If your knee pain has become chronic and debilitating, your orthopedic surgeon may recommend that you consider having arthroscopic surgery to relieve the pain and to give you back your mobility. Arthroscopic knee surgery requires incisions that are only the size of a buttonhole, because the arthroscope is a thin tube that does not require large incisions as does traditional surgery.
An arthroscope has a fiber-optic camera functionality at the end so that the surgeon can view inside the knee on a monitor real-time, right there in the operating room. The doctor can then make repairs to the joint using very small instruments via arthroscopic surgery.
In the past, knee surgeries required large incisions and carried much higher risks of bleeding and infection, and required a hospital stay. Arthroscopy, in comparison, is minimally invasive and may be performed as an outpatient procedure.
How Is Arthroscopic Surgery Better than Traditional Surgery?
The results of arthroscopic knee surgery can make you feel like you have been given a new lease on life. Some of the main benefits of this type of operation include the following:
Diagnosis and Treatment in One
During knee arthroscopy, the orthopedic surgeon can evaluate your condition using the arthroscope and immediately perform treatment following the diagnosis. This can include things like removing loose bone fragments and repairing damaged cartilage, such as a torn meniscus.
Less Bleeding During Surgery
Small incisions will naturally involve less blood loss during arthroscopic surgery. Whereas traditional open surgery may require that you receive a blood transfusion during the procedure in order to compensate for blood loss, arthroscopy minimizes bleeding.
Reduced Risk of Complications
Compared with traditional open knee surgery, arthroscopic knee surgery carries a much lower risk of infection and blood clots. This is because the tiny incision sites equate to less disturbance to the surrounding structures of the knee, and there is less exposure of the internal tissues to the outside environment.
Shorter Recovery Period
The minimally invasive nature of arthroscopic knee surgery usually reduces the time it takes for the patient to heal from the surgery. Many patients are able to return to work and normal activities within two months after the procedure.
Smaller Scars
Because the incisions are smaller, the scars will also be much smaller than after traditional knee surgery. Smaller incision sites take less time to heal, create smaller scars, and cause less pain than larger incision sites.
Arthroscopic Knee Surgery in Naples
Arthroscopy can be implemented to treat a wide variety of knee injuries and conditions that cause knee pain, from a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) to knee arthritis. Here at the Joint Replacement Institute in Naples, Florida, our orthopedic surgeons are highly experienced in advanced surgeries of the hip, knee, shoulder, and foot.
Unlike other orthopedic practices, we provide comprehensive care to our patients – including pain management therapies and rehabilitative care in our 22,000-square-foot physical therapy facility.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation with one of our orthopedic surgeons, contact our friendly staff today by calling (239) 261-2663 or by filling out our convenient appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you find relief from your joint pain so you can get moving again!
