Arthroscopic surgery is one of the most common minimally invasive surgeries used in the United States today. In this type of surgery, a surgeon will make a very small incision and insert a small tube called an arthroscope. This tool contains optic fibers which will allow the surgeon to see a camera view of wherever the end of the tube is. Allowing a surgeon to see inside the body, without large incisions, has great advantages. Currently, this tool is used to diagnose and repair injuries in the body, mostly around bone joints. Common points of uses are around the knees, shoulders, hands and ankle. In the past few years, the arthroscope has allowed diagnosis and treatment without high risks.
Arthroscopic surgery is commonly used for treatment of famous athletes because it is fairly simple and requires only a small amount of time for recovery. There is also only a small list of complications associated with arthroscopic surgery. These include infection, swelling, damage to blood vessels and excessive bleeding, however these are very rare. The most common complication in arthroscopic surgery is instrument breakage, but even so this only occurs in far less than 1% of all arthroscopic procedures.
What does this mean???
In terms of advances of technology in the 20th century, arthroscopic surgery should be high on the rankings. This minimally invasive surgery has allowed the repairing of tendon and ligament injuries to be a simple procedure. By reducing the incision area, infection risks and recovery time have greatly declines. The bottom line, this surgery is effective and efficient, putting people back in their lives quickly and with little risk of serious surgical complication or death, and is therefore a great advance on the 20th century.
Below: A video of a arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder. Note the surgeon is able to narrate what everything is by looking at a television screen, and not actually physically seeing these parts of the shoulder, made possible by the arthroscope.
Arthroscopic surgery is commonly used for treatment of famous athletes because it is fairly simple and requires only a small amount of time for recovery. There is also only a small list of complications associated with arthroscopic surgery. These include infection, swelling, damage to blood vessels and excessive bleeding, however these are very rare. The most common complication in arthroscopic surgery is instrument breakage, but even so this only occurs in far less than 1% of all arthroscopic procedures.
What does this mean???
In terms of advances of technology in the 20th century, arthroscopic surgery should be high on the rankings. This minimally invasive surgery has allowed the repairing of tendon and ligament injuries to be a simple procedure. By reducing the incision area, infection risks and recovery time have greatly declines. The bottom line, this surgery is effective and efficient, putting people back in their lives quickly and with little risk of serious surgical complication or death, and is therefore a great advance on the 20th century.
Below: A video of a arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder. Note the surgeon is able to narrate what everything is by looking at a television screen, and not actually physically seeing these parts of the shoulder, made possible by the arthroscope.