Discharge from Hospital
Most patients go home on the day that they have their knee arthroscopy. It is possible to stay a night in hospital if required; please talk to Dr Ward if you are worried about going home on the day of surgery.
Knee arthroscopy recovery is variable depending on what needs to be done intra operatively. Typically there will be one week of mostly resting, and six weeks of no high impact activity. Dr Ward will write instructions specifically for you on your discharge letter. She will also send a letter to your GP with the intra operative findings, the procedures completed, and a post operative plan.
If you have a favourite physiotherapist that you would like to see post operatively, book an appointment to see them for after your wound review with Dr Ward. She will write a referral so that your rehabilitation is safe and efficient. The team at Active Rehab will see you while you are in hospital, and will usually call you in the week before your operation.
Post Operative Medications
Knee arthroscopy seldom requires more than a day or two of strong pain medication.
If you need more pain medication after you go home, it is best to see your GP if you can. It would be a good idea to book an appointment to see them in the second week of your post operative period ahead of your admission to hospital.
Post Operative Appointments
Wound check
This will be done at about two weeks. All going well your small waterproof dressings from surgery will stay on until this appointment. The stitches used by Dr Ward for knee arthroscopy dissolve out after about three weeks. If they are annoying you she will take them out at this appointment.
Final appointment
Dr Ward will see you again at two months post operatively to check on your rehabilitation progress. Usually this will be your last appointment with Dr Ward; if it is easier to do that via telemedicine Amber can arrange that for you.