Elbow Arthroscopy is a common type of surgery which is done on the elbow. It is done to diagnose, repair and inspect any problem present in your elbow. A small incision is normally done on your body to insert the arthroscope. Arthroscope and other surgical instruments are very small and thin which can be inserted in your body through this incision. The advantages of this surgery over the traditional one are:
- It takes less time to recover,
- The pain and joint stiffness is much less than traditional surgery.
When it is recommended
Doctors generally recommended this surgery when the pain is more and any medication is not responding to this pain. Nonsurgical treatment which initially prescribes to a patient is medications, physical therapy, and pain relief injections. Most of the elbow problems are due to:
- An old elbow injury,
- Wear and tear due to age and overuse
Some of the common elbow arthroscopy is:
- Surgical treatment of the tennis elbow
- Loose bone fragments and loose cartilage removal
- To improve range of motion, scar tissues are released
- Wear and tear arthritis treatment
- Osteochondritis dissecans treatment.
Surgery planning
Before surgery, surgeons generally perform several tests to confirm that you do not have any complex health and medical problem. Electrocardiogram, blood test, and chest X-ray are mainly done by doctors to confirm your physical fitness. If you have any typical health problem consult with a surgeon. If you take any additional supplement than consult it with you doctor before surgery.
Surgical procedure
During surgery, surgeon normally fills up the elbow with some fluid. This special fluid helps the surgeon to get a clear and more prominent structural view of your elbow through the arthroscopic camera. Any type of bleeding is also controlled by this fluid. Small incision is done over the patients body to insert the arthroscope.
