The knee is one of the most commonly injured joints in the body. While major surgery was once required to repair these injuries, today many problems can be diagnosed and treated through the use of arthroscopy.
Similar to laparoscopy, arthroscopic surgery uses an optical lens outfitted with a tiny camera, light source and miniature surgical tools to explore your joints. Arthroscopy can be performed to both diagnose and repair a knee problem, often at the same time. Thanks to the small size of the arthroscope, only minimal incisions are required. This allows the surgery to be done on an outpatient basis with reduced recovery time compared to open surgical procedures. Unlike other forms of knee surgery, arthroscopy causes less scarring and damage to the joint.
During an arthroscopic procedure, a tiny incision is made in order to insert the arthroscope into your knee joint. Other small incisions are made as needed to allow the placement of specialized surgical instruments. These instruments allow the doctor to remove or repair damaged tissue. Your orthopedic surgeon is able to view the inside of your joint thanks to the camera located at the end of the arthroscope lens. This camera sends images back to a video screen. Many times photographs or videos can be made to allow the patient to see what the surgeon found and accomplished.
Arthroscopy may be done for people with torn cartilage (meniscus tears) or damaged ligaments. Other problems such as inflamed joint linings, loose bone or cartilage fragments , and even misalignment of the knee cap can also be treated by arthroscopic surgery.
Dr. Savage has been offering arthroscopic knee surgery to his patients in Central Texas since he began practice in 1993. Please call to schedule a consultation if you or someone you know might benefit from this experienced approach to arthroscopic knee surgery.
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