About Ankle Arthroscopy Surgery
Ankle arthroscopy is surgery that uses a tiny camera and surgical tools to examine or repair the tissues inside or around your ankle. The camera is called an arthroscope. The procedure allows the doctor to detect problems and make repairs to your ankle without making larger cuts in the skin and tissue. This means that you may have less pain and recover more quickly than open surgery.
Procedure
- Inserts the arthroscope into your ankle through a small incision. The scope is connected to a video monitor in the operating room. This allows the surgeon to view the inside of your ankle.
- Inspects all the tissues of your ankle. These tissues include cartilage, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
- Repairs any damaged tissues. To do this, your surgeon makes 1 to 3 more small incisions and inserts other instruments through them. A tear in a muscle, tendon, or cartilage is fixed. Any damaged tissue is removed.
At the end of the surgery, the incisions will be closed with stitches and covered with a dressing (bandage). Most surgeons take pictures from the video monitor during the procedure to show you what they found and what repairs they made.
Factors to Consider Ankle Arthroscopy Surgery
- Do you have persistent ankle instability?
- Do you have chronic ankle pain after months of not responding to non-surgical treatment?
- Do you have pain at the back of the ankle?
- Does your ankle keep giving way?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, then Ankle Arthroscopy Surgery is worth exploring.
After Surgery Benefits:
- Improved function
- Reduction of pain and anxiety
- Pain relief
- Improved ankle range of motion
- Improved stability (stopping your ankle giving way)
Ankle Injuries
The foot and the ankle are crucial for human movement. The balanced action of many bones, joints, muscles and tendons allows our feet to adapt to the shape of the terrain and push off from the ground. Ankle injuries are usually caused by twisting or rolling your ankle and often happen on uneven ground. The most common type of ankle injury is a sprained joint. This is where the ligaments, muscles, tendons have been torn or stretched. Sometimes an ankle injury can also include a broken bone in the ankle.
Post Op Recovery
After your operation, once you are back on the ward, the physiotherapist will teach you how to use crutches and ensure you are walking safely. You will generally be able to put as much weight through the ankle as is comfortable. You will be informed if your instructions differ from this as may be the case with certain conditions, or if the arthroscopy is done alongside another procedure.
Realistically, you can begin to build up your activity from two weeks after your operation, but it will probably take at least four weeks before more vigorous sporting activity will be possible.