Arthroscopic Surgery Specialist

Arthroscopic Surgery Q & A

What is arthroscopic surgery?

Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that the surgeons at Orthopedic Specialists use to get a clear view of the inside of a joint in order to diagnose and treat the source of your condition.

An arthroscope is a surgical instrument that passes through a small incision in your skin and into the joint. The arthroscope has a magnifying lens and a light that gives your surgeon a clear image of the tissues inside the joint. Film of the inside of the joint feeds back via a miniaturized camera on the arthroscope to a monitor screen.

What are the advantages of arthroscopic surgery?

The advantages of using this minimally invasive technique compared to open surgery include:

• Improved visualization and treatment of joint problems
• Less pain
• Small incisions
• Lower risk of complications
• Shorter recovery time
• Less chance of infection

Patients who undergo arthroscopic surgery generally do so on an outpatient basis, and most people can go home within a few hours.

Why would I need arthroscopic surgery?

When you see your physician at Orthopedic Specialists about joint pain, they begin the diagnostic process by reviewing your history, listening to your symptoms, and carrying out an examination. Diagnostics like X-rays, a CT scan, or an MRI can show detailed images of your joints, but in some cases, your physician needs to be able to view the actual joint tissues.

Surgeons commonly use arthroscopic surgery for examining and treating conditions in six of the body’s joints:

• Hip: femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), dysplasia (shallow hip socket), labral tears, hip joint infection, snapping hip syndromes
• Shoulder: synovitis, rotator cuff tears, shoulder impingement, recurrent dislocations, shoulder labrum tears
• Knee: meniscus tears in the knee, cartilage damage, ACL and knee ligament injuries, synovitis.
• Ankle: sprained ankle, inflammation, torn ligaments, or damage to the ankle cartilage
• Elbow: lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), scar tissue release, arthritis, damage to the humerus, synovitis.
• Wrist: carpal tunnel syndrome, synovitis, ganglion cysts, ligament tears

Many of these conditions are also treatable using arthroscopic surgery, or arthroscopy may be used alongside other surgical techniques for treating some joint problems. Arthroscopic surgery is often the best way to repair tendons and ligaments and remove loose pieces of bone or cartilage from a joint.

If you’re experiencing joint pain or loss of function and arthroscopy is the best option, the team at Orthopedic Specialists has considerable expertise and experience with carrying out arthroscopic surgery. Schedule a consultation online or by phone today to learn more.