| Now it's time to talk about the actual procedure your doctor has recommended for you.
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On the day of your operation, you will be asked to put on a surgical gown. |
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You may receive a sedative by mouth ... |
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... and an intravenous line may be put in. |
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You will then be transferred to an operating table. |
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In the operating room, a nurse will prepare you for surgery by clipping or shaving your leg. |
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The surgeon will then apply antiseptic solution to the skin around the knee ... |
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... and place a sterile drape around the operative site. |
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The anesthesiologist will begin to numb the lower body by injecting a drug into the small of your back. |
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To perform arthroscopic surgery your doctor will make a few small, button-hole sized incisions in the area around the knee. An arthroscope is a very small video camera that your doctor uses to see the inside of your knee and to guide the surgery. |
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Before your doctor can insert the arthroscope, the surgical team must inject a clear fluid into the joint. This fluid will inflate the interior space, and will help your doctor by providing an unobstructed view and enough room in which to work. |
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The actual surgical instruments will be inserted through one or more other openings small openings. |
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After verifying that anterior cruciate ligament -- or ACL -- has been severed, your doctor will begin the procedure by removing a piece of tissue from the front of the knee. This tissue, or graft, has bone on both ends and a section of tendon stretched between. |
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Next, the team drills a hole in the end of the thighbone. |
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And another in the top of the shin. These holes becomes the sockets for the bony ends of the tendon graft taken at the beginning of the procedure. |
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The ligament graft is then inserted into place. |
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When the procedure is complete, the team withdraws the instruments ... |
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... and the surgical fluid drains safely from the knee. |
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Following surgery, sterile dressings are applied. To aid in healing, your knee may be stabilized with a brace. |
