Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

What is arthroscopic knee surgery?

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique that uses a long, thin instrument called an arthroscope to diagnose and treat joint problems. An arthroscope has a light and camera lens at the end, which projects a magnified image of your knee onto a screen.

Using arthroscopy, your surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates can see your knee joint without making a large incision. In fact, the word arthroscopy means “to look within the joint.”

What are the benefits of arthroscopy?

Compared to traditional open surgery, arthroscopy requires a much smaller incision, about the size of a buttonhole. This offers numerous advantages, such as:

• Less scarring
• Decreased pain
• Shorter recovery time
• Reduced risk of complications

Arthroscopy is considered a minimally invasive procedure, which means your surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates creates the least amount of damage to healthy tissue. Open knee surgery requires an incision of about 6-10 inches.

When would I need arthroscopic knee surgery?

The skilled team at Orthopaedic Associates uses arthroscopy to diagnose and treat a wide range of knee problems. Common reasons for knee arthroscopy include:

• Repair a torn meniscus
• Reconstruct a torn ACL
• Remove fragments of bone or cartilage
• Remove inflamed synovial tissue

The team at Orthopaedic Associates may recommend arthroscopic knee surgery if you have knee pain that doesn’t improve with nonsurgical treatment.

What should I expect from arthroscopic knee surgery?

First, your provider at Orthopaedic Associates performs a thorough physical exam to make sure arthroscopic knee surgery is right for you. If so, they schedule an outpatient procedure at their ambulatory surgical center so you don’t need to go to the hospital.

The orthopaedic surgeons at Orthopaedic Associates perform knee arthroscopy using general, local, or regional anesthesia. They discuss the best option for you before your procedure.

During the procedure, they make a few small incisions in your knee. They insert the arthroscope, as well as specialized surgical instruments, into these incisions. Then, they close each incision and wrap your knee in a bandage.

Afterward, you should be able to go home in an hour or two. You should have someone else drive you home since you’ll be sleepy from the anesthesia.

To find out if arthroscopic knee surgery is right for you, call Orthopaedic Associates or book an appointment online today.