Our joints play a vital role in our lives. They provide us with a lot of freedom in life with mobility like standing, sitting, exercising, rolling over while sleeping, walking and many other activities. One’s joints are a blessing.
Yet, there are various unwanted joint conditions that nobody would like to have. These are situations like arthritis, osteoarthritis, swelling, inflammation, etc. Many times, joints like knees or hips are just so painful and wrecking.
If you have joint inflammation, have sustained joint degradation over time, or have been injured in a joint, your doctor might suggest an arthroscopy. Everything about this is discussed below. If you are interested, follow along.
What is it?
Arthroscopy is a keyhole process to find out and treat joint problems. With arthroscopy, the doctor may view your joint without creating a big wound.
During arthroscopy, surgeons can even treat certain types of joint injury by inserting pencil-thin surgical instruments through extra tiny incisions. Such procedures are also called keyhole surgery.
What is done in Arthroscopy?
During this procedure, the joints are examined using a tool known as an arthroscope. This is a thin, drinking straw-sized metal tube that is about the same length and breadth. It has a camera and a light source.
Tiny surgical devices can also be utilised in conjunction with an arthroscope. These enable the surgeon to handle specific joint ailments.
What is an arthroscope?
An arthroscope is a long and thin tube-like surgical tool. This tool bears a camera on top of its head. This tool is put inside a minimally holed joint to see what is going on inside that is causing symptoms like pain, stiffness, inflammation, etc outside the joint.
Level of anaesthesia
Local Anaesthesia: Pain medicines may be used to numb your joint and related location. Also, you will be given medication to help relax.
Spinal Anaesthesia: Another name for this is regional anesthesia. Your spine is punctured to administer the anaesthetic. Here, you will not feel anything below your waist though you will be awake.
General Anaesthesia: You’ll be pain-free and sleepy.
Why do you need arthroscopy?
There are several reasons why you might need this medical treatment. Let’s talk about it here:
To diagnose
Finding out what is wrong inside a joint could be the first reason for doing this surgery.
Sometimes, a doctor will check your joint and run all the tests required. Still, there might be something missing that could be the reason for swelling, pain or stiffness in your joint on the outside.
Thus, for such unanswered queries, an orthopaedist might have to perform an Arthroscopy and find out what exactly is causing such symptoms outside.
To check if a joint is well
Another reason for arthroscopy is to see if a joint is fine if some trauma has recently hit it.
For example, suppose you fell hard on the ground during outdoor activities the other day. Thus, now your knee hurts. It is slightly painful, swollen and immobile too.
In that case, a doctor can do arthroscopy to check if everything is alright. It is so because without it, nobody can say for sure if any part of the knee is damaged, broken, or torn in particular.
To remedy certain situations
Finally, surgeons can also use arthroscopy to treat joints.
Conditions like damaged cartilage, tears in ligaments, and broken bits from the damaged components of a joint can be treated with keyhole surgeries.
Thus, at other times, your surgeon might be recommending this surgery to provide treatment for joint issues.
From where can one get arthroscopic treatment?
To get this treatment, you need to see an orthopaedist. Only a specialised doctor who deals with bones and joints can arrange for that.
Be Careful
Before deciding on any surgeon, make sure you conduct thorough research. Give it some time and try to find the best arthroscopic surgeon in Delhi. Don’t decide in haste or you will regret it later.
So, don’t make haste. Instead, analyze all the options near you and then try to figure out which surgeon you consider the best. Don’t forget to go through their experience and expertise before making your choice.
Types of arthroscopic surgeries
An orthopaedist can cure the following joints via arthroscopy if needed:
- Knee
- Wrist
- Ankle
- Shoulder
- Elbow
- Hip
Risks Involved
Arthroscopy doesn’t involve creating large openings through a joint. Here, a doctor only has to make small cuts to proceed further.
Still, there are certain risks. For example, the operated area might get infected. However, it usually happens in two situations: either when you don’t follow the post-surgery care recommended by your doctor or when you are under the guidance of an incompetent doctor.
That is why your first order of business here must be as follows. Put in the best effort required to find the best surgeon in the field and arrange for the best arthroscopic treatment in Delhi.
Furthermore, there are complications like having to deal with clots in the veins. Damage related to tissues or nerves is another post-surgery problem. Yet, again it only prevails after surgery if the treated joint isn’t medically attended to with the required level of care and expertise.
So, always locate a good surgeon for the treatment you need before anything.
Costs of Arthroscopy
The cost of performing Arthroscopy depends on a lot of factors. One needs to consider things like
- the hospital,
- the place where the hospital is located,
- health insurance, and many other similar factors.
Your cost for arthroscopy may go up or down the mentioned range. For an accurate number, you will have to see a doctor in person.
So, the only way to get the best opinion on this is through consulting a doctor who has examined your case. Only a doctor who has studied your problem can guide you better on the expected expenses for the arthroscopic treatments you might need.
Let’s conclude
Even if arthroscopy doesn’t involve cutting your joints widely open, it is a surgical procedure that requires expertise and precision.
Hence, always get the treatment from a qualified surgeon. And don’t forget that for bones and joint issues, you need an orthopaedist.
An orthopaedist is the only specialised doctor who can cure your joint or bone issues properly. Don’t consult any other doctor, as specialty counts.