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. However, 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. However, arthroscopy may be done if clotting factor medications 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 medication 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.

Go to previous section	Go to top of page	Go to next section
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: January 29, 2007
Medical Review:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine David Pichora, MD, FRCSC - Orthopedic Surgery
© 1995-2008 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.