A total knee replacement is a surgical procedure that swaps the worn-out components of your knee joint for artificial parts. These worn-out components usually become damaged because of arthritis or injury, causing pain and making simple tasks extremely difficult. If non-surgical treatments are no longer giving you relief and your condition is severe, this knee surgery could be the most effective way to reduce your pain and increase your stability and mobility for future years.
Knee surgery
If you're suffering from a knee condition, a knee operation might be required to relieve your pain, improve your mobility and enhance your quality of life.
At HCA UK, we offer private treatment for various types of knee surgery for a range of conditions. After diagnosing your symptoms, our expert knee consultants will recommend and provide you with the most effective treatment. We offer:
- Knee consultant appointments are available within 48 hours
- Care rated ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ by 97% of orthopaedic patients
- Knee specialists located in hospitals and outpatients across London and in Cheshire
Types of knee surgery
There are many types of knee surgery that can treat knee pain and loss of function. The most effective procedure for you will depend on the nature of your condition and the extent of the damage to the joint, among other factors. Read on to learn more about the different knee operations you can have with HCA UK.
Total knee replacement
Partial knee replacement
A partial knee replacement is like a total knee replacement, but it only replaces one compartment of your knee joint. It could be more suitable if you only have arthritis in one side of your knee. The surgical incision is smaller and the recovery is quicker compared to a total knee replacement.
Kneecap joint replacement surgery
Also called patellofemoral joint replacement; this procedure replaces worn-out components of the kneecap. The kneecap (patella) and the groove in the femur it runs along (trochlea) can become severely damaged, most commonly because of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or acute injury. In this case, replacing them with artificial substitutes can help reduce the pain.
Knee arthroscopy
Knee arthroscopy, often referred to as keyhole surgery, is a broad category of surgeries in which a camera probe is inserted in the knee joint through a small incision. If they are required, surgical instruments access the joint through a separate incision. The procedure is used to diagnose different conditions, as well as perform more specific knee surgeries, such as ACL reconstruction or meniscal repair.
ACL reconstruction
ACL reconstruction is an arthroscopic procedure to rebuild the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) with a graft of replacement tissue. The ACL is a major knee ligament that can tear due to sudden stops or direction changes. A severely or completely torn ACL can’t heal on its own and, if left untreated, can cause instability and further degeneration of the knee. Rebuilding the ligament with an ACL relieves pain and restores stability to the knee.
Meniscus repair surgery
Meniscus repair surgery stitches together torn pieces of the meniscus, a vital piece of cartilage in the knee. The meniscus act as shock absorbers inside the knee. When it becomes severely damaged or torn, the ends of your shin bone (tibia) and thigh bone (femur) can start to rub together, causing pain, making your knee unstable or prone to locking up, and leading to arthritis over time.
Arthroscopic meniscectomy
Also known as a meniscal debridement, a meniscectomy is a procedure to remove a torn meniscus. In many cases, this is a partial meniscectomy, in which only the torn pieces are removed so that the remaining healthy tissue can be preserved or repaired if necessary. If the severity and position of the tear means that there isn’t enough tissue left to repair, it could be more effective to remove the torn portion. This procedure is performed using an arthroscope, so as to be a minimally invasive surgery that helps relieve pain and improve knee function.
Knee microfracture surgery
A microfracture surgery makes tiny holes in the surface of the bone of the knee joint to encourage new cartilage to form. Cartilage cushions your leg bones where they meet in your knee joint, helping them glide across each other painlessly when you move. Small, isolated areas of cartilage can become significantly damaged, often due to overuse or injury. This can lead to pain, swelling and further problems with the joint. Knee microfracture surgery could help relieve the pain and swelling and improve knee function in active patients with limited areas of cartilage damage.
Chondroplasty
A chondroplasty is an arthroscopic surgery that smooths over damaged and loose cartilage in the knee. Cartilage doesn’t heal effectively on its own as it doesn’t receive sufficient blood flow. When it breaks down due to old age or degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis, the knee becomes painful and everyday tasks become burdensome. A chondroplasty removes the damaged cartilage and encourages a new, healthy cartilage surface to heal in its place, helping to resolve knee pain and improve knee function.
Knee realignment surgery
Also called knee osteotomy, high tibial osteotomy or distal femoral osteotomy, this surgery cuts and realigns your shinbone (tibia) or thighbone (femur) to relieve pressure on your knee. It’s common for the leg bones to become misaligned as a normal outcome of knee arthritis. When the shinbone and thigh bone (femur) are misaligned, an excessive amount of weight is distributed through one side of the knee. Knee realignment surgery allows your body weight to be distributed evenly throughout the joint, taking pressure off the damaged part of the joint and relieving arthritic knee pain. This procedure can also help delay or remove the need for knee replacement surgery later down the line.
Do I need knee surgery?
You might need surgery if you suffer from a knee condition or have sustained structural damage and non-surgical treatments haven't effectively reduced your pain. This is especially the case if your pain is so severe that it interferes with your quality of life and reduces your mobility to the point that everyday tasks are difficult or even impossible.
