Arthroscopy is also known as arthroscopic surgery, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the joint through a small incision. Arthroscopic procedures can be performed to evaluate or treat many orthopedic conditions including torn cartilage, torn surface (articular) cartilage, ACL reconstruction, and trimming damaged cartilage.
The advantage over traditional open surgery is that the joint does not have to be opened up fully. For knee arthroscopy only two small incisions are made, one for the arthroscope and one for the surgical instruments to be used in the knee cavity. It reduces recovery time and may increase the rate of success due to less trauma to the connective tissue.
It is possible to do an arthroscopic examination of almost every joint, but is most commonly used for the Knee, Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist, Ankle, Foot, and Hip.
Arthroscopy Advantages
As the equipment used during an arthroscopy is so small, only minor cuts need to be made in the skin. It means the procedure has some potential advantages over traditional, “open” surgery, including:
- less pain after the operation
- faster healing time
- lower risk of infection
- you can often go home the same day
- you may be able to return to normal activities more quickly
Cost of Arthroscopy
The cost of Arthroscopy varies from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on other factors and one geographic area to another.