Knee arthroscopy surgery at The Montefiore Hospital

At The Montefiore Hospital, we provide high-quality aftercare for as long as you need it. We also offer fast diagnosis and treatment without the wait in our clean, modern facilities. If you need treatment, we can offer you a choice of expert orthopaedic surgeons who are committed to providing high-quality treatments and care that's personalised to you.

At The Montefiore Hospital, we have wide experience of performing knee arthroscopy. The procedures offered to you will depend on your symptoms or condition. Some of our consultants perform microfracture – where they make small holes in your bones to stimulate cartilage growth.

We also have three laminar flow operating theatres which regulate air flow to minimise the risk of infection.

Finding us

The Montefiore Hospital is approximately a 15 minute walk or a five minute taxi journey from both Hove and Brighton railway stations.

Your consultations

All of our eight consultation rooms are easily accessible, meaning you shouldn’t have any difficulty if your knee problems are affecting your mobility. Your consultations provide you with a space to talk openly about your needs and hopes from your operation. Your consultant will ensure you’re being offered the best treatment for you. If you don’t currently have a diagnosis your consultant will do the following:

• Discuss what may have happened to cause your symptoms (eg a sports injury or fall)
• Ask about your medical history
• They may recommend using our advanced scanning, imaging and diagnostic technologies to look at your knee to help understand the cause of your pain or mobility issues

On the day of your knee arthroscopy, you’ll meet your orthopaedic consultant again and your anaesthetist. If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in your room or our lounge area while you have your operation.

Your anaesthetist or consultant will give you one of the following:

• A general anaesthetic, when you’re asleep
• An epidural or spinal anaesthetic, when you can’t feel anything below your waist
• A local anaesthetic so you can’t feel your knee

Once ready, your consultant will make tiny incisions and pass a small telescopic instrument into your knee. This is called an arthroscope and has a camera so your consultant can see inside your knee to do any of the following:

• Investigate your knee to find a cause of your pain or other symptoms
• Repair damage to soft tissues
• Remove loose bone fragments or scar tissue
• Take tissue samples if there’s inflammation

Exactly what happens during your procedure will depend on your symptoms or condition. Your consultant will let you know if they recommend further treatment following an investigative knee arthroscopy.

It’s common to experience some pain or discomfort, but rest assured that we have a dedicated healthcare team who’ll be able to provide pain relief medication and ensure you’re as comfortable as possible. You shouldn't feel as much pain after an arthroscopy than with traditional surgery, and how long this lasts depends on:

• Your condition or injury
• What treatment (if any) you had
• If you have an ongoing knee disease or injury needing further treatment

After your surgery, your consultant will discuss how your investigation/treatment went, and any future procedures you may benefit from. Typically, you’ll be able to go home later the same day or the day after your knee arthroscopy.

Although everybody’s different and you should always follow your consultant’s advice, here’s a typical recovery timeline for knee arthroscopy: