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Knee Cartilage Surgery London

Knee cartilage surgery repairs knee conditions caused by detached, damaged, or worn cartilage around your kneecap. Knee cartilage surgery is often a minimally invasive procedure known as keyhole surgery or knee arthroscopy. More complex cases may need open surgery, but many patients can get treatment for knee cartilage problems as an outpatient. Learn more about the knee cartilage surgery procedure, costs, and side effects at Harley Street Specialist Surgery.

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Consult with leading orthopaedic specialists

Same day imaging scans, diagnosis & treatment

Range of treatments for a variety of knee conditions

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Private knee cartilage surgery in central London

Private knee cartilage surgery in central London

Knee pain is a significant barrier to leading a healthy, fulfilled life. So, our consultants are here to help you banish discomfort with knee cartilage surgery and other knee pain treatments. At Harley Street Specialist Hospital, we work with the UK’s largest selection of pain management consultants so you can explore many different treatment options for your knee pain.

Our care is centred around our patients. We take a holistic view of your health to create an individual knee pain treatment plan, providing the fastest, most appropriate treatment for your symptoms. This approach leads to exceptional satisfaction levels among our patients.

Not only that, but we operate without waiting lists — so you can book an appointment at your convenience, and we’ll schedule your surgery at a time that suits you.

If you’re concerned about loose or damaged cartilage in your knee, book an appointment with our experienced knee pain consultants today.

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What is knee cartilage surgery?

Knee cartilage surgery removes and repairs damaged cartilage in your knee. When cartilage becomes dislodged or fragmented, it creates loose bodies in the knee, which causes stiffness, pain, and loss of flexion in your leg. 

If cartilage damage is minor, keyhole surgery can be used to perform chondroplasty (a procedure to remove loose cartilage through small incisions in your knee). If you have more severe cartilage damage, you might need open surgery (the tissue around your knee is surgically opened to give your surgeon a fuller view).

The knee cartilage surgery procedure

Keyhole knee cartilage surgery is a day-case operation, so you won’t usually need to stay in hospital overnight. If you have open surgery, however, you may need a few overnight stays during your initial recovery. Here’s how the knee cartilage surgery procedure works:

The knee replacement procedure

Knee replacements occur under a general anaesthetic or spinal block so that you won’t feel any pain during the procedure. Here’s how knee replacement surgery works:

1. Assessment and diagnosis — Diagnostic and imaging tests (such as X-ray scans) will assess and diagnose your knee condition. You and your medical team will decide if knee cartilage surgery suits you.

2. Type of surgery — Your consultant will discuss the risks and benefits of keyhole and open surgery with you. Depending on your circumstances, they’ll typically recommend one type of surgery over the other.

3. Anaesthetic — On the day of surgery, you’ll be given anaesthetic so you don’t feel anything during the procedure. This may be a general anaesthetic or a spinal block (meaning you’re awake but unable to feel anything below the waist).

4. Knee cartilage surgery (arthroscopy) — Your surgeon will insert a small camera into your knee so they can see the tissue. They’ll then use small surgical instruments to extract any loose or damaged cartilage through small incisions in your skin.

5. Knee cartilage surgery (open) — If you need open knee cartilage surgery, your surgeon will operate to access more of the tissue within the knee and remove problematic cartilage.

6. Recovery — Arthroscopy recovery is generally much quicker than open surgery recovery. You can often go home the same day, while open surgery requires a few nights in hospital.

After your procedure, you’ll work with our private physiotherapy team to regain mobility in your knee for a swift recovery.

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Knee osteotomy FAQs

Osteotomy is a straightforward procedure for our experienced surgeons. Find out more about the process and recovery times in these frequently asked questions.

Knee osteotomy is mostly used to treat damage caused by osteoarthritis. This degenerative knee condition leads to pain and swelling around your knee joint. If you seek treatment while just one side of the knee is affected, a knee osteotomy can often help.

