Sports Medicine · Minimally Invasive Knee Surgery
Knee Arthroscopy in NY & NJ
Torn meniscus, loose cartilage, or a knee that catches and locks? Our fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeons treat it through a few small incisions — usually as same-day surgery. Serving Long Island, NY and northern New Jersey.
Fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeons
A few small incisions, not one large one
Usually home the same day
Surgery only when it’s the right answer
What Knee Arthroscopy Is
Knee arthroscopy is keyhole surgery for the inside of your knee. Instead of opening the joint, your surgeon makes a few small incisions and inserts a pencil-thin camera called an arthroscope. That camera sends a magnified view to a monitor, and thin instruments passed through the other incisions do the actual work.
The advantage is straightforward: less disruption to healthy tissue than open surgery, smaller incisions, and most patients going home the same day. It’s also diagnostic — your surgeon can see cartilage, meniscus, and ligaments directly, which sometimes shows more than an MRI does.
It’s one of several knee surgery options we offer, and it’s often the answer for mechanical problems inside the joint — the ones causing knee pain that catches, clicks, or locks.
What Knee Arthroscopy Treats
Meniscus tears
The most common reason for the procedure. Depending on the tear’s pattern, location, and blood supply, your surgeon may stitch it (a repair) or trim the damaged portion. Those two paths have very different recovery timelines.
Loose bodies
Fragments of cartilage or bone floating in the joint that cause catching or locking. Removing them is often dramatically effective.
Damaged cartilage
Rough or torn areas of joint surface can be smoothed or addressed with cartilage procedures in selected cases.
Alongside ligament surgery
ACL reconstruction is performed arthroscopically, and a torn meniscus is often addressed in the same operation.
An honest note on arthritis: arthroscopy is generally not the answer for knee pain caused mainly by osteoarthritis. Evidence has not supported “clean-out” procedures for arthritic knees, and we won’t recommend one just because it’s an option. If arthritis is driving your pain, we’ll talk about treatments that actually address it.
Do You Actually Need Knee Arthroscopy?
At Empire, we follow a step-up approach: start with the least invasive option that can solve the problem, and operate when it’s genuinely the right call. Many knee problems improve with time, physical therapy, activity changes, or an injection.
Arthroscopy is often the right choice when:
- Your knee catches, clicks, or locks — signs of a mechanical problem
- A meniscus tear or loose body is confirmed and causing symptoms
- Non-surgical treatment hasn’t resolved things
- Your knee gives way and imaging shows a structural cause
Non-surgical care may work well when:
- Pain is mainly from arthritis rather than a mechanical block
- Symptoms are improving on their own
- You haven’t yet given physical therapy a real trial
- Swelling and irritation may settle with time and activity changes
How Knee Arthroscopy Works
- You receive anesthesia — often a regional block with sedation, or general anesthesia.
- Your surgeon makes a few small incisions around the knee and inserts the arthroscope.
- Sterile fluid gently expands the joint so the camera can see clearly.
- Thin instruments repair or trim the meniscus, remove loose bodies, or address cartilage.
- Incisions are closed, and most patients go home the same day.
Repair vs. trim — the distinction that shapes your recovery
| Meniscus repair (stitched) | Meniscus trim (partial removal) | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | The tear is sewn back together | The damaged fragment is removed |
| Why | Preserves the cushion — better long-term for the joint | Used when the tear can’t heal, often due to poor blood supply |
| Recovery | Slower — the repair must heal, often with restrictions | Faster — often back to activity within weeks |
| Return to sport | Often around 4–6 months | Often around 4–8 weeks |
Two people can both have “meniscus surgery” and get completely different timelines. Ask your surgeon which one you’re having and why — it’s the single biggest factor in what your next few months look like.
Benefits and Risks
Possible benefits
- Relief from catching, locking, or giving way
- Small incisions and less tissue disruption than open surgery
- Usually same-day surgery
- A direct look inside the joint, which can refine the diagnosis
Possible risks
- Infection, bleeding, or a reaction to anesthesia
- Stiffness or swelling that takes time to settle
- Blood clots
- Ongoing pain if arthritis is also present
- The possibility of further surgery
No surgeon can promise a specific result. What we can promise is an honest conversation about whether arthroscopy is likely to help you — and telling you when it isn’t.
Recovery: What to Expect
Recovery depends heavily on what was done inside the knee. A trim and a repair are different operations in everything but name.
