Why Have Arthroscopy Surgery?
Louis C. Blanda, MD, is aN orthopedic surgeon who diagnoses and treats patients at Lafayette Bone & Joint Clinic in Lafayette, Louisiana. The clinic provides a full scope of orthopedic and rehabilitation services, with a focus on general orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, spine surgery, arthroscopy, joint replacement... more
Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure doctors use to examine, diagnose, and treat problems inside a joint. It involves minor surgery and is performed on an outpatient basis. Your doctor may recommend arthroscopy if you have inflammation in a joint, have injured a joint, or have damaged a joint.
You can have arthroscopy on any joint. Typically it's on the knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, hip, or wrist. During the procedure, a tool is inserted called an arthroscope into your joint through several small cuts to see how much damage is in the joint. Your doctor can also repair many injuries during arthroscopy.
If you require surgery, they will insert special tools through small incisions called portals. They will use them to cut, shave, grasp, and anchor stitches into bone. If your surgeon decides you need traditional, “open” surgery to fix the issue, they may do it at the same time as your arthroscopic surgery.