There is a wide range of conditions that knee surgery can be used to treat when non-surgical treatments have not delivered the results you hoped. These include:
- Different types of knee arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Gout
- Injuries to the soft tissues of the knee, such as ACL injuries or meniscal injuries
- Knee fractures
- Synovitis, or swelling of the knee joint lining
Speaking to a knee expert can help you quickly find out if you need knee surgery. One of our private orthopaedic consultants who specialise in knee pain and injuries will be able to diagnose your condition and recommend the most effective treatment to reduce your knee pain.
What are the benefits of knee surgery?
Knee surgery could offer you many benefits. It could:
- Relieve your knee pain
- Improve your knee mobility and stability
- Enable you to lead a more active lifestyle
- Give you greater independence
- Enhance your quality of life
A private knee operation could help you get back to living the life you love sooner. Have your knee surgery performed by a consultant who specialises in the knee joint for the best results.
What are the risks of knee surgery?
Most people who undergo knee surgery don't experience serious complications. But, like all operations, there are some risks. These include:
- Knee stiffness or swelling
- Infection
- Allergic reactions
- Numbness in the areas around incision scars
- Formation of excess scar tissue
- Unexpected bleeding into the joint
- Blood clots
- Anaesthetic complications
- Nerve damage
Your consultant will listen to you, understand your symptoms and what levels of mobility you would like to achieve. They'll only recommend the treatment they think will be the most effective for you. They'll make sure you understand all the potential risks of any knee operation and will answer any questions you have, enabling you to make an informed decision.
Private knee surgery FAQs
Whether your knee can get better without surgery depends on your condition and the extent of the damage to your knee.
Not everyone needs knee surgery. There are non-surgical treatments for knee pain that are worth exploring first, including:
- Weight loss to reduce the strain on your knee
- Low-impact exercise
- Physiotherapy
- Pain-relief medicines, gels or creams
- Steroid injections to reduce pain and swelling
If non-surgical treatments do not give you the results you want, your consultant could suggest a knee operation if they think it will be effective.
This is a tough question to answer due to the wide range of procedures in the category of knee surgery. Some are more painful than others simply due to the nature of the underlying conditions and procedures involved.
Most knee surgeries are done under anaesthesia, so you won't feel any pain during the procedure. You'll feel some pain after the operation, often in the area where you had knee pain before the surgery and at any incision sites from the procedure. This pain will be highest in the first few days and taper off throughout the healing process. Your consultant will prescribe suitable painkillers to manage this.
Your recovery time from knee surgery will depend on the exact treatment and rehabilitation plan, as well as circumstances such as your age and general health.
In most cases, you should be able to start carefully using your knee again a few days after the surgery and return to daily activities after a few weeks – without overexerting yourself. But it is wise to take several months to build up your strength before your knee can cope with sports or other strenuous physical activities.
Why choose HCA for private knee surgery?
- Specialist care: We have orthopaedic consultants across our London network and in Cheshire who specialise in knee surgery.
- Quick access: Get your knee appointment confirmed within one working day and undergo any imaging you need on the same day, conserving your schedule as much as possible.
- State-of-the-art facilities: We invest in the latest technology to provide you with world-class care such as robotic systems like the Mako robotic arm which allow for greater precision during knee surgeries. Our diagnostic centres located at our outpatient centres and hospitals facilitate comprehensive imaging for a convenient scan of your knee.
- Orthopaedic leaders: We treat more orthopaedic patients in London than any other private healthcare provider*, so we’ve seen it all. We'll connect you with a specialist who's an expert in knee conditions.
- Trusted by patients: 99% of our orthopaedic patients said they'd recommend us to their family and friends in our 2023 patient satisfaction survey.
*Based on figures reported by the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN)
How much does private knee surgery cost?
The cost of your private knee operation will depend on the specifics of your condition and the treatment your consultant recommends as most effective.
The options for paying for private knee surgery are either through a medical insurance provider or via self-pay, which is when an individual covers the cost themselves. If you’ve been advised to consider knee surgery and you want to pay for it yourself, you may qualify for one of our fixed-price knee surgery packages. This lets you know all your costs in advance, helping you enjoy greater peace of mind. Your consultant will advise you of your options at your consultation.
Patient stories
Read our patients' stories about knee surgery
From a limp to ultramarathons
In May 2022, Neil underwent a combined total knee replacement and simultaneous removal of the PVNS under the care of Mr Pollock at The Princess Grace Hospital. Initially incredibly nervous about the procedure and what his world could look like post-operation, life has completely changed.
Robotic double knee replacement: David's story
A robotic double knee replacement eased David's excruciating knee pain
Sarah-Jane’s return from knee injury
It was when she slipped on the dancefloor at an office party that 38-year-old Sarah-Jane finally realised something wasn’t right with her knee. A keen skateboarder and tennis player, Sarah-Jane had always led an active lifestyle, but never thought much about injuries.
Request a knee appointment
We can confirm your appointment with one of our knee consultants the next working day. We can also arrange any imaging appointments, as well as outpatient physiotherapy appointments following knee surgery.
Reviewed by
This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.