As medicine has advanced over the years, surgical techniques have been trending towards less and less invasive procedures. The goal is to minimize the invasiveness of surgical procedures in an attempt to reduce risk to the patient. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure designed to help doctors diagnose and treat joint conditions. Arthroscopic procedures have been revolutionary for orthopedic specialists and greatly helped advance the field and reduce risk to the patient. While no procedure is without risk, arthroscopy comes with many benefits that greatly outweigh the risks.
Arthroscopic surgery includes making a few small incisions near the affected joint. Sterile solution and a camera are inserted into the incisions to give the surgeon a view of what is going on inside the joint. Depending on the joint that is being worked on, the camera may differ in size. For example, the camera used for a wrist will be significantly smaller than a camera used for the knee. Arthroscopic surgery can be used by a physician to diagnose a problem more accurately or to treat a problem once it has been diagnosed. It is most commonly used on the knee and shoulder joints. However, it can technically be used on any joint in the body.
Every medical procedure comes with a certain list of risks and potential complications. Every person’s body is different, so it is impossible to determine exactly how a person will respond to arthroscopy. However, in general, arthroscopic surgery comes with far fewer risks than traditional surgery. Some of the benefits include a lower risk of complications due to smaller incision sites, less pain post-op, and less scarring. In addition, patients are typically up and moving in a much shorter timeframe than patients who undergo traditional surgery.
Patients who undergo arthroscopic procedures can expect to feel some pain the next day. However, after the healing process is completed, arthroscopic procedures tend to have better outcomes than open procedures. Patients who undergo arthroscopic procedures find they have less pain and an easier recovery than those who undergo traditional surgery. Most patients are able to return to work within a few days and most normal activities within a few weeks. Full recovery may take a few months but is still less than open surgery.
Arthroscopic surgery has become relatively commonplace over the years. It is used to help physicians diagnose joint problems by helping them visually see the joint. It is also used to fix joint problems. Arthroscopy has become a revolutionary diagnostic and treatment tool. It has greatly reduced the risk of complications, pain, side effects, and recovery time for many patients. As people continue to live longer and longer, physicians see more and more joint problems because the body has longer to break down. This has made arthroscopic surgery an invaluable tool for physicians. There has been a longtime trend in medicine, moving towards less and less invasive procedures. The less invasive the procedure, the safer it is for the patient to undergo. Less downtime and safer procedures mean arthroscopic surgery is here to stay.
