Ankle Arthroscopy Treatment

Ankle Arthroscopy Treatment

• Arthroscopy is a very important diagnostic and therapeutic technique for the management of disorders of the joints. Ankle arthroscopy can be useful in treating a variety of intra-articular disorders, which can be caused by trauma or by degenerative, inflammatory, or neoplastic conditions. In some particular cases, the ankle joint disorder can be related to extra-articular anomalies.
• As the indications for ankle arthroscopy have increased with time, so has its usage. The availability of modern arthroscopic instrumentation (ex., fibreoptic) and ankle distraction methods has allowed orthopedic surgeons to manage a growing list of ankle disorders arthroscopically.

Ankle Arthroscopy Treatment Facts

Ankle arthroscopy is a surgical procedure that uses a fiber-optic viewing camera and surgical tools to do the operation in and around the ankle joint through small incisions. This technique is performed for the surgical evaluation and treatment of a variety of ankle conditions. Arthroscopic surgery can have a faster recovery time than traditional open surgery.

• You may need ankle arthroscopy if you have debris in the ankle from torn cartilage or from a bone chip. If there is some ligament damage from a severely sprained ankle, a surgeon may decide to do an arthroscopy to evaluate the extent of damage and to repair it.
• For some people, arthroscopy means a quicker recovery, less scarring, and fewer complications than open surgery.

What are the risks involved Ankle Arthroscopy Treatment?

Ankle arthroscopy is a relatively safe technique with low complication rates.

• As with any other procedure involving the introduction of instruments to a normally sterile area, infection is a risk.
• Bleeding from cut blood vessels may occur.
• Some patients may have local nerve damage from the procedure making the overlying skin numb.
• There are risks in using any kind of anesthesia, depending on the type that is chosen by the surgeon.

Preparation

In general, you should refrain from eating or drinking on the day of the surgery. Check with your doctor regarding prescription medications and herbal medications that you may be taking. The doctor may ask you not to take blood-thinning agents such as aspirin or warfarin for a few days prior to the surgery. Arrange for transportation home after the surgery if it is an outpatient procedure.

During the Procedure

You will be brought to the operation room and prepped for anesthesia and surgery. An IV line will be started first. The ankle, leg, and foot will be exposed, cleaned, and sterilized. A tube may be placed in your throat to assist with breathing, depending on the type of anesthesia chosen, once you are asleep. Your ankle will be numbed locally or with a regional anesthetic block. Small incisions will be made for the portals after you are anesthetized.

The portals, or small size tubes, will be placed in different areas around the ankle for the instruments and camera to be placed in. Your surgeon will then perform the procedure. After the procedure, the instruments and portals will be removed. The small incisions will be stitched closed and bandaged carefully.

After the Procedure

• You will be taken to the recovery room while waking up from the anesthesia so that you can be monitored.

• Some patients may be allowed to bear weight with crutches.
• Others may be placed in an immobilizer for as long as five or six weeks. The type of repair made during the surgery and the surgeon's preference will determine how your ankle may be immobilized.                              
• If extensive surgery or remodeling of the ankle is performed, the surgeon may decide to put your ankle in a cast to prevent you from moving it too early and to promote healing.
• If you had an arthroscopy only to establish a diagnosis, your surgeon may put a simple splint or air splint on your ankle.
• In general, the affected area should be kept clean and dry while the incisions are healing.
• Medicine for pain may be prescribed.
• The ankle should be elevated and iced to reduce swelling and to help in controlling pain.

Next Steps after Ankle Arthroscopy

After leaving the hospital, you should follow the rehabilitation instructions your doctor gives you. You should not rush the rehabilitation without consulting your doctor. Follow-up visits should be arranged with the doctor.

When to Seek Medical Care Post-Ankle Arthroscopy

Carefully Watch for signs of infection or compartment syndrome. Both are counted in emergencies. Seek immediate medical care by calling your doctor immediately.

• If symptoms of infection occur, call your surgeon. Symptoms of an infection include
• Fever
• Pus draining from the incisions
• Red streaks from the incisions
• Redness of the skin around the incision area
• Increasing pain more than two-three days after surgery
• Watch for signs of compartment syndrome, a rare but very dangerous condition. Compartment syndrome occurs when the pressure of the tissues in a compartment, which is your ankle or calf in this case, is higher than the blood pressure of the vessels supplying that area. The swelling might be responsible for causing this condition. Or a cast or wrapping that is too tight could also cause this condition. The tissues of the ankle are not receiving adequate nutrition, which affects the ability of the body to heal. Ultimately, this could lead to the death of the tissues which are involved.

Things to watch for are given below:

• Pain or swelling in the leg, more than at the incision sites
• Numbness or tingling in the leg
• Change in skin color compared to the other leg
• A cold foot
• If you suspect that you have an infection in the ankle or compartment syndrome, call your doctor immediately for instructions on where to go for treatment. If instructed by your doctor to do so, or if you are unable to contact your doctor, go to an emergency department.