Are You a Candidate for Minimally Invasive Arthroscopic Surgery?

About a third of American adults experience joint pain in a given month. Joint pain and inflammation, whether it stems from arthritis, acute injury, or something else, can be frustrating and prevent you from living a comfortable, active life.

Although conservative treatment methods may temporarily alleviate pain, getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step to developing a long-term treatment plan that works. Minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery harnesses the latest in medical technology to give your doctor an inside look at your joint.

An expert in diagnosing and treating joint conditions, Chris Boone, MD regularly performs minimally invasive arthroscopy to help patients find relief from joint pain. If you’re living with joint pain, swelling, or an injury that hasn’t been resolved with nonsurgical treatment, you could be a candidate for arthroscopy.

Arthroscopy to diagnose your joint pain

When you visit our team at Dr. Boone’s office, we begin with a thorough evaluation of your symptoms and medical history. Medical imaging like X-rays can be helpful, but they don’t always show exactly what’s causing your pain.

Dr. Boone might recommend arthroscopy to diagnose your joint condition because it’s a minimally invasive procedure that allows him to see inside your joint. With arthroscopy, he can evaluate the health of your cartilage, ligaments, tendons, muscle, and bone.

You could be a candidate for arthroscopic surgery if you have:

• Torn ligament
• Loose bone or cartilage in a joint
• Joint inflammation
• Scarring in a joint

It’s possible to perform arthroscopy in nearly any joint, but it’s most commonly used as a diagnostic tool for hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, wrist, and elbow conditions. Certain conditions, like inflammation and loose bone fragments, can be treated during arthroscopy.

What to expect during arthroscopy

Arthroscopy procedures vary, depending on your condition and the joint that Dr. Boone is examining. Our team might administer local, regional, or general anesthesia to keep you comfortable throughout the surgery.

We begin by making a small incision about the size of a buttonhole near the joint. Then, Dr. Boone inserts a small tube with a fibre-optic camera. The camera projects images of your joint onto a larger screen, and we review them to diagnose your joint condition. If your condition can be treated through arthroscopy, Dr. Boone guides small tools into your joint to perform the surgery.

After Dr. Boone completes the procedure, you’ll be moved to a recovery room for the anesthesia to wear off. You can go home the same day, but you should bring someone along to drive you home.

Follow our team’s guidelines for recovery following arthroscopy, which may include physical therapy or medication. Since the procedure is minimally invasive, your risk of complications and long recovery times is much lower than with open surgery.

Expect to return to light activity within a few days. After reviewing the results of your arthroscopy, Dr. Boone makes recommendations based on your diagnosis and works with you to improve your joint health and promote recovery.

Just because you have lingering joint pain, that doesn’t mean you need to undergo open surgery for diagnosis and treatment. Find out if you’re a good candidate for arthroscopy by requesting a consultation with Dr. Boone online or on the phone today.