What Is ACL Surgery & meniscal repair?

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is a stabilising ligament of the knee joint.

With meniscal repair, your surgeon will insert sutures into the torn edges of the meniscus in order to pull the tear together so that it can start to heal.

If your knee collapses regularly after an ACL rupture - surgery repairing the meniscus - is the best chance of improving the stability of your knee.

Self Pay Surgery Costs for ACL Surgery with Meniscal Repair in Australia

ACL Surgery with meniscal Repair wait times in public hospitals

Waiting Periods For ACL surgery and Meniscal repair

0 days

The Public health system in Australia has a waiting period for Orthopaedic Surgeries - 90% of Patients waited this length of time for this procedure in the 2019/2020 calendar year.

ACL Surgery with meniscal Repair - Arthroscopic view of a bucket handle tear of the medial meniscus of the right knee being repaired with an all inside technique
Arthroscopic view of a bucket handle tear of the medial meniscus of the right knee being repaired with an all inside technique

ACL Surgery With Meniscal Repair SURGERY DETAILS

Who is ACL Surgery with Meniscal Repair surgery for?

ACL Surgery with Meniscal Repair is for active people, who have damaged their knee and want to return to sport or exercise. Common causes are injuries to the knee when playing football, rugby or skiing.

What are the benefits?

Your knee movements will be stabilised and your and your anterior cruciate ligament will be able to hold your knee in place without collapsing. Many people return to their active lifestyles, especially with physiotherapy or a rehabilitation program.

What happens During Surgery?

You are likely to be put under a general anesthesia before surgery commences. 

For keyhole surgery, your surgeon will make one or more cuts around your knee. An arthroscope (small camera) will be inserted through one or more of the cuts, allowing the surgeon to examine the inside of your knee, clean out any damaged tissue, and identify which areas of the ACL and meniscus need to be repaired.

For ACL reconstruction, your surgeon will remove the torn ligament and replace it with a band of suitable tissue (graft) from a different part of your body. This will then be connected to the bone via screws and anchors.

For meniscal repair, your surgeon will insert sutures into the torn edges of the meniscus in order to pull the tear together so that it can start to heal. 

The number of screws and sutures inserted into the knee will vary depending on the location and size of the tears. As a result, the length of surgery can vary between 90-120 minutes.

How long will I stay in hospital?

The majority of patients stay one night in hospital and return home the following day. 

What is my recovery time?

You will be given painkillers to reduce pain around your knee following surgery. 

In most cases you will have to wear a brace or cast to keep your knee stable.

You will also need to use crutches for a minimum of one month to keep weight off your knee.

Physiotherapy will help to increase your range of motion and strengthen your knee over time. 

A good recovery from ACL reconstruction and meniscal repair surgery takes 6-9 months depending on the patient and their rehabilitation program.  

Meet the Surgeons

Mr Santosh Jacob, orthopaedic surgeon for Self Pay Surgery at Mulgrave Private Hospital
Mr Santosh Jacob

Mr Santosh Jacob is a dual qualified orthopaedic surgeon. Having trained in Orthopaedics at world renowned Christian Medical College, Vellore in India in 2005, he requalified in Australia to receive his FRACS qualification in 2018. He has been a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon since 2005, completing Fellowships in arthroscopy, arthroplasty and sports surgery in Adelaide (2006), Sydney (2008) and Melbourne (2014)..

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SURGERY - criteria

Do you qualify for This Self Pay Procedure?

You are suitable for this surgery if:

  • You are over 16 years of age
  • You are not pregnant
  • You do not require complex rehabilitation or have a chronic disease that would require immediate post-operative care in an intensive care unit
  • You do not have sickle cell anaemia, renal failure or have had a cardiac arrest or cardiac intervention (e.g. insertions of stents) in the last six months
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Payment Plans

If you’re looking for ways to pay for your surgery, there are options available with Self Pay Surgery. From using your own superannuation, to getting finance from one of our Pay Later payment providers, check our Payment Plans page for the details.

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