Lateral Release Surgery

Please don't flame but I have a serious question for anyone that has had this surgery. I've had two cartilage tears in the last 6 months on my right knee. The doctor feels I may have a tracking problem and asked me to consider having a lateral release, if needed. I'm in pain all the time right now, I can barely get up a flight of stairs so I need to get my knee fixed. I'm also very active in sports and what not so it's really killing me not to do those things. My only fear is the pre-op, as in the use of a catheter. If it's required, I'd rather my knee fall off first. I've never had one before and I've had three surgeries but all allowed me to wear my undergauments. They used GA on my last knee surgery but that was just a clean up as I told him not to do the LR then. I was mostly awake through my other two shoulder surgeries. Does anyone here remember that part of the procedure, I know it takes a long time and I was only under 20 minutes my last procedure and this one will at least take an hour if he does the clean-up and LR. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks