Arthroscopy

What is arthroscopy?

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique to diagnose and treat joint-related conditions like arthritis or joint injuries or inflammation. Dr. Hood offers arthroscopy services to accurately identify the cause of pain in your shoulder and knee joints.

What’s involved in arthroscopy?

Arthroscopy involves small incisions in the diagnostic or treatment area, through which Dr. Hood inserts a small arthroscope that contains a light and tiny camera. This camera sends back real-time images of the interior structures of your joint to an external monitor.

Dr. Hood watches this monitor throughout the procedure, getting an up-close look at the joint to better understand the type of damage or disease that’s causing your pain and disability.

During a diagnostic arthroscopy, Dr. Hood gathers the information he needs to create a treatment plan. If he’s using arthroscopy to repair the damage, Dr. Hood can insert specialized surgical instruments to repair muscle tears or remove damaged tissue.

What are the benefits of arthroscopy?

Like other minimally invasive surgeries, arthroscopy only requires small incisions to diagnose or treat joint damage. Small incisions cause less trauma to your body and may help you recover faster from your procedure.

In most cases, Dr. Hood performs arthroscopy on an outpatient basis, and you can expect to go home soon after the procedure to start your recovery.

Other potential benefits of arthroscopy include:

• Less pain
• Less bleeding
• Minimal scarring risk  
• Reduced risk for infection

Using arthroscopic technology, Dr. Hood can also perform more complex surgical repairs with a higher level of precision. The real-time images give him a clear view of the treatment area and allow him to address joint damage quickly and efficiently.

When you need an accurate diagnosis for chronic joint pain or surgery to treat joint damage, consider the many benefits arthroscopy offers. 

Find out if you’re a candidate for arthroscopy by calling Delta Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine today or use the convenient online booking feature to schedule an appointment.