Are you looking for the best arthroscopy treatment in Delhi? You have come to the right place. Book your appointment with the best specialist in arthroscopy. Call any of the numbers shown above. The following article discusses arthroscopy in detail.
Arthroscopy is a type of joint surgery. It is used to diagnose and treat joint-related conditions. It is a minimally invasive keyhole procedure. It doesn’t involve making large incisions; instead, the entire procedure is completed using small holes.
In this procedure, the surgeon inserts an arthroscope inside the concerned joint. The arthroscope is a long and pencil-thin instrument with an in-built high-definition video camera and light source.
The most crucial function of an arthroscope is to illuminate the inside of the joint so that the surgeon can have real-time high-quality visualisation of the internal structures. All images from the arthroscope are shown on a large monitor screen, which is typically in front of the surgeon in the surgery room.
Furthermore, arthroscopy also involves the use of other similar instruments. For example, a surgeon might want to cut a loose piece of soft tissue out of the joint. Thus, in that case, in addition to an arthroscope, the surgeon will also insert a pencil-thin cutting tool inside the joint to perform the removal procedure.
Arthroscopy treatment has the lowest infection and complication rates. It is almost a scarless and stitchless procedure. Patients don’t have to spend a long time in the hospital for rehabilitation or aftercare. They can go home a few hours after surgery or at least 24 hours.
Arthroscopy can be divided into two types based on the objective of the use.
Arthroscopy is used for both diagnosis and treatment; thus, based on this fact, all arthroscopic procedures are categorised as either diagnostic or treatment-related. Often arthroscopy is used for diagnosis when other imaging tests, X-rays, MRIs and CT scans, have failed to aid the surgeon in making an accurate diagnosis.
In addition, based on major joints, arthroscopy is also categorised as the following.
When arthroscopy is used to diagnose or treat knee conditions, it is called knee arthroscopy. The same also applies to other joints and the respective arthroscopic procedures.
There are three types of anaesthesia.
General Anaesthesia: This makes the patient achieve a state of complete loss of bodily sensations. The patient becomes completely unconscious of the external world (like in deep dreamless sleep) during the operation.
Regional Anaesthesia: Under this, the entire body doesn’t become unconscious. Instead, it only involves losing sensations or consciousness in half of the body. Which part will be unconscious depends on the nature of the operation. For example, if it is hip arthroscopy, regional anaesthesia will make the bottom part (down the waist) of the patient numb and unconscious.
Local Anaesthesia: It only makes the site of operation numb. The use of anaesthesia depends on the patient’s condition, surgeon’s calls and other factors. Yet, generally, arthroscopy is typically performed using either General Anaesthesia or Regional Anaesthesia.
Arthroscopy when used to diagnose or treat a knee condition is called knee arthroscopy.
Diagnostic Knee Arthroscopy: For diagnosis, a specialist makes a small hole in the knee and inserts the arthroscope through it to access internal structures. The arthroscope produces real-time images, helping in proper diagnosis.
Treatment-Related Knee Arthroscopy: Many knee conditions are treated with the help of arthroscopy, for example, reconstruction of a damaged knee ligament, repair of an injured meniscus, cartilage restoration, etc. Thus, knee arthroscopy can also be used for treatment.
During treatment, a surgeon makes additional small, very minor, holes in the knee to allow other thin and long instruments to go inside and enable the surgeon to perform treatment.
Conditions Treatable By Knee Arthroscopy: The following can be treated with arthroscopy.
Some of the major knee arthroscopic interventions (treatments or procedures) are:
ACL Repair & Reconstruction Surgery: he surgeon replaces the torn ACL with a graft through arthroscopy. A graft is a piece of soft tissue prepared from the patient’s body or someone else’s.
Meniscal Repair Surgery: An intense knee injury can tear or damage the meniscus, which is a soft-tissue pad in the knee. A doctor can repair meniscus damage through arthroscopy so that the injury doesn’t widen or become worse over time.
Cartilage Restoration: Cartilage damage after an injury grows over time without the right treatment. Gradually, cartilage deteriorates completely. Here, arthroscopy aims to stimulate cartilage growth in the damaged area of the knee. This is achieved through microfracture techniques.
Synovectomy: Removing joint lining or synovium is known as synovectomy. The surgeon removes this membrane when it becomes chronically swollen and inflamed, damaging other parts of the knee. Chronic inflammation of the synovial membrane or joint lining is called synovitis and it is the most typical symptom of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Like knee, shoulder arthroscopy is also a widely used and commonly required joint treatment. Shoulder Arthroscopy also has two types: Diagnostic and Treatment-Related. The shoulder conditions that can be treated through arthroscopy are as follows.
If you have any other doubts with respect to arthroscopic procedures, refer to the following section dedicated to frequently asked questions.
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure. It involves no cuts, stitches, blood loss, or other complications, making it the safest form of joint surgery. Typically, patients can go home after one day of surgery or even earlier, as the surgeon decides.
It is a painless procedure. There is no post-operative pain at all. During arthroscopy, a surgeon only makes small holes to treat a condition. This is what makes arthroscopic procedures less invasive and less painful.
There is no question of one being better than another. Both are used in different conditions. If a joint condition can be treated through less invasion, arthroscopy is preferred over open surgery. However, if more invasion is needed to ensure effective treatment, open surgery will be chosen.
All arthroscopic surgeries are painless procedures. They are not painful at all.
Arthroscopy only involves creating small holes to offer treatment. It is the least invasive form of joint surgery. Thus, there are least to no disadvantages.
It is a stitchless procedure. There is no cutting and stitching involved.
Only 2 or 3 depending on the procedure.
A doctor doesn’t recommend arthroscopy if the patient’s joint condition cannot be treated with it.
The success rate is very high, almost over 91-92 % in most cases. However, it also varies from person to person.
The patient can go home on the same day of surgery or after 24 hours. The hospital stay is not more than one day, and the patient can go back to normal life right from the next day. However, the recovery time also depends on the type of arthroscopic surgery required and the patient’s health.
It is around 1,00,000 minimally. However, it also depends on the patient’s condition and the nature of the intervention.
Yes, it is a very minor surgical procedure with no cuts and blood loss. As a result, there are almost no complications.
You can sit comfortably without any problems. It is a very minor procedure because the patient can go home after 24 hours of the surgery. There is no hospital stay at all. The entire knee arthroscopy is performed with minor holes, merely as wide as the diameter of the pencil.