Everything you need to know about arthroscopic surgery

What is Arthroscopy?

Arthroscopy allows an orthopedic surgeon to insert a pencil-thin instrument into a little incision in your joint (about the dimensions of the opening on a button). The instrument contains a light-weight and a camera, which sends a magnified view of your joint to a display screen, so your doctor can see the damage and make an accurate diagnosis. Arthroscopy provides more information than an imaging test.

Benefits of arthroscopy

• Less invasive than traditional open surgery
• Patients recover more quickly
• Usually less painful
• Fewer complications

WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR?

• If you suffer from any of the subsequent conditions, ask your doctor to ascertain if arthroscopy is an option for you:
• Rotator cuff injuries within the shoulder
• Joint inflammation
• Pinched nerves
• Shoulder instability (when the cartilage that lines the rim of the shoulder joint— the labrum—tears, the shoulder becomes loose and may become dislocated)
• Arthritis
• Loose bone or cartilage
• Baker’s cyst (a swollen sac behind the knee crammed with fluid)
• Misaligned kneecap

What happens during arthroscopic procedures?

During the procedure, you'll receive local or regional (sometimes even general) anesthesia so you're comfortable and don’t feel pain. Your surgeon will inject saline into the joint to inflate the surgical area, keep the view clear, and control bleeding.

Once your surgeon inspects your joint and diagnoses your problem, he/she has the choice of also performing arthroscopic surgery to repair the matter. The surgeon will make several other small incisions to insert surgical tools, using the image on the screen to guide the surgery.

Arthroscopic procedures are less invasive than traditional open surgery, which suggests patients recover more quickly, usually with less pain and fewer complications. However, if your knee or shoulder damage is critical, you'll need open surgery to repair it. Arthroscopy is especially beneficial for people that have structure injuries, which are common and sometimes debilitating. The muscles and tendons surrounding the ball-and-socket joint of your shoulder are called the structure. Traditionally, structure injuries were difficult to treat. Now, surgeons are starting to successfully employ arthroscopic procedures to repair these injuries.

Risks from arthroscopy

Fortunately, arthroscopic procedures are very safe, but, like all procedures, there are always potential risks. They include an allergy to the anesthesia, damage to the cartilage or ligaments, excessive bleeding, a grume within the leg, infection, joint stiffness, or injury to a vessel or nerve.

What happens after arthroscopy?

Arthroscopy is performed as an outpatient procedure, which suggests you'll return home an equivalent day. it'll take several days or every week for your incision to heal and you’ll likely experience some pain and discomfort for a minimum of every week. Your doctor may recommend stabilizing the joint because it heals and post-operative