What is arthroscopic surgery?
Arthroscopic surgery is a procedure in which your surgeon accesses a damaged or diseased joint in your body. During this procedure, your surgeon can view the joint in great detail, including all of its surfaces and structures, to look for problems and diagnose issues.
Arthroscopic surgery can also treat a variety of problems in your joints, making it a common treatment for chronic back pain, knee pain, and other kinds of pain.
What is the process for arthroscopic surgery?
You’ll receive local, regional, or general anesthesia based on the specific condition and procedure. Most arthroscopic surgeries require only local anesthesia, and most are outpatient procedures.
During arthroscopic procedures, your surgeon creates very small ports (incisions) above a specific joint. They insert a slim, pencil-sized tool, the arthroscope, into one port. The arthroscope has a tiny camera and light so your surgeon can view the inside of your joint on a bedside monitor.
If your surgeon needs to perform any type of correction, like removing loose cartilage or repairing torn tendons, they insert surgical tools through additional tiny ports nearby.
What conditions can arthroscopy diagnose?
Your Mid Atlantic Orthopedic Associates, LLP, the surgeon can use arthroscopy to identify a variety of problems in areas like the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, hips, and ankles. Common issues your doctor may diagnose using this method include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Ligament tears, such as ACL and PCL tears
- Tendon tears, such as biceps tendon tears
- Scar tissue inside joints
- Loose bodies, including cartilage and bone fragments
- Cartilage loss or damage
- Joint lining inflammation
Depending on the circumstances, your surgeon may perform any corrective procedures immediately following your diagnosis.
What conditions does arthroscopic surgery treat?
The skilled surgeons at Mid Atlantic Orthopedic Associates, LLP, primarily use arthroscopy for knee and shoulder surgery. Some of the many problems your specialist can treat using arthroscopic surgery can include:
- Loose body removal
- Rotator cuff repair
- Ligament reconstruction
- Knee meniscus repair or replacement
- Carpal tunnel release
- Inflamed joint lining removal
Arthroscopic surgery is now the preferred approach for many procedures that once required major surgery.
What are the advantages of arthroscopic surgery?
When compared to open surgery with a single long incision, arthroscopic surgery gives you many advantages, including:
- Outpatient procedure that allows same-day discharge
- Very small incisions
- Minimal bleeding
- Lowered risk of infection
- Reduced scarring
- Less pain
You’ll also be able to resume your normal activities soon after you’ve healed.
