ACL Ally
Sign in
All guides
Surgery prep · 5 min

What to expect on surgery day

From check-in to the car ride home: fewer surprises, less anxiety.

The day, hour by hour

Most ACL reconstructions are outpatient: check-in, anesthesia consult, a 1–2 hour procedure, and 1–2 hours in recovery. You will be home the same day, groggy and braced.

The first 48 hours

Expect more grogginess than pain on day one: the nerve block does its job, then wears off. Stay ahead of it: meds on schedule, leg elevated, quad sets as soon as your surgeon allows.

From this guide

These actions arrive with appointments and plans.

Guides educate, your care team decides. Bring the questions, not the printout.