Knee arthroscopy surgery at Spire Dunedin Hospital

At Spire Dunedin Hospital, our team of orthopaedic (bone and muscle) surgeons can offer you a treatment and care plan that's personal to you and your needs. Our dedicated nurses and physiotherapists will provide expert aftercare to help you get the most from the investigation into your knee issue and any subsequent knee surgery.

We offer fast diagnosis to treatment time and easy booking with appointment times to suit you.

At Spire Dunedin Hospital, we have wide experience of performing knee arthroscopy in our high-quality facilities, including two operating theatres with laminar flow. These theatres regulate air flow to reduce the risk of infection.

The procedures offered to you will depend on your symptoms or condition. Some of our consultants perform:

• Autologous chondrocyte implantation – used to treat painful cartilage defects in your knee, where healthy cartilage cells are taken from another part of your body and injected into the damaged area of your cartilage
• Microfracture – your surgeon makes small holes in your bones to stimulate cartilage growth

Finding us

Spire Dunedin Hospital is conveniently situated close to the heart of Reading, on the A4 Bath Road. We’re a short walk from Reading West station and a 10 minute taxi ride from Reading mainline station with direct trains to and from London. If coming by car, we have free parking on-site for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

All of our 15 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

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 our lounge, restaurant, or garden if the weather is good, while you have your operation.

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 as would be experienced with traditional surgery, and how long any pain 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: