Preparing for Meniscus Surgery: The MRI Review, Fasting Rules and Medicine Checklist

It is 10 p.m. and the pre-op letter is on the kitchen counter next to a mug you are no longer sure you are allowed to fill. Somewhere in the paperwork there is a line about food, another about medicines, and a note that the surgeon will “review your imaging” before deciding exactly what to do inside your knee. The tear itself has been there for weeks. The unknowns arrive all at once.

Preparing for meniscus surgery is less dramatic than it feels at that counter. Most of it is logistics: what the scan really shows, when the last meal and the last sip should be, which medicines need a conversation, and what should be waiting on the sofa when you get home. None of it requires heroics. All of it goes better when someone explains the why.

This guide walks through those pieces in the order they usually happen, with the evidence behind each rule and a clear line about which decisions belong to your treating team.

What actually happens during meniscus surgery?

Each knee has two menisci, C-shaped pads of rubbery cartilage that sit between the thigh bone and the shin bone, spreading load across the joint and helping keep it steady. When one tears, a flap can catch, swell and ache with twisting or squatting.

Almost all modern meniscus surgery is arthroscopic. Arthroscopy is keyhole surgery in which a pencil-thin camera and slim instruments enter the joint through two or three small cuts while sterile fluid gently inflates the knee so the surgeon can see. According to the NHS, an arthroscopy usually takes between 30 minutes and two hours, and most people go home the same day.

Inside the joint, the surgeon has two broad options. A partial meniscectomy trims away the torn, unstable fragment and smooths the edge, leaving as much healthy tissue as possible. A meniscus repair stitches the torn edges back together so they can heal. Which one happens depends on the tear’s location, pattern and quality, and on the state of the rest of the knee, all of which the surgeon assesses directly once the camera is in.

Anesthesia varies. Many people have a general anesthetic; others have a spinal or regional anesthetic with sedation. Surgeons often add a nerve block, an injection that numbs the nerves supplying the knee for hours afterward. The small cuts are closed with stitches or adhesive strips and covered with a padded dressing. You wake in a recovery area, are checked for pain, nausea and circulation, and are usually discharged once you can safely stand with crutches and someone can take you home.

Preparing for meniscus surgery starts with the MRI review: what the scan can and cannot tell you

MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, uses a strong magnet and radio waves to build detailed pictures of soft tissue without radiation. For the meniscus it is the standard pre-operative map, and the Mayo Clinic notes it is the best imaging test for seeing the meniscus and surrounding structures.

When your surgeon reviews the scan, they are reading for specific things. Which meniscus is torn, inner or outer. Which zone: the outer third of the meniscus has a blood supply, often called the red zone, while the inner third does not, and tissue without blood flow heals poorly, so repairs are far more likely in the outer zone. What pattern the tear takes: a longitudinal or bucket-handle tear runs along the curve of the meniscus and can flip into the joint; a radial tear cuts across it; a horizontal or complex tear often reflects age-related wear; a root tear detaches the anchor point and changes how load moves through the knee. And what surrounds the tear: cartilage thinning, bone bruising, ligament injury or fluid.

MRI also has limits worth hearing plainly. Scans frequently show meniscal signal changes in people who have no knee pain, particularly with age, so the picture has to match your symptoms and examination before it justifies an operation. The scan suggests a plan; the arthroscope confirms it. That is why consent forms commonly cover both trimming and repair, and why your surgeon may say, honestly, “I will know for certain once I am in there.”

Bring your images or report, ask the surgeon to point to the tear on the screen, and ask which zone and pattern it is. Those two words shape everything that follows, from anesthesia plans to how long you will be on crutches.

Repair or trim? How the tear pattern shapes the plan and your preparation

Because the operation you have changes the recovery you plan for, it helps to see the two paths side by side. The ranges below are the framing used by the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic patient guidance; your own team’s protocol may differ.

Question	Partial meniscectomy (trim)	Meniscus repair (stitch)
What is done	Torn fragment removed, edge smoothed	Torn edges sutured to allow healing
Typical tear	Inner-zone, degenerative, frayed or complex tears	Outer-zone longitudinal or bucket-handle tears, often in younger, active knees
Weight-bearing after	Often allowed as tolerated, sometimes from the first day	Frequently limited, with a brace or crutches for weeks
Recovery framing	Commonly described in weeks	Commonly described in months
What it means for prep	Short-term help at home, crutches for days	Longer time off driving and work, brace fitting, extended physical therapy

One more piece of honesty belongs here. For degenerative tears in middle-aged and older adults, randomized trials summarized in mainstream guidance have not shown that trimming the meniscus beats a structured exercise program for many patients. The Mayo Clinic describes rest, ice, medication and physical therapy as the usual first step, with surgery considered if symptoms persist or the knee locks. Asking your surgeon where your tear sits on that spectrum is a fair and useful question, not a challenge to their judgment.

