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Knee Surgery Specialist

Maryland Orthopedic Specialists

Orthopedic Surgeons located in Bethesda, MD, Rockville, MD, & Germantown, MD

If you have knee problems and are facing knee surgery, you want to make sure your orthopedic surgeon has extensive experience in minimally invasive techniques. When you become a patient of The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics: Maryland Orthopedic Specialists Division, Christopher S. Raffo, MD, James S. Gardiner, MD, and their team cares for you throughout your surgery and rehabilitation therapy. Get a thorough diagnosis and treatment plan for your knee at the Bethesda, Rockville, or Germantown, Maryland, locations. Call or book an appointment online.

Knee Surgery Q & A

Why do I need knee surgery?

Knee surgery is the last resort if you’ve already gone through physical therapy with no significant improvement. It might also be necessary if you have a traumatic injury, possibly from playing sports or exercising. Knee surgery can help with issues such as:

  • Patella tendon ruptures
  • Quad tendon ruptures
  • Meniscus tears
  • Tibial plateau fractures
  • ACL or PCL tears
  • Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)

Knee surgery may also be essential if you need a partial or total knee replacement. Because orthopedic surgeries have advanced dramatically over the years, most surgeries are performed arthroscopically.

What are the benefits of arthroscopic knee surgery?

Arthroscopic knee surgery is minimally invasive, requiring only a few small incisions around your knee. What’s particularly beneficial about this type of procedure is that because you have just a few short incisions, you won’t have severe scarring. That also minimizes your risk of bleeding and post-surgical infection.

Arthroscopic surgery is the preferred surgical method for most knee procedures.

What is recovery like after knee surgery?

Because Dr. Raffo and Dr. Gardiner both have extensive training and experience with advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques, you can expect your recovery time to be much shorter than with traditional open surgeries.

In most cases, you should start getting up and walking within 1-2 days after surgery. It’s important to get moving to help minimize inflammation and improve blood flow to the knee.

You’re probably going to need crutches or a walker for a while; you might need a wheelchair if you had a total knee replacement or ACL graft repair. Depending on your surgery, you could be walking without assistive devices in as little as 3-6 weeks.

Most knee surgery patients need to go through several months of physical therapy. If you’re an athlete or are otherwise active, your surgeon lets you know when you can get back to your sport or activity. Your physical therapist also works with you to start strengthening your knee to minimize the risk of reinjury.

Schedule an evaluation for your knee at The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics: Maryland Orthopedic Specialists Division. You can call or book your appointment online.