Benefits of Meniscus Tear Surgery in Singapore

If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re considering a meniscus tear surgery in Singapore. However, you’re apprehensive about the procedure due to various reasons, among which is the efficacy of the surgery.

Like most knee injuries, a meniscus tear can occur anytime, anywhere. It is also quite a common injury that occurs within the knee, especially among athletes of both contact and non-contact sports due to the changes in direction, speed, and amount of impact experienced by the knee.

While not all cases of meniscus tears require surgery, some types of meniscal injury will require surgery depending on the size and location of the tear. In this article, we will discuss the latest surgical treatment available at Spire Orthopaedics and the benefits of treating torn meniscus with surgery in Singapore.

Advanced Meniscus Tear Surgery in Singapore

Back in the day, if a patient had torn a meniscus, surgery was necessary and the entire meniscus was removed. While knee pain was significantly relieved over time, the cartilage on the ends of the bone wore away much faster due to the loss of the cushioning effect and diminished stability of the joint.

When arthroscopic surgery became more popular, more surgeons use this technique to perform partial meniscectomy to remove only the torn portion of the meniscus while preserving healthy meniscus tissue. This ultimately helps to reduce knee pain and restore knee function for most patients with meniscal tears.

Aside from arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, arthroscopic meniscus repair and arthroscopic total meniscectomy are also performed based on the severity of the meniscus tear.

Benefits of arthroscopic meniscal surgery

Arthroscopes are about 5mm in diameter so the incisions are very small. It causes less trauma to the muscles, ligaments, and tissues than the conventional method of open surgery with long incisions.

Aside from smaller incisions, arthroscopic surgery for torn meniscus helps to increase the healing rate of the meniscus for a quicker recovery. It is also less scarring because the incisions made are small.

In addition, arthroscopic meniscal surgery is often performed on an outpatient basis and you will be able to return home the same day. During the surgery, your surgeon can inspect the inside of your joint for other knee injuries. This will allow them to perform the procedure accordingly.

Minimally invasive procedures shorten hospital stays and enable the patient to recover faster.

What Happens During Surgery?

If you had decided to opt for surgery, you will be given either regional or general anaesthesia to maximise your comfort levels during the surgery.

Once you’re sedated, the surgeon will make small incisions around your knee and insert the necessary surgical instruments through them. One of these instruments will be the arthroscope which projects video images onto a monitor, enabling your surgeon to see the inside of your knee and decide which of the three surgical techniques to perform.

The arthroscopic meniscus repair involves attaching torn pieces of cartilage back together so they can heal on their own while arthroscopic meniscectomy allows the surgeon to trim and remove the damaged cartilage and leave healthy meniscus tissue in place.

Depending on the technique used, your surgeon will insert other surgical tools to assist during the surgery. Once the surgery is completed, your surgeon will close the incisions with stitches or surgical strips which are then covered with a bandage.

Since the procedure is a simple one, you will likely return home the same day with a brace fitted to your knee to protect and stabilise it. You will also have to use crutches for at least a month to keep your bodyweight off your knee.

Throughout your meniscus tear surgery recovery, your surgeon may suggest physical therapy to help increase your range of motion and help your knee get stronger. In time, your knee will become stronger and more stable than it was before the surgery.

As for how soon you can get back to work or sports activity, this depends on how well you follow your rehabilitation plan and your knee’s healing progress. Your doctor or physiotherapists will monitor your recovery progress and determine when it is safe for you to return to your activities.

At Spire Orthopaedic Centre, everyone should be cared for and healed holistically in comfort without having to travel to different locations to seek medical and surgical help and rehabilitation support.

With a combined facility for collaboration between physicians, physiotherapists, and surgeons, you will experience a seamless service from diagnosis to treatment and rehabilitation, that’s tailored just for you at our clinic.