After the surgery, you will have an ace bandage on your knee over the incision dressing. Most people go home the same day they have surgery. Your doctor will give you an exercise program to follow.

Whether or not you have a full recovery after knee arthroscopy depends on what type of problem was treated.

Problems such as a torn meniscus, broken cartilage, Baker's cyst, and problems with the synovium are usually fixed easily. Many patients remain active after these surgeries.

Recovery from simple procedures is usually fast. You may need to use crutches for a while so that you do not put weight on your knee and to control pain. This will depend on what kind of surgery you had. Your doctor may also prescribe pain medicine.

Recovering from more complicated procedures will take longer. When anything in your knee is repaired or rebuilt, you may not be able to walk without crutches or a knee brace for several weeks. Full recovery may take several months to a year.

If you also have arthritis in your knee, you will still have arthritis symptoms after surgery to repair other damage to your knee.