First few days: Rest, ice, elevation, and pain control. Crutches for some patients. Gentle motion begins early.
First 1–2 weeks: Swelling settles; incisions heal. Many desk workers return in this window.
Weeks 2–6: Physical therapy builds motion and quad strength. After a trim, many people resume normal activity here.
Months 2–4: After a repair, restrictions ease as healing allows and strengthening advances.
Return to sport: Often 4–8 weeks after a trim; often 4–6 months after a repair — and based on how the knee performs, not the calendar.
Don’t skip the rehab. The operation removes the mechanical problem; physical therapy rebuilds the strength that keeps the knee working. Quad strength is usually the deciding factor in how good the result feels.
Meet Your Sports Medicine Surgeons
Salvatore Corso, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon · Sports Medicine
Dr. Corso is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a subspecialty board certification in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine and a fellowship in arthroscopy and sports medicine. With more than 20 years of experience and over 10,000 orthopedic procedures, he has lectured nationally on arthroscopic surgery of the knee, shoulder, and other joints. He is Co-Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at Mercy Medical Center and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Jeffrey Guttman, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon · Sports Medicine
Dr. Guttman is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine and more than 20 years in practice. He completed his orthopedic residency at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, a Columbia University hospital, where he served as Chief Resident, followed by a sports medicine fellowship in Philadelphia. He holds privileges at Northwell Health–Plainview, Mercy Hospital, and Hudson Regional Hospital.
Because Empire combines orthopedic surgery and pain management under one roof, you don’t need a separate referral if pain control becomes part of your plan.
Why Patients Choose Empire
- Fellowship-trained, board-certified sports medicine surgeons
- A step-up approach — we’ll tell you when surgery isn’t the answer
- Arthroscopic technique with small incisions and same-day surgery
- Orthopedic surgery and pain management in one practice
- Convenient locations across Long Island, NY and northern New Jersey
See all the areas we serve.
Knee Arthroscopy FAQs
How long does it take to recover from knee arthroscopy?
It depends on what was done. After a meniscus trim, many people return to normal activity within a few weeks. After a meniscus repair, recovery is longer — often several months — because stitched tissue has to heal.
Is knee arthroscopy painful?
You feel nothing during surgery. Afterward, most discomfort is managed with medication, ice, and elevation, and it typically eases over the first week or two.
Will I need crutches?
Some patients use crutches briefly for comfort. If your meniscus was repaired, your surgeon may limit how much weight you put through the leg while it heals.
How soon can I drive?
It depends on which knee, whether you’re off narcotic pain medication, and whether you can control the leg in an emergency stop. Ask your surgeon before driving.
Does knee arthroscopy help arthritis?
Generally not, when arthritis is the main source of pain. Evidence hasn’t supported “clean-out” arthroscopy for arthritic knees. If you have both arthritis and a mechanical problem like locking, your surgeon will talk through what’s realistic.
Will insurance cover knee arthroscopy?
It’s often covered when medically indicated, but plans differ and coverage varies by location. Our team will verify your benefits before scheduling.
Request a Knee Consultation
Knee catching, locking, or swelling and not settling? Get an evaluation with a board-certified sports medicine surgeon. We’ll examine the knee, review your imaging, and tell you honestly whether arthroscopy would help — or whether something less invasive makes more sense.
Long Island, NY: (516) 229-1443 · New Jersey: (732) 630-7246
We see knee patients across our Long Island, NY and northern New Jersey offices. Hurt in an accident or on the job? We also treat injury and accident cases and document your care for your claim.
Pain treatments are covered by most major medical insurances including Medicare, Workers Comp, No Fault & Others.
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Meet Our Pain Management & Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. Monica Misak
Interventional Pain Specialist
Dr. James Yu, D.O.
Board Certified Anesthesiologist
Board Certified Interventional
Pain Management Physician
Dylan J. O'Rourke
Certified Physician Assistant
Pain Conditions Affecting Daily Life
Improve your quality of life with our comprehensive approach to pain management
We are dedicated to finding individualized treatment options tailored to fit your needs. Our team is dedicated to helping you lead a productive and active life, free from pain and disruption.
We use an integrative approach to conduct a comprehensive evaluation and assess your condition.
Physical examination and review of your medical history. We assess the cause of your pain, determine its severity and duration, and help you develop an individualized treatment plan.
We provide a range of treatments and procedures to address your chronic pain. These include nerve blocks, injections, physical therapy, implantable therapies and more. We also offer health education to help you better manage your condition.