Arthroscopic Surgery
Q.1 What is Arthroscopic surgery ?
Ans : It is an operative technique of repairing damaged structures in the joint through key holes and without formal incision.
Q.2 When is Arthroscopic shoulder surgery necessary ?
Ans : Not all shoulder problems need surgery, however, some of the shoulder problems that can be treated by “Arthroscopic” technique:
1.Recurrent subluxation / dislocation of the shoulder
2.Frozen shoulder
3.Rotator cuff impingement
4.Rotator cuff tear
5.Calcifying tendonitis
6.Acromioclavicular joint arthritis
7.Labral tears
8.SLAP lesions
9.Biceps tendon rupture
10.Loose body
11.RA, Koch, PVNS, Synovial chondromatosis : Synovial Biopsy / Synovectomy
12.Osteochondral fracture
13.Septic Arthritis
Q.3 What are the common problems affecting the knee joint ?
Ans : There are two distinct patterns of knee problems. In the younger age group it is common to have mechanical problems e.g meniscus (cushion) injury, ligament tear, whereas in the older age group it is often degenerative conition e.g. Osteoarthritis .
Q.4 What are the benefits of arthroscopic technique over open technique ?
Ans : Less pain, low morbidity, quick recovery and no ugly scars are some of the benefits of minimally invasive surgical technique.
Q.5 Why is Arthroscopic surgery preferable to conventional open surgery ?
Ans : Conventional surgery would involve cutting, maybe 2 or 3 normal structures in order to access and repair one torn tissue. Whereas, with arthroscopic technique it is possible to repair the torn tissue without having to cut any normal structure.
Q.6 What preparations are necessary before undertaking arthroscopic surgery?
Ans : Routine pre-operative blood & urine examination is required before undergoing surgery. An MRI may be sometimes be useful before undertaking arthroscopic surgery, however this decision is best taken by the attending surgeon.
Q.7 How long is the hospital stay ?
Ans : Same day discharge is common; however some patients may need to stay overnight. The length of stay largely depends on the type of operative procedure and recovery from anaesthesia.
Q.8 What after care is necessary following arthroscopic surgery ?
Ans : The arm may be immobilized in a shoulder sling / knee brace for a few weeks, depending on the type of problem. A disease specific exercise programme will be followed for a few months.
Q.9 How much time does it take to recover?
Ans : Most patients resume work after one week, however sports is permitted after 6 months of ligament reconstruction. However return to sports after isolated meniscus surgery is much faster.
Q.10 What are the risk factors and potential complications ?
Ans : Risk of infection is negligible; anaesthesia related complications are possible as in any surgical procedure.
Q.11 Why has there been a sudden world wide upsurge in the understanding & treatment of shoulder / knee injury?
Ans : High demand from the patients to achieve optimum function has been a driving force. Besides the advances in technology (Arthroscopy) has made it possible for the surgeon to restore the joint to the pre-injury level.
Q.11 How far is India from the more developed countries as far as arthroscopic surgery is concerned ?
Ans : The facilities in some centres is at par and comparable to the best in the world. Considering the advances in orthopaedics, the shoulder joint has been ignored for a long time. Better understanding of shoulder problems has evolved recently, with the advent of shoulder arthroscopy. Endoscopic technique provides a unique opportunity to look at the inside of the joint without having to cut it open. This has enabled accurate diagnosis and therefore precise treatment of a painful shoulder. The revolution in the understanding of the shoulder problems is best exemplified by a loosely termed condition, frozen shoulder. It is now established that majority of the painful / stiff shoulders are, in reality, not frozen shoulders !
A lot of these are in fact problems related to the Rotator cuff, an important group of muscles, essential for normal functioning of the shoulder joint.
