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Ankle Arthroscopy is a procedure where a small video camera attached to a fiber-optic lens is inserted into the ankle joint to allow surgeon to see without making a large incision. Arthroscopy is now used to evaluate and treat ankle problems. The ankle joint is one of the common joints that arthroscopy is used to evaluate and treat problems with this minimally invasive technique.
When ankle arthroscopy first became available it was used primarily to look inside the ankle joint and make a diagnosis. Today, ankle arthroscopy is used to perform a wide range of surgical procedures including confirming a diagnosis, removing loose bodies, removing bone spurs, debriding excess inflamed synovial tissue, and fixing fractures of the joint surface.
surgeon’s goal is to fix or improve your problem by performing a suitable surgical procedure; the arthroscopy is a tool that improves the surgeon’s ability to perform that procedure. The arthroscopy image is magnified and allows the surgeon to see better and clearer. The arthroscopy allows the surgeon to see and perform surgery using much smaller incisions. This results in less tissue damage to normal tissue and can shorten the healing process. But remember, the arthroscopy is only a tool. The results that you can expect from a ankle arthroscopy depend on what is wrong with your ankle, what can be done inside your ankle to improve the problem and your effort at rehabilitation after the surgery.
Before surgery you will be placed under either general anesthesia. The sterile drapes are placed to create a sterile environment for the surgeon to work. There is a great deal of equipment that surrounds the operating table including the TV screens, cameras, light sources and surgical instruments. The ankle joint is very tight with little space between the tibia and the talus. By applying traction, the surgeon is able to increase this space and allow the arthroscopy to be inserted into that space. The end of the arthroscopy will be moved about in this space to look throughout the joint. The ankle arthroscopy is a very small fiber-optic instrument that is used to see and operate inside the joint.
Over the years since the invention of arthroscopy, many very specialized instruments have been developed to perform different types of surgery using the arthroscopy to see what is going on while the instruments are being used. Today, many surgical procedures that once required large incisions for the surgeon to see and fix the problem can be done with much smaller incisions. The arthroscopy will be performed as according to the problem and surgeon will perform the procedure as explained to you during consultation.
Once the surgical procedure is complete, the arthroscopic portals and surgical incisions will be closed with sutures or surgical staples. You may be placed in a large compressive bandage and splint that will be applied from the knee to the toes. The splint and bandage is used to immobilize and protect the ankle. If your surgeon feels that you do not need a bulky bandage and splint, you may be placed in compression stockings. A compressive bandage (or stockings) reduce swelling and help prevent blood clots in the leg. Once the bandage has been placed, you will be taken to the recovery room.
The postoperative protocols differ according to the diagnosis of the ankle pathology and you will be advised accordingly before and after the arthroscopy.