Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy is a procedure for diagnosing and treating joint problems. A surgeon inserts a narrow tube attached to a fiber-optic video camera through a small incision — about the size of a buttonhole. The view inside your joint is transmitted to a high-definition video monitor.

Arthroscopy allows the surgeon to see inside your joint without making a large incision. Surgeons can even repair some types of joint damage during the procedure, with pencil-thin surgical instruments inserted through additional small incisions.

Arthroscopy of joint conditions mostly affecting:

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

Diagnostic procedures

Doctors at Shreya Hospital in Ghaziabad often turn to arthroscopy if X-rays and other imaging studies have left some diagnostic questions unanswered.

Surgical procedures

Conditions treated include:

• Loose bone fragments
• Damaged or torn cartilage
• Inflamed joint linings
• Torn ligaments
• Scarring within joints

A small incision (about the size of a buttonhole) will be made to insert the arthroscope. Several other incisions may be made to see other parts of the joint or insert other instruments.

Corrective surgery is performed with specially designed instruments that are inserted into the joint through accessory incisions. Originally, arthroscopy was simply a diagnostic tool used for planning standard open surgery. However, with the development of better instrumentation and surgical techniques, many conditions can now be treated with arthroscopic techniques.

After arthroscopic surgery, the small incisions will be covered with a dressing. You will be moved from the operating room to a recovery room. Many patients need little or no pain medication.

Before being discharged, you will be given instructions on caring for your incisions, what activities to avoid, and which exercises you should do to aid your recovery. During the follow-up visit, the surgeon will inspect your incisions; remove sutures, if present; and discuss your rehabilitation program.

The amount of surgery required and recovery time will depend on the complexity of your problem. Occasionally, during arthroscopy, the surgeon may discover that the injury or disease cannot be treated adequately with arthroscopy alone. More extensive open surgery may be performed while you are still anesthetized, or at a later date after you have discussed the findings with your surgeon.