Arthroscopic Surgery or arthroscopic joint surgery is an operation performed inside the joint using a small camera inserted into the joint to project images inside the joint onto a screen, allowing the doctor to clearly see the pathology within the joint. At the same time, small pen-sized instruments are inserted into the joint to perform surgery and correct the pathology. Therefore, this type of surgery results in only two small incisions of 0.5 cm each on the joint, unlike traditional surgery which involves large incisions and opening the joint, often causing joint stiffness afterward.
Advantages of Arthroscopic Surgery
- Allows complete and clearer visualization of the pathology inside the joint compared to open surgery.
- Doctors can use small but effective instruments to precisely and quickly correct joint pathology.
- Details of the surgery can be recorded as still images or videos for the patient to keep for future treatment benefits.
- The incisions are small, which not only improves cosmetic appearance but also causes less joint injury, resulting in less pain than open surgery, enabling better postoperative physical therapy and faster recovery.
- Lower risk of infection and joint stiffness compared to open surgery.
- Shorter hospital stay, ranging from same-day discharge to 1-2 days in the hospital.
When is arthroscopic knee surgery applicable?
- Torn knee ligaments or meniscus, such as torn anterior or posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL, PCL) and torn meniscus from playing football, car accidents, collisions, falls down stairs, etc.
- Damaged articular cartilage, where arthroscopy can be used to repair the cartilage surface and perform cartilage transplantation.
- Fractured knee bones involving the joint, where arthroscopy helps in better realignment of the bones before fixation with metal.
- Osteoarthritis of the knee in younger patients (under 60 years old) with good knee alignment but severe knee pain, where arthroscopic surgery can be chosen to reduce pain from osteoarthritis.
Arthroscopic shoulder surgery
- Frequent shoulder dislocation or instability (Shoulder Instability)
- Frozen shoulder unresponsive to medication and physical therapy
- Inflammation or tears of the rotator cuff tendons (Rotator Cuff Lesions)
- Calcific deposits in the shoulder tendons (Calcifying Tendinitis)
- Torn labrum (Labral Lesions)
- Fractured shoulder bones involving the joint (Intraarticular GH joint Fracture)
- Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joints (GH joint, AC joint)
Arthroscopic elbow surgery
- Elbow joint stiffness caused by internal scar tissue
- Severe inflammation of the joint capsule
Arthroscopic ankle surgery
- Torn ankle ligaments blocking the joint causing persistent ankle pain after sprain
- Severe inflammation of the joint capsule
