Arthroscopic Surgery popularly known as "BUTTON HOLE SURGERY" of joints, is minimally invasive in comparison to traditional open surgery.
Arthroscopy is a minimal invasive surgical procedure which involves examination and treatment of problems inside a joint. In this procedure a small incision (about 1 cm only) is made on the patient’s skin and then an arthroscope (similar to endoscope) which has a narrow tube like structure and has a camera and light source in it, is inserted into the patient’s joint. With the help of arthroscope a magnified view of inside the joint can be seen on a larger screen and then after visualizing problem, other small incisions are made by which small surgical instruments are inserted and then damaged part is treated.
Types of Arthroscopic Surgery
Arthroscopic surgery could potentially be performed on any synovial joint, and as time passes, more and more different joints are being arthroscopically treated. Common types of arthroscopy include:
- Knee Arthroscopy
- Shoulder Arthroscopy
- Hip Arthroscopy
- Ankle Arthroscopy
- Elbow Arthroscopy
- Wrist Arthroscopy
The conditions that can be treated through surgery using Arthroscopy include:
- Torn or otherwise damaged cartilages
- Loose bone fragments
- Joint infections
- Inflamed joint linings
- Scarring within the joints
- Torn ligaments
The complications that may occur in an arthroscopy are rather uncommon, but may include:
- Tissue damage, the movement and the placement of the procedural instruments in the joint can possible damage the structure.
- Infection, as is possible with any type of surgery, arthroscopy also may cause some infection.
- Blood clots, through rare, any procedure that lasts for more than an hour carries the risk of blood clots forming in the lungs or the legs.