A common ACL knee surgery at surgery center facility in U.S. includes
| |
Units |
Avg Cash price |
Provider |
Provider fee to repair knee ligament (acl or pcl)
Front of knee (ACL)
Standard
|
1 |
$1,278 |
Facility |
Surgery center fee to repair knee ligament (acl or pcl)
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$4,842 |
Imaging |
Radiology fee for MRI of hip, knee, or ankle joint
Standard
Standard
|
1 |
$320 |
Prescriptions |
HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN
Standard
Standard
|
30 |
$16 |
Equipment |
Non-wood underarm crutches
Pair
Standard
|
1 |
$65 |
Anesthesia |
Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure
Level 2
Standard
|
1 |
$134 |
Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure
Per minute
Standard
|
198 |
$396 |
Total average cash price |
|
ACL knee surgery is a procedure done by an orthopedic surgeon to repair a ligament within your knee if it becomes damaged. To understand what ACL surgery is, we need to understand the job of the ACL.
The ACL is a ligament within your knee; ligaments are stiff bands of rope-like tissue that connect your joints and give them strength. ACL stands for “anterior cruciate ligament.” It pairs with the posterior cruciate ligament. These two ligaments work together to prevent the bones that make up your knee from sliding forwards and backward when you move your knee.
While the ACL is not necessary to participate in most activities, a damaged ACL can reduce performance while running, playing contact sports, and in some highly physical jobs. For this reason, if a patient is young, healthy, and active, an orthopedic surgeon will generally recommend that a repair be performed.
Your doctor may suspect an ACL injury if you feel a sudden “pop” or pain in your knee while lifting heavy objects, participating in sports, or performing another physical activity. This injury results in knee pain, swelling, and discomfort with walking, but gradually improves over days to weeks. You may be left with a sensation that the knee is “giving out” during certain activities.
To diagnose an ACL injury, your doctor will perform an “anterior drawer test” where they pull on the knee to determine if the ACL is intact. If they suspect an injury, they will usually order an MRI of the knee and refer you to an orthopedic surgeon to discuss the possibility of surgery.
In short, no. While the pain and swelling from an ACL tear will improve within days to weeks, this does not mean that the ACL is healing; rather, it indicates the swelling following the tear is decreasing.
While an ACL cannot heal without surgery, this does not mean surgery is always necessary. Many individuals with ACL tears never notice they are injured and are not limited in their daily activities by the tear.
It is not harmful to wait for surgery; months to years may pass between diagnosis and your operation. This wait has little effect on the outcome of surgery. However, some other knee injuries require immediate surgery. If you have a painful knee injury, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
Thankfully, ACL surgery is considered minor surgery. It generally takes about 2 hours to perform, and you will return home the same day in almost all cases.
While ACL surgery is painful, the pain is easily managed with medication. For the first week after surgery, your doctor will likely give you prescription pain medication. After the first week, most individuals’ pain is greatly reduced, with occasional Tylenol or ibuprofen being all that is needed.
Full recovery from an ACL injury in an athlete or highly active individual takes months. Luckily, for the typical American, this timeline is significantly reduced.
- You will be able to walk around the house (with a leg brace and crutches) one day after surgery.
- You will use crutches for the first two weeks on average.
- You will begin physical therapy in the first two weeks and continue for several weeks on average. Athletes will undergo longer and more intense treatment.
- Standing for long periods of time and walking long distances (again with the brace) will be possible after three to four weeks.
- You will be able to remove the leg brace about six weeks after surgery.
- Full recovery is expected around two to six months.
ACL surgery is very common. Surgeons’ experience with this procedure translates into excellent success rates. ACL surgery has very few complications and even fewer failures requiring a return to the operating room.
Returning to work after ACL surgery depends heavily on your job. Office work with light walking and regular sitting/standing can be resumed as early as two weeks. A job that requires lifting/running/or extended periods on your feet without rest will generally require six to twelve weeks of recovery before returning.
Many physical jobs have modifications available that can make your return to work quicker and easier. Speak with your surgeon regarding your specific case and any modifications they may recommend to your working environment before and after surgery.
About the ACL knee surgery Average Cash Prices
Surgery centers, also known as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), are independent, licensed medical
facilities that are governed by distinct regulatory requirements compared with a hospital. Procedures
performed at an ASCs are often less expensive than when they are performed at an outpatient hospital,
but they typically offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full-range of support
services that a hospital provides.
