Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Complications

Arthroscopic knee surgery has revolutionized the process of knee surgery. In most cases, knee surgery can now be performed arthroscopically, which reduces recovery time and lessens the chance of infections, as well as the appearance of scars. Although it is a very safe surgery, and the vast majority of operations come off without a hitch, there are some complications to watch for.

Significance

• The significance of arthroscopic surgery is that it uses two to three small incisions and uses tools and a camera to do the work that used to require a large incision and a lot of abuse and damage to the surrounding soft tissues. This increases healing time, lowers pain levels, reduces scarring and decreases the risk of infection. In addition, surgeries can be performed more commonly on an outpatient basis, which is good for everyone.

Infection

• Anytime you have surgery, you are opening the body to the possibility of infection. Surgeons and hospital staff take precautions to try and make sure that everything is sterile in the operating room. But whether it is in the operating room, in recovery or at home, it is always possible to pick up an infection. Watch for swelling that is accompanied by heat and pain, drainage from the wounds that is green or pussy, and fever. If these signs are present, it is important to get to a hospital right away. An infection in your joint is serious and should be treated promptly.

Damage

• Although rare, in some cases there can be damage to the joint during surgery. The doctor takes every precaution to avoid any injury, but accidents do happen. Ligaments, tendons and other tissues can sustain damage during surgery that may require additional surgery to fix. In very rare cases, the damage may be permanent.

Loss of Feeling

• In some cases, the surgeon must cut through nerves to complete the surgery. When the nerve is cut, sensation is lost to that portion of the leg. Although in most patients feeling is eventually restored as the nerve heals, there are cases where the damage is permanent. Most often the area of numbness is only a portion of the leg, but any permanent loss of feeling can be problematic.

Failed Surgery

• Although a vast majority of arthroscopic surgeries are successful, there are cases where they are not. In these cases, the patient will be wakened from the procedure and endure rehab only to have to have another surgery to correct the failed one. This can also happen in surgeries that appear to be successful, such as an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) repair. The surgery may fail and the ligament tear again, in which case another, and probably more extensive, surgery will be needed.