# What is arthroscopic surgery like?



## 2wheelsnotfour (Aug 18, 2010)

I am going to have arthroscopic surgery on my ankle so we can finally figure out what is going on with my persistent pain. I have never had surgery before. What will the experience be like? Will this likely be out patient? Will I be able to drive myself home? Do people often get sick from anesthesia? I have a desk job. Would I need to take time off from work?


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## jay19 (Feb 21, 2011)

its one of the less evasive surgerys..ive had it done on my left knee...usually its outpatient, you go in, they dope you up, put you out and they do the procedure and then you slowly wake back up...yours sounds like its going to be explorartory since they dont actually know what the problem is..arthroscopic is mostly going looking around and cleaning up inside..depending waht they see is wrong it could be more in depth surgery

mine was similiar to this, they had to go in and ended up removing a two inch peice of cartlidge that was floating around inside..usually they make 2 or 3 small cuts, no bigger than a 1/4 inch each and go in through there..

after surgery they ull definitely be on crutches, probably wearing a boot on the ankle..youll have swelling after for a while but i was able to bend and put slight pressure on the knee about 5 or 6 weeks after

just do not rush the healing process, you will end up making it worse and down the road youll have more problems.

youll prolly need someone to drive you home, given not being able to put pressure on the foot and also due to the anasthesia. they woke me up and i was all groggy, they put a coke in my hand and left the room, when they came back i was passed out and tthe entire coke spilled all over me


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## ak57 (Jun 7, 2011)

I just had arthroscopic ACL reconstruction 2.5 weeks ago. After the first few days, it really isn't that bad and scarring is minimal. I did a day by day writeup on this blog:

http://aclreconstructionsurgery.wordpress.com/

Let me know if you have any other questions.

* thought I'd add a few more thoughts.. you definitely cannot drive yourself home. The painkillers wipe you out, and it's actually illegal to drive while you're on them. I would definitely think about taking at least the day after off of work.


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## 2wheelsnotfour (Aug 18, 2010)

Thanks for the info guys. Ak57 I will definitely check out your blog.


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## Metamorphic (Apr 29, 2011)

I've had both knees done.

They'll prep you (gown, shave, etc). They'll give you a little versed (Sp). That will give you some memory gaps about the whole experience. For instance I coulden't tell you if the nurse that handled me coming out of surgery was a man or a woman if you put a gun to my head.

You wont feel too awful bad right after, but as the meds wear off and the swelling sets in you'll start to have more pain.

Then just take your meds, follow Dr's order. Get as much physical therapy prescribed as your insurance will allow.

I CAN NOT MORE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU GET ONE OF THESE. http://www.aircaststore.com/product/ankle-cryocuff-with-cooler-one-size/adult

If your insurance will get it for you, fine, if not, buy it yourself. I've used mine for both of my knees, and have loaned it to 3 friends for their knees. All of them have agreed its the shizzle. The cuff provides some great compression to keep swelling down, and the perfect level of cold. Plus you can refresh the cold as often as you like without having to hobble off to the freezer. Also, unlike cold packs, you can wear it around.


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## DustyBones (Jun 23, 2010)

:thumbsup:
Piece of cake!
3 - 1/4" incisions to allow tool access.
Your surgical area is inflated w/saline solution to allow access to affected area.
You will be sedated, so no self-drive home (you must have a driver).

If you are lucky (as I was) no pain issues/minor swelling (knee for me), since your ankle is affected you will probably have much more swelling & possibly a bit more pain. You will need to keep the affected area wrapped & elevated & use cold packs on/off every 20-30 min. keep pressure off of your foot, don't stand on it use crutches. :nono:

When I had knee surgery, as soon as I awoke & got my head together in the recovery area, I was able to walk unassisted w/no pain or issues.
Granted, my walking was limited in distance immed. after surgery, but no prob. I used crutches for 3 days just to give my knee a rest for healing purposes, I could walk normally if I desired. I only took about 4 or 5 vicodin total, probably could have done w/o. PT for a week to stress the knee under controlled conditions & all was fine.
Don't worry about it, you will be fine, just be careful & let it heal so you don't aggravate it any. Take your vicodin & enjoy the buzz if you want, but you may get by w/Advil just fine.

