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With any ACL surgery, complications are a possibility, and can range from infections to nerve injury. This eMedTV resource lists both major and minor complications associated with this procedure and explains their likelihood of occurring.
It is normal to experience pain and swelling after ACL reconstruction. This portion of the eMedTV Web site discusses how the pain will improve over time with physical therapy and explains that permanent pain is extremely rare.
You can expect to have some decreased knee motion following ACL surgery. However, as this eMedTV resource explains, you will gradually recover the amount of motion you had prior to surgery over the next several months.
Only 4 out of 10,000 patients develop an infection following ACL reconstruction surgery. This page of the eMedTV site explains how sterile techniques are always used and antibiotics are given to patients prior to surgery to prevent infections.
It is normal to experience minor bleeding with ACL reconstruction. As this article on the eMedTV Web site explains, however, if the bleeding during the surgery becomes serious, a blood transfusion may be required.
During any surgery, there is a chance of an allergic reaction, and ACL reconstruction is no exception. As this eMedTV page explains, these reactions are usually caused by drugs used during surgery and may result in itchy eyes, runny nose, or rashes.
After your ACL surgery, a scar will form. As explained in this part of the eMedTV archives, although most scars are normal-looking (and unavoidable with surgery), how the scar looks is not an indication of the success of your surgery.
If you have a graft failure and ACL surgery was performed, this eMedTV article explains that a repeat surgery and placement of a new graft is usually required. Grafts can fail for many reasons, but re-rupture of the graft after surgery is rare.
Nerve injury with ACL surgery can occur, but it is rare and happens in less than 1 out of 5,000 procedures. This eMedTV page describes nerve functions and explains how the nerve under the skin in front of the knee can be cut during ACL surgery.
Some people may feel like their knee is "loose" after ACL reconstruction. As this section of the eMedTV archives explains, it's possible to experience knee loosening following ACL surgery, but if symptoms worsen, a repeat surgery may be needed.
As this eMedTV page explains, a potential complication of ACL surgery is a fractured kneecap. With ACL reconstruction, if the graft was taken from the front of the knee, the kneecap can fracture because part of the bone has been removed.
Equipment failure during ACL reconstruction is a potential complication. As this section of the eMedTV library explains, medical equipment is regularly tested and meets FDA standards, but it is possible for these products to fail or malfunction.
There is a small risk associated with using an allograft for ACL surgery and the transmission of disease. This eMedTV page explains what allografts are and discusses the likelihood of contracting a disease secondary to the allograft.
Some procedures may result in blood clots, and ACL surgery has a small risk of this occurring. This eMedTV resource explains how blood clots form, describes where a clot can develop in ACL surgery, and discusses treatment options.
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