If the plan is a repair, expect your pre-operative instructions to be more detailed: a brace to try on, a physical therapist to meet, and a firmer conversation about stairs, bathing and time away from work.

Who is usually offered meniscus surgery, and who is asked to wait

Surgery tends to be offered when a tear produces mechanical symptoms that nonsurgical care has not settled: catching, locking, giving way, or persistent pain with swelling after a reasonable trial of physical therapy and activity changes. A displaced bucket-handle tear that locks the knee straight or bent is one of the few situations where surgeons move quickly, because a knee that cannot fully extend loses strength fast and the flipped fragment can damage cartilage.

Younger and active people with a fresh tear in the vascular outer zone are the group most often considered for repair, since that tissue has a genuine chance to heal and preserving the meniscus protects the joint over decades. People whose MRI shows a frayed, degenerative tear alongside cartilage wear are more often steered toward a longer period of exercise-based care first, for the reasons covered above.

Being asked to wait is common and rarely means you have been dismissed. Typical reasons include a recent chest infection, cold or fever, since anesthesia is safer when the airways are quiet; a flare of skin infection, cuts or dermatitis around the knee, which raises infection risk when the joint is opened; poorly controlled blood sugar or blood pressure; an unresolved question about a blood thinner; or a knee that is still very swollen and stiff, because operating on an inflamed, weak joint often leads to a slower recovery than a short course of prehab followed by surgery.

Pregnancy, a recent heart event, or a new clot in a leg vein will also pause elective knee surgery until the wider medical picture is stable. In every one of these cases the decision to proceed, delay or choose a nonsurgical route sits with the surgeon and anesthesia team who know your full history.

Fasting before knee arthroscopy: what the rules are and why they exist

The fasting rule is the instruction people worry about most and understand least. It exists for one reason: anesthesia relaxes the muscles that normally keep stomach contents where they belong, and it suppresses the cough and swallow reflexes that protect the lungs. Food or fluid that comes back up during that window can be inhaled, an event called aspiration, which can cause serious pneumonia. An empty stomach makes that far less likely.

Typical instructions follow a common pattern. The NHS general anaesthesia guidance describes being asked not to eat for about six hours before surgery, with plain water sometimes permitted up to about two hours before. MedlinePlus, in its knee arthroscopy guidance, frames the food-and-drink stop in a broader window and stresses following the specific times you are given. Those two sources are not in conflict; they reflect different protocols. Your written instruction sheet is the one that counts.

A few details trip people up:

• “Clear fluids” usually means water, and sometimes diluted squash or black tea and coffee without milk. Milk, juice with pulp, smoothies and soup are treated as food.
• Chewing gum and sweets count. Both stimulate stomach secretions.
• Alcohol the night before is not a fasting question so much as an anesthesia safety question; be honest about it at check-in.
• Regular medicines are often allowed with a small sip of water even during fasting, but only the ones your anesthesia team has specifically said to take.

If you slip, say so. An extra hour’s wait or a rescheduled slot is routine; an aspiration event is not. Teams would always rather know.

Medications to stop before meniscus surgery: the checklist conversation

The medicine review is where preparing for meniscus surgery becomes personal. Nothing here is a recommendation to start, stop or change anything; every decision belongs to the prescribing clinician and anesthesia team. What follows is the list of conversations that commonly happen and the reasoning behind them.

Blood thinners. Anticoagulants prevent clots by slowing the clotting cascade; antiplatelet drugs stop platelets clumping. Both reduce the body’s ability to stop bleeding inside a joint. MedlinePlus notes that people are often asked, in the two weeks before knee arthroscopy, to stop medicines that make it harder for blood to clot, but only after checking with the doctor who prescribed them, because the reason you take them (a stent, a heart rhythm problem, a previous clot) may outweigh the bleeding risk.

Anti-inflammatories. NSAIDs, the class that includes common over-the-counter pain relievers, also impair platelet function and may be paused before surgery. Some surgeons prefer they are also avoided after a repair because of concerns about healing; ask.

