The arthroscope is a medical imaging tool first developed to aid the planning of a conventional open surgery procedure. Typically used for joint repair, arthroscopy led to the development of special instruments that could also work through keyhole incisions.
Today, arthroscopic surgery is a crucial player in minimally invasive medicine, procedures designed to do as little damage as possible to tissue surrounding the surgical field. Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine specializes in arthroscopic surgery, offering its benefits to their patients whenever possible.
About the diameter of a pencil, the arthroscope uses fiber optics to deliver light and receive images from inside your body. This allows for evaluation of the condition of joints beyond the range of external devices like CT scans or X-rays and without requiring large incisions for the surgeon’s direct observation.
After the arthroscope came into common use, development started on surgical tools that also accessed joints through small incisions. The surgeon manipulates these tools while viewing through the arthroscope. Repairs and removal of excess tissue happen through these small incisions, limiting the impact on surrounding healthy tissue.
Advances in surgical procedures only happen when they make a job easier or reduce the impact of the treatment on the patient. Arthroscopy offers significant improvements in the field of orthopedics. Here are 4 of the primary advantages of arthroscopic surgery.
As we’ve already seen, incisions are small, often less than one-half inch in length. This reduces postoperative scarring as a visible benefit. The significant benefits lay under the surface. Muscle tissue surrounds most joints, and open surgery requires long incisions through muscle to access the surgical field. In many cases, a patient’s recovery time depends more on the healing of these bystander muscles than the work done on the joint. Arthroscopic surgery causes minimal damage to muscles by limiting the size of the openings needed.
Smaller incisions usually mean less pain, too. There’s less damage for your body to repair, including a milder overall inflammatory response to the impact of surgery. You’ll be more comfortable during recovery with less need for pain-killing medication.
Every surgery carries certain risks. Infection is a common complication since an incision represents a potential pathway for pathogens to enter your body. Open surgery creates inches-long incisions. While operating room conditions are built around high levels of sterility, there’s still a wide open space for infecting agents to enter your body. Arthroscopy reduces this vulnerability drastically, so infection is less likely to slow your recovery.
Each of the previous three advantages contribute to the fourth and arguably most important advantage: the speed and comfort of your recovery. There’s less tissue to heal, and even that tissue has been minimally impacted. You’re not affected by long periods of pain requiring heavy painkillers to control, and your risk of infection virtually vanishes. Being back to your regular life as soon as possible is the best benefit for everyone in arthroscopic surgery.
Find out more in consultation with your surgeon at Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic in Jacksonville. Call the nearest office by phone or request an appointment online. Arthroscopic surgery streamlines your experience and hastens your recovery, so start the process today.
