Knee arthroscopy surgery at Spire Bushey Hospital

At Spire Bushey, we have many dedicated orthopaedic surgeons who specialise in diagnosing and treating conditions related to bones and muscles.

We offer access to tests, scans and treatment without the wait and our nurses and physiotherapists provide expert aftercare to help your recovery.

At Spire Bushey, we have wide experience of performing knee arthroscopy in our high-quality facilities. The procedures offered to you will depend on your symptoms or condition. Sometimes the surgeon is able to treat those problems using this less invasive form of surgery.

Our facilities offer five operating theatres, three with laminar flow which regulates air flow to reduce the risk of infection.

Getting here

Spire Bushey Hospital and Spire Bushey Diagnostic Centre are situated within easy access to the M1/M25 motorways, underground and overground train stations. We have free parking on both sites for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

Your initial consultation will take place at Spire Bushey Diagnostic Centre which offers the latest facilities and diagnostics. All of our rooms are accessible, making things easier if you have difficulty walking.

During your consultations, we'll:

• Ask about your medical history
• Say whether you need an X-ray, and/or an MRI or CT scan so we can examine your knee in more detail – again, all scanning rooms are on the ground floor so they're easily accessible
• Explain in detail what will happen during the procedure
• Tell you about your different anaesthetic options, and help you choose the right one for you
• Answer all your questions about your surgery

Once you and your consultant have agreed to go ahead with your knee arthroscopy, your consultant and your physiotherapist will explain your recovery plan.

Here’s what will happen on the day of your knee arthroscopy:

• You’ll meet your orthopaedic surgeon again and your anaesthetist
• You’ll be given the type of anaesthetic that you’ve agreed with your consultant – either a general, when you’re asleep, or a spinal or epidural, when you’re either sedated or awake but can’t feel anything below your waist
• Your surgeon will make two or more small incisions into your knee then pass the arthroscope – a thin, flexible, telescopic instrument with a light and a tiny video camera on the end – into your knee joint to view it
• They'll then repair damage to cartilage or ligaments, remove loose bone fragments or scar tissue, and may take tissue samples if there’s inflammation

If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in your room while you have your operation.

Usually, you can go home on the same day or the following day after a knee arthroscopy. Your consultant will discuss how the investigation or treatment went and whether they recommend further surgery.

You may feel some pain once the anaesthetic wears off, but don’t worry, your healthcare team will give you painkillers to help with this. How long the pain lasts and your recovery time will depend on what your consultant needed to do during your procedure. If you’ve had any treatment, it may take longer than if you just had an investigation.

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