Diabetes medicines. Fasting changes blood sugar. Insulin and oral agents usually need day-of-surgery adjustment planned in advance. Newer injectable medicines that slow stomach emptying have specific anesthesia guidance because a slower stomach affects the fasting logic above; declare them.

Blood pressure and heart drugs. Many are continued right up to surgery, others are held on the morning. This is a team call.

Supplements and herbal products. Several affect bleeding or interact with anesthetics. Bring the actual bottles or a photo of the labels.

Write everything on one sheet: name, why you take it, who prescribed it. That single page saves more delays on the day than anything else you can carry.

What do I need at home after meniscus surgery?

The best time to set up the house is before surgery, while both knees still work. Think of it as the week you get to be your own future caregiver.

Start with the route from front door to bed to bathroom. Remove loose rugs, cables and anything a crutch could catch. If stairs are unavoidable, practice a few steps with crutches before the day, or ask whether you can sleep on one level for the first nights. A chair with arms and a firm seat is easier to rise from than a soft sofa, and a raised surface beside it for a phone, water and medicines saves repeated trips.

Cold therapy is the workhorse of the first days. MedlinePlus advises ice wrapped in a cloth to protect the skin, used in short sessions several times a day; have two packs so one is always freezing. A pillow or wedge to elevate the leg above heart level helps swelling drain. A shower stool and a waterproof dressing cover make the first wash safe once your team clears you to get the knee wet.

Food for a few days that needs no standing at a stove. Loose shorts or trousers that fit over a bulky dressing or brace, and shoes that slide on without bending. A notebook for questions and for tracking temperature, pain and any changes in the calf.

Then the people. You will need someone to drive you home; most anesthesia services will not discharge you to a taxi alone. Someone in the house for the first night is standard advice. If you live alone, arrange for a friend to stay or for check-in calls. Finally, book the follow-up appointment and the first physical therapy session before the day, so recovery has a shape from the moment you are wheeled out.

What to do before meniscus surgery in the final two weeks: prehab, smoking and skin

Two weeks is long enough to change how your knee arrives in the operating room. Three things matter most, and the evidence behind each is consistent across mainstream guidance.

Move the knee, within reason. A joint that arrives stiff and weak recovers more slowly. Gentle range-of-motion work, quad sets (tightening the thigh muscle with the leg straight), straight-leg raises and stationary cycling if it does not provoke catching all keep the muscle awake. A physical therapist can set a short prehab program; if catching or locking is the problem, they will keep you away from deep bends and twisting.

Stop smoking, or at least pause. Nicotine narrows blood vessels and reduces oxygen delivery to healing tissue. For a meniscus repair, which depends on a fragile blood supply in the outer zone, that matters. MedlinePlus specifically advises telling your provider about smoking and asking for help quitting before knee arthroscopy, and notes that smoking slows wound and bone healing. Any reduction helps; complete cessation helps more.

Protect the skin. Surgeons look at the knee on the day. Scratches, insect bites, rashes, ingrown hairs or active eczema near the incision sites can lead to postponement because bacteria on damaged skin have a path into the joint. Do not shave the leg in the days before; shaving creates micro-cuts. If shaving is needed, the team does it with clippers on the day. Shower with plain soap the night before and the morning of, and wear clean clothes.

Alcohol deserves a plain sentence too: heavy drinking affects anesthesia, bleeding and healing, and MedlinePlus asks patients to be honest about intake. Finally, if you develop a cold, fever or stomach bug in the last few days, call before you travel in. Rescheduling a cold is routine; anesthetizing through one is avoidable risk.

The day of surgery, from check-in to going home

You arrive with your medicine sheet, imaging report, glasses or hearing aids if you use them, and loose clothing. Leave jewelry, nail polish on the operative side and contact lenses at home; monitors read through fingernails and metal must be off before electrocautery is used.

Check-in repeats questions you have already answered: when you last ate and drank, which medicines you took this morning, allergies, loose teeth, previous anesthetic problems. Repetition is a safety design, not disorganization. A nurse marks the correct knee with a pen and asks you to confirm it. The surgeon and anesthetist each visit; this is the moment to ask anything still unanswered and to confirm the plan if the scan leaves both trim and repair on the table.

