Arthroscopy
What To Think About
- Surgical procedures done by arthroscopy usually result in shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times than open joint surgery.
- Arthroscopy usually is not done if:
- A skin or wound infection is present near the joint to be examined. But arthroscopy may be done to clean out an infected joint.
- Ankylosis is present. Ankylosis is a condition that causes stiffness and poor flexibility of a joint and may be caused by a disease (such as ankylosing spondylitis), a joint injury, or surgery.
- Joint destruction is severe (for example, with severe arthritis).
- A severe bleeding disorder is present. But arthroscopy may be done if clotting factor medicines are used.
- It may take several weeks for your joint to recover. If extensive surgery is done during your arthroscopy, it may take longer than a few weeks to recover. Your doctor will give you pain medicine and recommend rehabilitation exercises or physical therapy for you to do during your recovery period. Depending on which joint was examined, you may need to use splints, slings, or crutches to support movement of your joint during recovery.
- Many doctors use ultrasound, computed tomography (CT scan), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before doing an arthroscopy to make sure that any problems that need surgery can be done at the same time as the arthroscopy.
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| Author: | Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH | Last Updated: January 28, 2009 |
| Medical Review: |
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Patrick J. McMahon, MD - Orthopedics Kenneth J. Koval, MD - Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Trauma |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Test Overview | |
| Why It Is Done | |
| How To Prepare | |
| How It Is Done | |
| How It Feels | |
| Risks | |
| Results | |
| What Affects the Test | |
 | What To Think About |
| References | |
| Credits | |