What is Arthroscopy?

Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure used by orthopedic surgeons to examine, diagnose and treat problems inside a joint. The joints most frequently examined via arthroscopy include the knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, hip and wrist joints.

Before the actual operation, the patient is given General, Local, or Spinal anesthesia, depending on the specifics of the actual operation. The orthopedic surgeon then makes a small cut (incision) in the skin and inserts a pencil-sized instrument into the joint. This instrument, the scope, is called a scope because it has a T.V. camera attached to it, which allows the doctor to see the inside of the joint on a television screen. Usually during the arthroscopy, the patient is allowed to observe the operation on the T.V. screen also. However, this depends on the preference of the physician.

Sometimes during arthoscopy, more tools are needed. These are tools used to cut, shave or remove small parts of the joint. If this is the case, the doctor will simply make one or two more cuts in the skin in order to insert these tools. No need to worry, however, these cuts are very small and heal quite quickly.

Arthroscopy is a very useful tool in orthopedic surgery. It allows the surgeon to see clearly inside of the joint and to diagnose the problem much more accurately and quickly than "open" surgery or by looking at X-rays or MRI scans. Arthroscopy also often saves a lot of healing time in cases where "open" surgery is not required. Most patients can have arthroscopic surgery as outpatients, which means they can go home several hours after their surgery. However, one must remember that each patient is an individual and recovery time will not always be the same.