Some centers run a brief pre-operative assessment on the same morning: blood pressure, pulse, temperature, sometimes a blood test or an ECG depending on age and history. Others do this at a separate visit beforehand. A small cannula goes into a hand or arm vein for fluids and medicines.

After the operation you wake in recovery. Staff check pain, nausea, breathing and the sensation and pulses in your foot. If a nerve block was used, the leg may feel heavy or numb for hours; that is expected, and it is also why you must not put full trust in the leg until feeling returns. A physical therapist or nurse usually stands you up with crutches and checks you can manage a few steps, and stairs if you have them at home, before discharge.

Written instructions cover dressing care, ice, movement limits and the follow-up date. Read them with your driver present; anesthesia fogs memory for the rest of the day, and a second set of ears catches what you will forget.

Is meniscus surgery very painful? What the first days usually feel like

Most people describe meniscus surgery as uncomfortable rather than agonizing, but the honest answer depends on which operation you had and on the first 72 hours.

The pattern that patients most often report, and that MedlinePlus and Cleveland Clinic guidance describe, is a knee that feels surprisingly manageable on the evening of surgery, when local anesthetic and any nerve block are still working, followed by a harder stretch on the first and second days as those wear off and swelling peaks. Many people name day one or day two as the most difficult; there is no published trial that crowns a single “most painful day,” so treat that as common experience, not a rule. From roughly the third day, discomfort typically eases and becomes stiffness and ache rather than sharp pain.

Pain after a repair is often more persistent than after a trim, partly because the joint has been worked on more and partly because you are protecting it in a brace, which itself makes muscles sore.

Pain management is planned by your team and may combine simple analgesics, anti-inflammatory medicines where appropriate, ice, elevation and early gentle movement. Opioid-class medicines are used sparingly and briefly when prescribed, because of nausea, constipation and dependence risk. This article will not discuss doses or schedules; follow the written plan you are given and ask before adding anything, including over-the-counter products.

Two pain signals deserve attention rather than tolerance: pain that keeps climbing after day three instead of easing, and calf pain or tightness separate from the knee. Both are covered in the red-flag section below.

How soon should you walk after meniscus surgery?

Sooner than most people expect, with an important difference between trim and repair.

After a partial meniscectomy, weight-bearing as tolerated is commonly allowed from the day of surgery, according to Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic guidance, with crutches used for balance and confidence for a few days until the leg feels reliable and the nerve block has fully worn off. Short walks around the house on the first day, increasing gently each day, are the usual advice. Walking is not just permitted; it is part of the treatment, because it pumps fluid out of the joint and keeps the calf muscles squeezing blood back toward the heart.

After a meniscus repair, the picture changes. The stitched tissue must not be sheared while it heals, so many surgeons restrict weight-bearing, limit how far the knee bends, or fit a brace locked in extension for several weeks. Here “walking” means moving with crutches within the exact limits you were given, not testing the knee. The Mayo Clinic notes that recovery after repair takes longer and that braces or crutches are often used for weeks.

That brings up clot prevention, which applies to everyone. Sitting still with a swollen knee for days slows blood flow in the leg veins and raises the risk of deep vein thrombosis, a clot in a deep vein. Ankle pumps every waking hour, standing and moving every hour or two, drinking enough fluid and avoiding long periods with the knee bent in a chair are simple, evidence-based habits. Some patients with additional risk factors are prescribed a short course of a blood thinner or compression stockings; that is a team decision based on your history.

Driving is separate from walking. You need a leg that reacts instantly on a pedal and that is not slowed by pain medicine; your surgeon will tell you when both are true.

Meniscus surgery recovery time: what the following weeks usually look like

Recovery has a rhythm, and knowing it in advance removes a good deal of anxiety. Ranges here come from Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and MedlinePlus patient guidance and are typical, not promised.

The first week. Swelling, stiffness and bruising around the small incisions. Ice, elevation and short frequent walks. The dressing usually stays on for a few days, then is changed or reduced according to your instructions. Many people begin gentle physical therapy exercises within days: quad sets, heel slides, ankle pumps.

Weeks two to six. After a trim, this is when most people return to desk work, drive again once cleared, and rebuild strength and full bend. Stiffness on waking is common and fades with movement. Stitches or strips are removed or fall away. After a repair, this period is still protective, with a brace, crutches and bending limits gradually loosened at follow-up visits.

