How much does meniscus surgery (meniscectomy) cost privately in the UK? (2026)

Private meniscus surgery treats a torn knee cartilage by trimming (meniscectomy) or stitching (repair) the torn piece through keyhole cuts, and is considered for locking, catching or persistent pain after a clear tear.

Several UK hospital groups publish guide prices on their websites. In the listings we retrieved, meniscus surgery (meniscectomy) ran from £4,289 to £5,090, depending on the hospital, the variant listed and what that provider counts in its price. The table shows each entry as published.

Because each provider defines its package differently, the cheapest figure in a list is not automatically the best value. Compare what each includes before you compare totals.

A camera and instruments are inserted through small cuts, and the surgeon either trims the torn piece or stitches it where the blood supply allows. The procedure typically takes under an hour.

The choice between trimming and repair is made partly during surgery, so ask how a change of plan affects the price and your recovery.

Degenerative meniscus tears are common in people over middle age and often cause little trouble, and trials show that exercise-based physiotherapy gives similar outcomes to arthroscopic surgery for many. Surgery is considered for locking, catching or a clear traumatic tear.

Repair is preferred in younger people with a suitable tear, because preserving the meniscus protects the joint. Understanding whether your tear is degenerative or traumatic helps decide whether surgery is necessary.

The headline figure hides several moving parts. In the case of meniscus surgery (meniscectomy), the following tend to decide where a quote lands.

• Trim versus repair: repairs use anchors or sutures and need a longer recovery, costing more than trimming.

• Hospital pricing: Ramsay lists an arthroscopic meniscectomy including debridement at £4,289 at Park Hill and £5,090 at The Cherwell.

• Anaesthetic and theatre time.

• Pre-operative MRI.

• Consultant fees.

A fixed price is only as useful as its small print. Here is how the common items tend to divide between included and extra.

Insurers normally cover meniscus surgery for clear mechanical problems.

Insured patients should confirm the benefit limit, the excess and whether the consultant is on the insurer list. Self-funders can compare a fixed package price against an itemised estimate, and ask whether credit is available.

NHS meniscus surgery is offered for locking and clear tears, with degenerative tears usually managed with physiotherapy first.

If you are weighing private against NHS care, remember that NHS referral gives you a right to choose a provider in England and an 18-week standard for non-urgent treatment. Check current waits in your area before deciding.

After a trim you can often walk the same day and return to desk work within days to weeks; a repair means limited weight-bearing and months before sport.

Ask your provider to explain, in writing if possible, what is covered if the course of care changes.

• Removing meniscus tissue increases the risk of later arthritis, so surgeons try to repair when possible; discuss the options and the cost of each.

• Infection, clots and stiffness are uncommon but possible.

Ask each provider for an itemised written estimate, then put them side by side. These questions are specific to this procedure.

• Is the quote for trimming, repair or both?

• Does a change of plan change the price?

• What rehabilitation is included?

• Is an MRI needed first?

• Is the consultant fee, anaesthetist fee and hospital fee shown separately, and are any of them estimated rather than fixed?