Private Knee Surgery in Swindon

If you’re living with pain or stiffness in your knee joint, or a lack of mobility in your knee, it can make everyday activities a struggle. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Whether your knee pain is a result of a knee injury, or is caused by a condition such as arthritis or bursitis, our team of specialists is on hand to find the right treatment for you.

It might be that you don’t need knee surgery, and that your symptoms can be managed and treated with non-invasive methods such as physiotherapy or joint injections. For others, surgery will be the best option to treat knee pain.

When you visit our knee consultants at The Ridgeway Hospital in Swindon, we’ll help you find the best option for your individual circumstances.  

At The Ridgeway Hospital, our team of orthopaedic surgeons have a special interest in lower limb joint replacement and reconstruction.  

Below is a list of some of the most commonly seen conditions here at the hospital: 

Whether you need knee surgery will depend on various factors, for example which condition is causing your knee pain, and how much damage there is to the joint.  

At The Ridgeway Hospital, our consultant knee surgeons will only suggest knee surgery if we feel it’s the best option for you as an individual.

What problems can be treated with knee surgery? 

At The Ridgeway Hospital we offer various types of knee surgery, including total knee replacement surgery and partial knee replacement surgery, as well as operations on the soft tissues of the knee – including ligament reconstructions and arthroscopy. 

People come to us with any or all of the following symptoms: 

Knee replacements are one of the most common surgeries we perform, with demand increasing year on year. Patients generally need the surgery to repair joint damage caused by one of the following: 

• Osteoarthritis

• Post-traumatic osteoarthritis

• Rheumatoid or other inflammatory arthritis

We will take a full medical history and ask you about your knee symptoms and how they are impacting your everyday life. We may need to perform some tests on the day, as well as undertaking a full examination of the knee. You may be asked to complete a knee-specific standardised questionnaire. 

Your GP may have gone through all the available options before the initial consultation – including painkillers, modifying your activity, relevant exercises, reducing weight, physiotherapy, and using walking aids.  

If you haven’t tried any of these non-surgical methods of reducing knee pain, we can try them here at The Ridgeway. Some people will be at a stage where a knee replacement operation is the only or the best option left to them, however we like to be certain that other methods have been attempted – or at least ruled out – first.    

At The Ridgeway Hospital, we offer wide array of knee surgery procedures, ranging from less invasive operations to major surgical procedures. They tend to fall under two categories: open surgery, and laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery.

Keyhole Surgery at The Ridgeway Hospital

Keyhole knee surgery is done using a tool called an arthroscope and is referred to as arthroscopy.  

Predominantly, keyhole surgery is used for sports injuries to the knee involving the menisci (cartilages), joint surfaces and joint lining (synovium). It can also assist major reconstruction operations, such as ACL reconstruction and osteotomies. It can sometimes be used in the management of degenerative and arthritis conditions too. 

Common arthroscopic operations we perform here at The Ridgeway Hospital include: 

Knee replacement surgery can help relieve pain and restore function in severely diseased knee joints. Most knee replacements attempt to replicate the knee's natural ability to roll and glide as it bends. 

There are two main types of knee replacement surgery: total and partial. Which one you are recommend will depend on the pattern and severity of the arthritic condition.  

During the knee replacement operation, damaged bone and cartilage (joint surfaces) as well as thickened joint lining from the patient’s thighbone, shinbone and kneecap are removed. These are replaced with an artificial joint made of metal alloys and high-grade plastic (polyethylene).   

A partial knee replacement is not possible for every person. But, for those who can have one, a partial knee replacement can work better than a full knee replacement. They can last just as long and cause fewer complications than traditional total joint replacements.  

You may be a good candidate for knee surgery if your pain is disabling. For example, if you have problems walking, climbing the stairs or getting in and out of chairs. Some people may experience moderate or severe knee pain when they are resting, too. 

If your pain affects your normal day-to-day activities, including sports, you may also be considered for knee surgery, should you want it.  

Below are some other reasons that may make you a good candidate for the surgery: 

• If you have severe end-stage arthritic changes on x-ray or scan

• If other treatments haven’t helped, including physical therapy, weight loss, activity modification, a stick and other walking aids, injections, and keyhole surgery

• If you have a deformity of the knee – for example, if your knee bows in or out

• If you are 55 or older. (While knee replacement can be performed on adults of all ages, it is typically recommended for those aged 55 or older who are suffering with knee-related pain or discomfort associated with end-stage osteoarthritis.)

To be considered for knee surgery at The Ridgeway Hospital, your general health must be good, too. Patients with sleep apnoea, poorly controlled diabetes, obesity with a high body mass index of over 43, poorly controlled cardiac, circulatory or respiratory disease are not considered suitable for surgery with us. Conditions such as diabetes, poor circulation, multiple conditions or infections can complicate surgery and recovery. 

All 50 of our patient rooms at BMI The Ridgeway Hospital offer the privacy and comfort of en-suite facilities, including a TV. 

Equipped to a high standard, the rooms provide a relaxed and comfortable environment, which is conducive to rapid recovery and convalescence. 

Our hospital is home to an imaging suite that offers a full and extensive range of services, including an Open MRI and CT scanning facility, the hospital’s physiotherapy department incorporates fitness, health screening and wellbeing, along with a large, well-equipped gym and hydrotherapy pool. 

We have three theatres, one of which is home to a Stryker Nav Suite, which is a completely integrated computer assisted surgery solution with a ceiling-mounted camera that tracks instrumentation.  

Other benefits when you choose The Ridgeway Hospital include:  

The majority of our patients come from Wiltshire and the surrounding towns and villages, but we welcome patients from further afield.  

Some people travel further to see us in order to get a second opinion, or following recommendations from surgeons abroad for specific consultants in our knee clinic. The Ridgeway Hospital covers a huge catchment area – all around Swindon and including a lot of small towns and villages.  

Looking for a knee surgeon in Wiltshire? Book an appointment with The Ridgeway Hospital by using our handy online booking system to schedule an appointment. You can view individual surgeon profiles of our specialist knee surgeons via the website too.