Arthroscopic Surgery for Shoulders & Knees

What is Arthroscopic Surgery?

Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure Dr. Ani uses to diagnose and treat problems of the shoulders and knees, including inflammation, injury, and degeneration.

The procedure gets its name from the equipment used – the arthroscope – which is a pencil-sized tube that can be inserted through a small incision. The arthroscope contains a fiber-optic light and video camera that sends images to a monitor where Dr. Ani can see magnified views of the joint and surrounding tissue. This allows him to determine the cause of your problems as well as the extent of the damage.

If surgery is necessary, Dr. Ani can perform the surgery at the same time by making a few additional small incisions through which he can pass special surgical tools.

Arthroscopic surgery is popular because it usually results in less pain and stiffness than open surgery, and because recovery generally takes less time.

Conditions Treated

Dr. Ani can perform arthroscopic surgery to repair torn soft tissues, reconstruct ligaments, release tendons or nerves, or remove inflamed or damaged tissues.

Shoulder and knee conditions that do well with arthroscopic surgery include:

• Degeneration due to arthritis
• Joint inflammation or infection
• Nerve compression or injury
• Injured cartilage, ligaments, and tendons
• Scarring or tissue overgrowth
• Loose bone or cartilage fragments in the joint

Benefits of Arthroscopic Surgery

The small incisions and narrow instruments used during arthroscopy cause significantly less trauma compared to conventional open surgery. As a result, you gain benefits such as:

• Less postoperative pain
• Reduced bleeding
• Quicker recovery
• Minimal scarring
• Earlier return to your usual activities

Arthroscopy is commonly performed as an outpatient procedure. Your rehabilitation and recovery time depend on the type of procedure.