Other conditions a high tibial or femoral osteotomy can treat include:

  • Knock knees.
  • Bow legs.
  • Sports injury or knee trauma.
  • Problems leading to poor knee alignment.

If knee osteotomy isn’t right for you, other types of knee surgery (such as a knee replacement) may be recommended.

We expect most patients to be pain-free and back to normal around six months after a knee osteotomy. However, you can expect significant pain relief much sooner than this (usually no more than two months after your procedure).

Most patients need crutches for around 6-12 weeks after a knee osteotomy. But with the right support from our private physiotherapy team, you can minimise your recovery time.

It depends on your recovery rate and the nature of your job. Many people with desk jobs return to work within 4-6 weeks, while 10-12 weeks is more common if you have a physically demanding job.

When you return to work, we recommend that you speak to your employer to ensure your duties don’t impact your recovery.

Knee osteotomy has high success rates. Studies have shown that a high tibial osteotomy can help the original knee joint stay intact for ten years in 71% to 98% of patients and 15 years in 61% to 90%. So, a knee osteotomy will likely give you many years of pain-free activity.

A knee osteotomy is a major surgery, but it’s less invasive and requires less downtime than a full or partial knee replacement.

The earlier you seek treatment, the less likely you are to require major surgery like knee osteotomy or knee replacement.

Knee cartilage surgery costs

Keyhole knee cartilage surgery at Harley Street Specialist Hospital costs £4,025. More invasive or complex procedures will cost more, so please ask your consultant for other prices.

Self-paying patients and those with private medical insurance are welcome at our London hospital.

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Flexible Payment Options to Suit You

Payment Plans

Spread the cost of your medical treatment over several months with our finance options and medical payment plans. This is ideal for patients seeking the speed and comfort of private healthcare without significant upfront payments.

Self-pay

Use our self-payment options to get prompt care with the consultant of your choice. Patients looking for fast, efficient treatment without private health insurance are welcome to pay for treatment before their procedure.

Private Medical Insurance

We welcome patients with private medical insurance from approved insurers, including Bupa, AXA, Aviva, and many more. Find out how to claim for your treatment with private health insurance to get optimum care and comfort.

Private medical insurance we accept
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Learn more about femoral & high tibial osteotomy

Find out more about these surgical knee repair procedures below.

Femoral and high tibial osteotomy are both types of knee osteotomy. Femoral osteotomy involves reshaping the femur (thighbone), while high tibial osteotomy involves reshaping the tibia (shinbone).

In some cases, both bones may need to be altered to relieve pressure on the knee.

Anaesthetic ensures you don’t feel anything during the knee osteotomy procedure itself. However, when the anaesthetic wears off, you will feel some discomfort in your leg for a few weeks. Most patients manage this with over-the-counter painkillers (or occasionally prescription pain medication).

A knee osteotomy can provide substantial pain relief and long-term mobility for 10-15 years. At this point, you may need to seek other treatments to give you more sustained results.

While knee replacements and osteotomies can treat similar symptoms, they’re usually used in different situations. So it’s not a case of which is better but more suitable for you.

A knee osteotomy can delay or (in limited cases) prevent the need for a knee replacement. So, it’s more likely to be recommended for younger patients and those with a more active lifestyle.

Knee replacements usually offer more definitive pain relief and long-term comfort, but you’ll have more limited mobility. They’re more likely to be suggested if you have substantial damage across both sides of the knee joint.

Both knee osteotomies and knee replacements are carried out under anaesthetic, so there’s no pain during either procedure.

Osteotomy recovery is often more painful than knee replacement recovery in the short-term, but offers greater activity levels in the long run. Osteotomies are recommended for younger, more active patients.

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Patient Reviews

Getting knee cartilage surgery at Harley Street Specialist Hospital

Knee cartilage surgery can help you return to the activities you love, whether exercising, socialising, or spending time with the grandkids.

 

We know how important it is to live life without pain — so book an appointment with our pain management team to schedule your same-day knee cartilage surgery assessment (or at a time that works for you).

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Our knee cartilage surgery consultants