Arthroscopy Procedures
The General Procedure
Arthroscopy refers to a surgical technique that is minimally invasive and can be done on an out-patient basis in most cases. Many people will have arthroscopy done in their lifetime, especially if they are an athlete or suffer from arthritis that hinders a joint that causes pain.
An orthopedic surgeon using this type of technology to explore joints and sometimes do minor techniques to give patients relief from pain. In the case of arthritis, for example, a surgeon can go into the hip or an ankle and clean the joint of any debris that is caused by arthritis and calcification that breaks off and impedes the movement of the joint.
More Arthroscopy
Shoulders
Shoulder injuries are quite common and often are due to tears of the soft tissues. Sometimes ligaments are actually torn from the bone where they are supposed to be attached. This is called an ‘insertion point’ and it is impossible to properly move when the muscle becomes detached from the bone. The ligaments play an important role in every moving joint in the body. Your body will develop arthritis and sometimes bursitis when a shoulder is injured. The bursa is a sack within the joint that several ligaments and tendons must maneuver inside of.
When the bursa becomes inflamed, the fluid pushes those working parts together. When they rub, it causes even more irritation and sometimes clicking and grinding noises. Arthroscopy is used to go into the joint with a tiny camera, so the doctor can see with clarity what is happening and correct it. Sometimes debris is cleaned from the joint. Sometimes a ligament is reattached or repaired. Arthroscopy enables the orthopedic team to fix the cause of the pain in a relatively easy manner, which means less recovery time and pain for the patient.
Elbows
Sometimes people begin to suffer from something called ‘tennis elbow’ but it isn’t only a problem for tennis players. It can be from a repetitious movement that might be a result of other sports or even the work that someone does for a living. Tennis elbow causes pain when attempting to pick up something as simple as a sheet of paper. When you are trying to put your keys in the front door and have pain with the twisting motion, that is one of the many symptoms of tennis elbow. Arthroscopy allows a specialized surgeon to repair the damage to the tendon that is the root cause of the condition.
During the procedure, your tendon will be reattached using one of several methods that typically include using a small device that almost looks like a tiny screen. It attaches over the top of the tendon and the bone, where it helps hold the reattachment in place. This process works very well is the joint is then immobilized to allow time for the body to regrow tissues over the top of that piece of screen. It helps solidify the connection and make it strong enough not to easily break free ever again. The key is in giving our body time to heal properly. Typically, after an exploratory surgery of a joint, you will be required to keep the joint completely still if a repair was made.
Knees
In the case of a knee procedure where a meniscus is repaired, you will be in a brace for a given amount of time. In some surgeries, the knee cap is moved out of the way to reach the area behind the cap. Arthroscopic surgery on this joint generally results in there being three holes triangulated around the joint. Different instruments are inserted in two of the holes, while the camera remains in the third opening, allowing the surgical team the ability to watch on a live television screen what is happening in real time.
By having a camera inside the joint, more than one doctor can be present to watch on the video monitor screen what is happening and translate what they see. It can be critical to diagnosis and treatment for some patients. Additionally, medical students can learn by observing actual surgical techniques being performed from monitors in another room. Video can be saved to use for training purposes or to even show a patient what was done after they wake from anesthesia.
There are some surgeries that can be done with the patient awake and a nerve block has been done so they feel no pain. It depends on the procedure, the patient, and the doctor’s preference.
Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel correction is often performed after arthroscopy is performed to rule out other issues in the joint. Carpal tunnel is a condition where the myelitis sheath is inflamed in the area of the lower forearm. The tendons of the wrist are within this sheath and repetitious movement typically causes this problem. Those who have done a lot of typing at their job will sometimes have this issue. It can be alleviated by using proper posture and wrist support when necessary. Wrists allowed to drop in a position that isn’t straight can cause carpal tunnel. It requires an operation, braces, and a recovery time. Some people get a lot of relief from using ice and braces, but when the pain gets to be too much, you’ll more than likely end up having an arthroscopic procedure done to give you relief. The hand is something that we use so often that you will ultimately lose your mobility and ability to function without help if you don’t have the surgical repair done.
Some people suffer from issues of the spine, especially in the area of the neck. Exploratory procedures have empowered the medical community to be able to perform work that might have been considered an outright miracle just fifty years ago. The nerves of the spine are located within the center of the vertebra that runs up and down the entire length of your back. One small mistake and paralysis is possible. Nerve damage that is even slight can result in numbness and tingling that may never go away. Using surgical techniques that are state of the art is essential in treating patients in the best and safest ways possible.
