Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy or Arthroscopic surgery is a surgical procedure used to identify, visualize and treat any issues within joints using a special instrument called an arthroscope.

Arthroscope is afiberoptic tube containing a small camera or lens and lighting equipment to magnify and illuminate joint anatomy. The camera mounted to the arthroscope projects pictures of joint structures on a television screen, allowing surgeons to inspect the joint or other areas, such as ligaments, cartilage, and tendons to perform the repair.

Types of Arthroscopic Surgery:

Arthroscopic surgery procedure can be done at any joint. Shoulder and knee arthroscopy is the most frequently conducted procedure to repair cartilage injuries, meniscus, and rotator cuff tears. Here are some of the common types of arthroscopic surgeries:

• Knee arthroscopy
• Shoulder arthroscopy
• Hip arthroscopy
• Ankle arthroscopy
• Elbow arthroscopy
• Wrist arthroscopy

Arthroscopic surgeries are used to treat and diagnose a wide range of conditions. In most cases, the procedure is suggested for:

• Deformities and injuries of the articular cartilage
• Debridement & washout of the joints for osteoarthritis
• Elimination of loose bodies
• Meniscal tears
• Synovectomy
• ACL injury/Anterior cruciate ligament tears
• PCL injury/Posterior cruciate ligament tears
• Fixing of tibial plateau fractures with arthroscopic assistance
• Joint evaluation prior to joint replacement

Arthroscopic Surgery Procedure

The surgery is performed under local or general anaesthesia. Following a thorough cleaning of the operative region, the surgeon makes tiny keyhole incisions through which the arthroscope and other small devices created specifically for the surgery are inserted. Water is then irrigated into the joints to eliminate any blockages and to improve vision. The camera that is attached to the edge of the arthroscope permits the doctor to observe the joints’ structures via a TV screen and damaged structures are fixed. The arthroscope and instruments are then removed and the surgical cuts are closed using sutures or dressings made of sterile material.

The Advantages of Arthroscopic Surgery Over Open Surgery

The following are some of the advantages of arthroscopic surgery over traditional open surgery:

• It is normally possible to do this operation as an outpatient treatment.
• Because of the little incisions, swelling is greatly reduced.
• Because only the minimal healthy tissues are manipulated, the pain is significantly reduced.
• The pain is significantly reduced due to the minimal manipulating of the healthy tissues
• The risk of infection is reduced because of the minimally invasive method
• The chance of complications related to bleeding is extremely low
• A shorter stay in the hospital and a quicker recovery
• Very little scarring from the incision
• Because arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive treatment, there is a lower surgical risk.
• Usually success rate is higher than open joint procedure
• Both evaluation and operation can be completed in a single procedure.
• In comparison to large-sized surgical devices, arthroscopy uses microscopic instruments that cause less injury to surrounding tissues.