Beyond six weeks. Partial meniscectomy recovery is commonly described in weeks, with return to running and pivoting sport when strength and control are restored. Repair recovery is commonly described in months, because stitched cartilage heals slowly and impact loading is introduced late. Physical therapy shifts from range of motion toward strength, balance and sport-specific patterns.

Setbacks happen. A day of extra swelling after doing too much is normal and settles with rest and ice. What should not be normal is a knee that worsens steadily, a fever, or new calf symptoms. If work involves kneeling, ladders or heavy lifting, expect the timeline to stretch, and ask your surgeon for a written note describing restrictions rather than negotiating them on your own.

What people often get wrong when preparing for meniscus surgery

Some myths are harmless. These ones change outcomes.

“The MRI decides everything.” It narrows the options. The surgeon’s view through the arthroscope decides whether the tissue can hold a stitch, which is why most people consent to both trim and repair. Being surprised on waking is avoidable; ask beforehand what each possibility would mean for you.

“Fasting means nothing past midnight, full stop.” Many protocols allow water until a couple of hours before, and arriving dehydrated makes veins harder to find and nausea more likely. Read your own sheet; the NHS describes water often being allowed until about two hours pre-op.

“I’ll just stop my blood thinner to be safe.” Stopping without the prescriber’s plan can be more dangerous than the operation itself, particularly for people with stents or a history of stroke or clots. Never pause a prescribed medicine on your own initiative.

“Supplements don’t count as medicines.” Several herbal products affect bleeding or anesthetic metabolism. They belong on the list.

“Rest completely afterwards.” Immobility raises clot risk and stiffens the joint. Early, gentle, permitted movement is treatment.

“Surgery removes the problem for good.” A trimmed meniscus is smaller; the knee is often more comfortable but not restored to factory settings, and long-term cartilage health depends heavily on strength, weight management and activity choices afterward. A repair can fail to heal in some cases. Your surgeon can tell you where your tear sits on that spectrum.

“Pain on day two means something went wrong.” It usually means the block wore off. What matters is direction of travel after day three, and the specific red flags below.

Questions to ask your care team before meniscus surgery

A ten-minute consultation goes further when you arrive with the questions written down. These are the ones that consistently change what patients understand and how they prepare.

• On my MRI, which meniscus is torn, in which zone, and what pattern? Is it likely to be trimmed, repaired, or decided in the operating room?
• If both are possible, how would my recovery differ after each, and how would I find out which one you did?
• Have I completed a reasonable trial of nonsurgical care, and what would happen if I waited longer?
• What type of anesthesia are you planning, and will a nerve block be used? What should I expect as it wears off?
• Here is my full medicine and supplement list. Which items need a plan, and who is making that plan: you, my prescriber, or the anesthesia team?
• What exactly are my fasting times for food and for clear fluids?
• Will I be allowed to put weight on the leg immediately? Will I need a brace, and for how long?
• When can I shower, drive, return to my specific job, and return to my sport?
• What is the plan for pain, and what should I not take alongside it?
• What clot-prevention measures apply to me?
• Which symptoms should make me call, and which number do I call after hours?
• When is my follow-up, and when does physical therapy start?

Ask the surgeon and the anesthetist separately; each owns different parts of the plan. If an answer is “it depends,” ask what it depends on. That is usually the most informative answer in the room.

When to call your doctor after meniscus surgery: red-flag signs

Most recoveries are uneventful, but a short list of symptoms should prompt a call to your surgical team or, for the most serious, emergency care. MedlinePlus and NHS aftercare guidance agree on the core signs.

Seek emergency help immediately for chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, coughing up blood, or feeling faint, which can signal a clot that has traveled to the lungs. Do the same for a leg that becomes suddenly cold, pale or numb, which can indicate a circulation problem.

Call your surgical team the same day for:

• Calf pain, tenderness, warmth or swelling, especially in one leg, which can indicate deep vein thrombosis.
• Fever, chills, or feeling generally unwell.
• Redness spreading from the incisions, increasing warmth, pus or cloudy drainage, or a dressing that keeps soaking through.
• Pain that is rising rather than easing after the first two or three days, or that your prescribed plan no longer touches.
• A knee that is far more swollen and tight than the day before, particularly if it feels hot.
• Persistent numbness or tingling in the foot or lower leg beyond the expected duration of a nerve block.
• Bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure.
• Nausea or vomiting that prevents you from keeping fluids or medicines down.
• A knee that locks or gives way in a way it did not before surgery.

