|
Arthroscopic Surgery
Arthroscopic surgery is a common orthopedic procedure that is used to
diagnose and treat problems in joints. The word "arthroscopy" comes from two
Greek words: 'arthro,' meaning "joint," and 'scope,' meaning "look." Simply,
arthroscopic surgery is a means to look inside a joint. But arthroscopy is
much more than that!
Arthroscopic surgery is most commonly performed on the knee and shoulder
joints. Less commonly arthroscoped joints include the wrist, elbow, ankle
and hip. The reason the knee and shoulder are the most commonly arthroscoped
joints is that they are large enough to manipulate the instruments around,
and they are amenable to arthroscopic surgery treatments.
When a knee arthroscopy is performed, a camera is inserted into the joint
through a small incision (about one centimeter). The arthroscopic surgery
camera is attached to a fiberoptic light source and shows a picture of the
inside of the joint on a television monitor. The surgeon uses water under
pressure to "inflate" the knee allowing more maneuverability and to remove
any debris. One or more other incisions are made to insert instruments that
can treat the underlying problem. For example, a shaver can be inserted to
trim the edges of a cartilage tear.
Finally,
understand that arthroscopic surgery is a surgical procedure and involves
risks. These may include infection, blood clots, problems with anesthesia,
etc. These are serious risks and the decision to undergo arthroscopic
surgery should be taken seriously. Ask your doctor for more information
about arthroscopic surgery.
|