

You may be given other advice on how best to prepare based on your condition and procedure, such as:

• Exercises to help strengthen your knee and leg and make your recovery easier and faster Avoiding certain medications for a period of time before your surgery
• Arranging travel to and from hospital
• Arranging extra support with everyday tasks such as shopping while you recover

Meniscectomy is usually performed under a general anaesthetic to relax you and block feelings of pain.

Using a keyhole surgery technique called arthroscopy, your surgeon will make a small cut at the front of your knee and insert a tiny camera and surgical tools.

The camera sends live images to a monitor to let your surgeon see and remove or repair the damaged area of cartilage. They may inject fluid into your knee to clean the area, expand the joint and improve their view.

The part and amount of cartilage they target will depend on your condition. For example:

• An arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy targets damage to your medial meniscus on the inside edge of your knee.
• An arthroscopic partial lateral meniscectomy targets damage to your lateral meniscus on the outside edge of your knee.
• A total meniscectomy removes your whole meniscus.

Once complete, your surgeon will close the incision with stitches or surgical strips and the surgical team will dress it. The operation usually takes less than an hour, after which you'll be moved to another room to recover as the anaesthesia wears off.

You should be able to go home the same day as having arthroscopic meniscectomy surgery. You may need to rest, ice and elevate your knee and use crutches for several days after you leave hospital. Painkillers may also be prescribed to make you more comfortable.

Your consultant will tell you when you can start bearing weight on your knee again and give you other advice based on your condition, procedure and lifestyle. This may include recommending some home exercises to help build back strength in your knee.

You'll also be told how to care for your surgical wound – for example, changing the bandage – and when you should return for a check up about your progress.

Your consultant will let you know when you can get back to your usual routine, including work, driving and exercise. Recovery timelines are always personal based on factors such as the type of meniscectomy (partial or total), severity of your injury and your overall health, plus your job type and level of activity.

Full recovery can take from six weeks to three months. Generally, many people can return to:

• Light household activities and non-strenuous work after two to three days
• Driving after one to two weeks (once you have a full range of motion and can perform an emergency stop)
• Exercise and sports after four to eight weeks

Arthroscopic meniscectomy surgery is usually recommended after trying non-surgical options that don't prove effective. These include:

• Resting, icing and elevating your knee, avoiding activities that involve twisting or lifting heavy weight
• Taking pain and anti-inflammatory medication to ease your discomfort and swelling Performing physical therapy exercises to strengthen the muscles around your knee

These solutions work in many cases but are less likely to be effective for severe tears – especially large, traumatic tears that create locking in your knee.

The severity and location of your tear could also make open surgery necessary instead of arthroscopic surgery. This is a more invasive procedure involving a larger incision in your knee, usually with a hospital stay and longer recovery afterwards.