ACL reconstruction replaces the torn ligament with a graft, usually taken from the patient’s own hamstring or patellar tendon. The procedure is done arthroscopically through keyhole portals and takes about 60 to 90 minutes under regional anaesthesia.

The surgery sounds bigger than it actually is. Most patients walk in on the morning of surgery and head home the same evening or the next day. The real work starts after, in rehab, where the knee learns to trust the new ligament again.

“Patients always ask if they’ll feel the new ligament. They won’t. What they will feel is a stable knee, no more giving way, and a real path back to sport if that’s the goal.” — Dr. Arpit C Dave, Arthroscopic Surgeon in Dahisar, Mumbai

Every ACL surgery follows a similar sequence, though small details shift based on graft choice and patient anatomy. The procedure is fully arthroscopic, no large cut, no opening up the knee. Below is what happens once you’re on the operating table.

For patients evaluating their options, ACL Tear Surgery in Dahisar, Mumbai covers graft choices and recovery timelines in detail.

The surgery itself is quick, an hour to ninety minutes for most cases. Recovery is the longer story. Patients usually walk with crutches for the first two weeks, ditch them by week four, and start jogging around month three. Return to pivoting sports comes between months six and nine, depending on graft healing and rehab progress.

• Week 1 to 2. Pain control, swelling management, gentle range-of-motion exercises.
• Week 3 to 6. Off crutches, walking improves, quadriceps strengthening becomes the focus.
• Month 2 to 4. Cycling, swimming, light gym work, knee starts feeling like itself again.
• Month 6 to 9. Sport-specific drills, agility training, return-to-play testing before clearance.

If you’re still trying to figure out whether what you have is a tear or a sprain, our ACL Tear vs Sprain guide walks through the early signs.

Dr. Arpit C Dave has spent over a decade focused on arthroscopic knee and shoulder work, with 6,000-plus surgeries behind him. His training spans Italy, Spain (with the FC Barcelona team), and France. The Dahisar, Mumbai clinic has in-house MRI and CT, and the rehab team works alongside the surgical plan from day one.

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