What Will Happen After ACL Reconstruction Surgery in Singapore

If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re considering getting your torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstructed through surgery. However, you’re apprehensive about the procedure due to a variety of reasons, among which is the rehabilitation period.

That said, the benefits of ACL reconstruction surgery usually outweigh the risks of surgery. Also, the reconstruction would help in returning the knee function close to the pre-injury state.

In this article, we discuss the possibilities of ACL reconstruction surgery in Singapore and what will happen after you undergo the surgery. We will also discuss how long it will take for you to recover from ACL reconstruction.

ACL Reconstruction Surgery in Singapore for Injured Athletes

ACL tears are often accidental and normally occur suddenly without any warning. More so if you’re an athlete who plays sports that involve sudden stops or changes in direction, jumping, and landing such as soccer, basketball, and football.

In addition, if you’re a female athlete who plays the sports mentioned above, the chances of you tearing your ACL is significantly higher than male athletes. This is due to the differences in the body’s anatomy, general muscular strength, the reaction time of muscle contraction and coordination, training techniques, and hormonal influences.

Once you suffer an ACL injury, you will likely hear an audible pop followed by significant swelling. After that, you will experience some instability in your knee, especially when you try to change directions during your sporting activity. If you continue sporting with a torn ACL, it may lead to further damages to structures within the knee.

How Will ACL Reconstruction Surgery Help?

Many elite athletes have had ACL tears in their sporting careers. This includes the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Tom Brady, and Tiger Woods. They all had undergone ACL reconstruction and were all able to resume their sporting careers.

Before your ACL reconstruction surgery, you will likely undergo physiotherapy to reduce knee pain and swelling, restore your knee’s range of motion, and strengthen your muscles. If you go into surgery with a stiff, swollen knee, you may face significant problems regaining motion after surgery.

During the ACL reconstruction surgery, you will be unconscious as they administer general anaesthesia into your system. Using a minimally invasive, arthroscopic approach, your surgeon will insert special surgical tools and a tiny camera through small incisions in your knee.

If you’re using your own tissue to replace your torn ACL, your surgeon will make a separate cut and remove your autograft. Then he or she will drill tunnels in your bone to bring the new tissue through and put them at the same place as your old ACL.

Your new ligament will then be secured to your bone with screws and other devices to hold it in place. Once the procedure is completed, your surgeon will close the incisions with sutures and cover the area with a dressing.

How long will it take to recover from ACL reconstruction surgery?

Generally, ACL reconstruction surgery doesn’t require you to stay overnight in the hospital, allowing you to go home the same day once you recover from the anaesthesia. But before that, you will be asked to practice walking with crutches and your knee may be fitted with a brace.

You will also be given specific instructions on caring for your knees like pain control and flexibility exercise. In general, it’s important to keep your leg elevated, apply a cold wrap or ice your knee when necessary, and get as much rest as possible.

Once your ACL begins to heal, your doctor will recommend a progressive rehabilitation plan to strengthen your muscles, ligaments, and ultimately to improve your knee’s flexibility. This usually takes up to 4-6 months following your surgery. Your doctor will determine when it is safe for you to return to your sporting activities.

During your ACL reconstruction recovery, it’s important that you work with a physiotherapist because they can teach you some of the exercises that you can perform under his/her supervision or at home.

For the first two to three weeks, your physiotherapy will focus on increasing your knee’s range of motion in a controlled fashion.

In weeks three to six, you will focus on gaining full range of your knee’s motion. Your physical therapist may incorporate strengthening exercises or ask you to climb up the stairs to improve joint strength.

For the following months, your physical therapy will focus on increasing strength and agility while maintaining range of motion. At this stage, your surgeon and physical therapist will closely monitor your progress to protect your reconstructed knee and help you achieve full recovery.

As a result of your ACL reconstruction surgery and progressive rehabilitation, you should be able to regain a range of motion about equal to that of your other knee and continue your sporting activities as you once did before the injury. For an elite athlete, the downtime may be as short as 2-3 months to return to their sporting 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.