Surgery & Recovery

What to Expect from Surgery

General information only. Your surgical team's instructions always come first.

1. Before surgery

   Follow your team's instructions on eating, drinking, and medications. Arrange a ride home and help for the first days. Prepare your home: crutches, ice, a clear path.

2. Day of surgery

   Check in at the time given. You will meet the anesthesia team, and the surgical site will be confirmed and marked. Most arthroscopic procedures are outpatient.

3. First weeks

   Control pain and swelling with elevation, ice, and medicines as prescribed. Keep the dressing clean and dry and follow weight-bearing and brace instructions.

4. Recovery

   Physical therapy restores motion, then strength, then function. Timelines vary by procedure and by person.