Knee Arthroscopy

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Overview & Description

Arthroscopic surgery on the knee involves inserting a small camera (less than 1/4 inch diameter) into the knee joint through a small incision (barely larger than the camera). This camera is attached to a video monitor which the surgeon uses to see inside the knee. In some facilities, the patient can choose to watch the surgery on the monitor as well.

For a simple surgical procedure, a local or regional anesthetic is administered, which numbs the affected area, but the patient remains awake and able to respond. For more extensive surgery, general anesthesia may be used. In this case the patient is unconscious and pain-free.

After the camera is inserted, saline is pumped in under pressure to expand the joint and to help control bleeding. Some surgeons also use a tourniquet to prevent bleeding, but this can obscure the picture on the monitor.

After looking around the entire knee for problem areas, the surgeon will usually make one to four additional small incisions to insert other instruments. Commonly used instruments include a blunt hook to pull on various tissues, a shaver to remove damaged or unwanted soft tissues, and a burr to remove bone.

At the completion of the surgery, the saline is drained from the knee, the incisions are closed, and a dressing applied. Many surgeons take pictures of the procedure from the video monitor to allow the patient to see what was done.