Seeing Inside the Joint
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to visualize, diagnose, and treat problems inside a joint. The word arthroscopy comes from two Greek words, "arthro" (joint) and "skopein" (to look). During the procedure, Dr. Behrens inserts a small camera, called an arthroscope, into your joint through a tiny incision.
Common Procedures
Arthroscopy is most commonly used for the knee and shoulder. Dr. Behrens performs a variety of procedures arthroscopically, including:
- Knee Arthroscopy: Repairing torn meniscus cartilage, reconstructing a torn ACL, trimming damaged articular cartilage, and removing loose fragments of bone or cartilage.
- Shoulder Arthroscopy: Repairing rotator cuff tears, repairing labral tears (bankart repair), removing bone spurs (decompression), and repairing ligaments.
Benefits Over Open Surgery
Because arthroscopy uses very small incisions (about the size of a buttonhole), it offers significant advantages over traditional open surgery:
- Less Pain: Smaller incisions mean less trauma to the surrounding soft tissues.
- Faster Healing: The recovery time is typically much shorter.
- Lower Risk of Infection: Smaller wounds reduce the exposure to bacteria.
- Outpatient Procedure: Most arthroscopic surgeries are performed on an outpatient basis, meaning you can go home the same day.