Good luck in finding the problem w/your ankle & getting fixed so life is better!
Healing vibes you way! :thumbsup:
Elbow exercises w/your favorite brew or vino!


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## bbbr (Nov 6, 2005)

For me, getting my rt knee scoped is a pretty easy and straightforward. Granted its happened 5 times since January 2006 with 4 of the surgeries in the same hospital with the same surgical team. Surgeries 1-3 and 5 were all for meniscus tears, lateral and medial; #4 was a plica band problem. 

My first 2 trips under weren't the most pleasant thanks to the usual side effects but since I'm pretty much a repeat offender the anesthesiologists have really dialed the drugs in and i get a nice smooth ride. My memories from the moments before #5 (late May of this year) amount to: getting on the table, some light chit-chat with the surgical team and then closing my eyes. Next thing I knew I woke up rather relaxed and pain free in a recliner with a nurse offering me some juice and toast. Less than an hour later after waking up I was on the way home in the back seat of a car with my leg up in the air and ice packs on it. I was on crutches for about 5 days and had my stitches out after 10 days. Formal rehab with PT started on day 11 and I should be finishing it off this week. 

Recovery has been easy this time; I'm already pushing a ton of miles each week on the bike and have returned to hiking in the mountains. Haven't had any real pain that would require the Tramadol (my heavy painkiller of choice since Vicodin and i don't get along) i got at the hospital. My experience so far has been the stronger i go in, the faster i recover and get back to my activities. 

Heck, sending a finger into a band saw blade last week has caused me more pain than the surgery and rehab have.


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## 2wheelsnotfour (Aug 18, 2010)

Stripes said:


> Which body part?


Its my ankle. I've been battling ankle pain for nearly two years. It holds back my riding. A couple years ago I thought I might race. So I started riding on an indoor trainer following a training plan I purchased off the Internet. Big mistake. The plan was ill-suited for me. The plan had me riding way harder then I should have been. I'm pretty sure I tore something during a workout which had me riding at a much higher cadence then I am accustomed to on a road bike. Typical cadence on a road bike for me is max ~110 rpm. The Orthopedic surgeon wants to confirm what is going on inside my ankle first hand. The lesson I learned is to be extremely careful with cookie cutter training plans. Racing is no longer something I am entertaining seriously. Instead I see myself improving my descending to become a better all around rider.

Thanks for the info everyone.


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

What everybody said but if you have a bunch of lingering pain, well that's just the way it's going to be for you and your particular surgery. I had my left knee scoped and limped for a loooooooong time. The pain and limping went away eventually but the stories above where things were good to go in a week or so, that wasn't my case.


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## ric426 (Jul 13, 2007)

I've had it on my shoulder and neck. The worst part of the procedure itself will probably getting the IV put in and that's no big deal. In my case I felt the worst the second and third day after surgery, then things gradually got better. 
The best advice I got was to take whatever pain meds they prescribe as directed for as long as they say because it's a lot easier to keep the pain under control than it is to get it back under control if you let it get out of hand. Also follow whatever restrictions on activity they give you until you go for the follow-up visit and they tell you to start moving. 
Once you start physical therapy do all the stretching and exercises they tell you to do, but take it from me, more is not always better. I set my recovery back by over doing it at first. Don't be shy about telling the P.T. if something they're doing is making you feel worse. Sometimes they have to try a few different things before they find what works for you.
The hardest part will probably be holding back once you start to feel better but aren't completely healed yet. Be patient, follow instructions and you'll probably have good results.


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## ez5 (Mar 31, 2009)

it is the least invasive by far but you should still expect some swelling because they go through the fascia surrounding your joint but nothing to worry about just take it easy afterwards the joint may feel unstable and your balance might be affected.


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