Before surgery, call if you develop a cold, cough, fever, vomiting, a skin infection or a new rash near the knee, or if you are unsure about any medicine instruction. Rescheduling is ordinary; guessing is not. Your treating team would always rather hear from you once too often than once too late.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need at home after meniscus surgery?

Crutches, two ice packs, a pillow or wedge to elevate the leg, a firm chair with arms, loose clothing that fits over a dressing or brace, easy food, and a clear path to the bathroom with rugs removed. Arrange a driver home, someone to stay the first night, and book your follow-up and first physical therapy visit before the day. If a repair is planned, expect a brace and a longer period needing help with stairs and driving.

What is the most painful day after meniscus surgery?

Many people report the first or second day as hardest, when the local anesthetic and nerve block wear off and swelling peaks; from about the third day discomfort usually eases into stiffness and ache. No published study names a single worst day, so treat this as common experience. Pain that keeps rising after day three, or calf pain separate from the knee, should prompt a call to your team rather than waiting it out.

How soon should you walk after meniscus surgery?

After a partial meniscectomy, walking with crutches is often allowed the same day and encouraged in short, frequent bouts to reduce swelling and clot risk. After a meniscus repair, weight-bearing and knee bending are often restricted for weeks with a brace, so you move within the exact limits you were given. In both cases, ankle pumps every waking hour and getting up every hour or two are standard clot-prevention advice.

Is meniscus surgery very painful?

Most people describe it as uncomfortable rather than severe, with the first 72 hours being the most demanding as the anesthetic wears off and swelling builds. Repairs tend to ache longer than trims, partly because of brace use. Pain is managed with a written plan from your team combining simple analgesics, ice, elevation and early movement; opioid-class medicines, when prescribed, are used briefly. Ask before adding any over-the-counter product.

What is meniscus surgery recovery time for a trim versus a repair?

Partial meniscectomy recovery is commonly described in weeks, with return to desk work and driving in the early weeks and sport once strength and control return. Meniscus repair recovery is commonly described in months, because stitched cartilage heals slowly and impact loading is delayed. These are typical ranges from Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic guidance, not promises; your surgeon’s protocol, your job and your sport all shift the timeline.

What are the fasting rules before knee arthroscopy and can I drink water?

Typical instructions ask you not to eat for about six hours before surgery, and many protocols allow plain water until about two hours before, according to NHS general anaesthesia guidance. Milk, juice with pulp, gum and sweets all count as food. Your written instruction sheet is the final word, because protocols differ. If you slip, tell the team; a short delay is routine, while inhaling stomach contents under anesthesia is a serious risk.

Which medications should I stop before meniscus surgery?

Never stop anything on your own. Medicines that affect clotting, including anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs and anti-inflammatories, are often paused in the two weeks before knee arthroscopy according to MedlinePlus, but only on a plan from the prescriber, since stopping some blood thinners unsupervised can be dangerous. Diabetes medicines, blood pressure drugs and herbal supplements also need review. Bring a single sheet listing everything you take to your pre-operative visit.

Why does my surgeon say they will decide between repair and trim during the operation?

Because MRI shows where and how the meniscus is torn but cannot fully judge whether the tissue is healthy enough to hold stitches and heal. That assessment happens through the arthroscope. Tears in the outer, blood-supplied zone are more often repaired; inner or degenerative tears are usually trimmed. Consent forms therefore commonly cover both options, and it is reasonable to ask what each would mean for your recovery before the day.

What should I do before meniscus surgery to make recovery easier?

Keep the knee moving with gentle range-of-motion and thigh-strengthening exercises a physical therapist approves, stop or reduce smoking because nicotine impairs healing, protect the skin around the knee from cuts and avoid shaving it, set up your home for crutches, and confirm your medicine plan and fasting times. Report any cold, fever or skin infection before you arrive; postponing for illness is safer than operating through it.

Can I drive myself to and from meniscus surgery?

No. Anesthesia and sedation impair judgment and reaction time for the rest of the day, and a nerve block can leave the leg numb for hours, so you need someone to drive you home and ideally stay the first night. Returning to driving afterward depends on which leg was operated on, whether you can brake hard without hesitation, and whether you are taking pain medicine that slows reactions; your surgeon will tell you when it is safe.

References

• MedlinePlus: Knee arthroscopy
• MedlinePlus: Meniscus tears – aftercare
• NHS: Arthroscopy
• NHS: General anaesthesia

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.