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Meniscectomy Discharge Instructions


About this topic


The knee is a large, complex joint. It is made up of four bones: the thigh bone, two lower leg bones, and the kneecap. A meniscus is a type of cartilage that acts like a shock absorber at the knee. It also helps protect the cartilage on the end of the knee bones. Your meniscus also helps the knee glide. There are two of them in each knee. The one on the inside of your knee is shaped like the letter C. The meniscus on the outside of the knee is shaped like a letter U. ‚  
You may have injured your meniscus. Sometimes, this happens by twisting or flexing your knee too much. Most often, it happens when playing sports. You may need to have surgery to fix the problem. One of the ways to fix the problem is when the doctor takes out all or part of the meniscus. This surgery is called a meniscectomy. ‚  


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What care is needed at home?


  • Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
  • Rest your leg. You may be given crutches, a cane, or a walker to help you walk. Wear your brace as ordered if your doctor gives you one.
  • Be sure to follow your doctors instructions on how much weight you can put on the leg. Often with a repair, you will only be able to put a small amount of weight on the leg or none at all. Many times when the meniscus is removed, you will have no restrictions.
  • Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
  • Prop your leg on pillows to help with swelling.
  • You may be taught how to wrap your knee with an elastic bandage for compression. Wrap tightly enough to support, but not too tight. This will help with swelling and give support to your knee.
  • Keep moving your ankle up and down to help prevent blood clots. Do this at least 10 times every hour.
  • Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
    • When you should change your bandages
    • When you may take a bath or shower
    • When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving
  • Be sure to wash your hands before and after touching your wound or dressing.

What follow-up care is needed?


  • Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
  • If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
  • If you are given a brace, the doctor may remove it in 1 to 2 weeks after surgery.
  • You may also need to see a physical therapist (PT). The PT will teach you exercises to help you get back your strength and motion. You may have to go to therapy 2 to 3 times a week for the first 6 weeks.

What drugs may be needed?


The doctor may order drugs to: ‚  
  • Help with pain
  • Prevent infection
  • Prevent blood clots

Will physical activity be limited?


You may need to rest your knee for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your knee worse. You may not be allowed to put any or some of your weight on your injured leg for a while. If you run, work out, or play sports, you may not be able to do those things until your knee gets better. ‚  

What problems could happen?


  • Infection
  • Bleeding
  • Less range of motion in your knee
  • Nerve and blood vessel injury
  • Blood clot
  • Scarring
  • Ongoing pain

What can be done to prevent this health problem?


  • Wear protective gear and padding when playing contact sports, or riding bikes or scooters.
  • Warm up slowly and stretch before you work out. Use good ways to train, such as slowly adding to how far you run.
  • Strengthen your hip and thigh muscles to support your knee better.
  • Wear supportive shoes when walking, running, or playing sports.
  • Keep a healthy weight. Being heavy puts more stress on your knees. This makes them more likely to be hurt.

When do I need to call the doctor?


Go to the ER right away if you have: ‚  
  • Sudden shortness of breath, sudden onset of chest pain, breathing problems, pain or tenderness in your calf

Call your doctor if you have: ‚  
  • Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, wound that will not heal.
  • Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
  • Swelling that seems to be getting worse
  • Very bad knee pain not helped by the drugs given to you
  • Numbness of the leg and foot
  • Your knee locks and you cannot unlock it
  • You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse

Teach Back: Helping You Understand


The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚  
  • I can tell you about my procedure.
  • I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
  • I can tell you how to care for my cut site.
  • I can tell you what I will do if I have more pain or swelling, numbness of the leg and foot, or my knee locks.

Where can I learn more?


American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚  
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00358 ‚  
KidsHealth ‚  
http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/sports_safety/meniscus_tear.html ‚  

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer


This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚  

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