Elbow arthroscopic repair
Two Greek words ‘Arthro’ meaning Joint and ‘Scope’ meaning to look come together to form the word Arthroscopy which refers to, looking inside the joint. Arthroscopy has come up to be the newest and most effective technique that the doctors perform to treat both mild and severe conditions and injuries sustained by the upper extremity joints.
Elbow Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery that is used by the elbow doctor to treat elbow injuries and degenerative conditions after ascertaining the cause of the problem. It is clinically also referred to as ‘scoping of the elbow’.
Prior to the surgery:
It is essential for the patient and the elbow doctor to be assured that the patient is healthy to undergo surgery. For that, prior to the surgery the elbow doctor run a few tests such as X-ray, blood tests and electrocardiogram to determine that the patient is medically fit. The patient is also questioned about his medical prescriptions and advised accordingly. All details regarding the surgery are discussed with the patient to ease his anxiety and enable him to be clear about what and how the elbow doctor will treat the impaired elbow. Questions about any allergic reactions to certain medications and anaesthesia are also discussed so that any complication could be avoided thereof.
During the surgery:
After mild anaesthesia to enable the patient experience no pain during the surgery, the elbow doctor makes 5-6 small pen hole size cuts around the elbow joint and inserts a small fibre optic camera to view inside and the joint and determine the cause of elbow pain and stiffness. After inspecting and evaluating, the cause of the problem is rooted out by surgical release by special instruments that are inserted through the other incisions. After a quick surgical repair, the elbow cuts are stitched back or covered with adhesive tape and aptly bandaged. To avoid mobilization of the elbow, it is put in a sling for a definite time period.
After the surgery:
The patient is kept under close monitoring for an hour or two after the surgery and then with precise instructions released from the hospital. The elbow is elevated for a period of 48 hours to reduce swelling and pain and a postoperative visit is scheduled after a period of 2-3 days with a list of precautions and recommendations that the patient is instructed to follow.
Recommended conditions for elbow arthroscopy:
Elbow joint is made up of a network of three bones i.e. the humerus(upper arm bone), the radius (the thumb side of the forearm bone) and the ulna (the pinky finger side of the forearm bone) and a network of cartilage to enable bending, straightening and rotating the forearm. When an injury or any debilitating condition causes pain, weakness and limitation in movement, it becomes essential to treat it. The elbow doctor recommends arthroscopy when non surgical techniques have failed to provide relief to the patient. Common conditions under which arthroscopy is recommended are:
| Treatment of Tennis Elbow | Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| Treatment of Osteoarthritis | Treatment of Osteochondritis Dissecans |
| Removal of loose bodies | Release of any scar tissue |
Post operative rehabilitation:
To induce motion, strength and functionality in the elbow, rehabilitation program comprising of physiotherapy (mild gentle exercises ) and medications is prescribed by the elbow doctor which has to be followed either at home by the patient or under the guidance of a physical therapist. Besides this, a program clearly stating the activities that should be avoided by the patient and activities that should be taken up for healing are also included in the rehabilitation program for a certain period.
Complications and recovery outcome of arthroscopy:
In general patients do not experience severe complications in Arthroscopy as it is a minimally invasive surgery. In rare cases though the complications that occur are mild in nature such as infection, blood loss or nerve damage which can be removed without any severe damage. The response of each patient to the surgery varies as per the severity of the condition treated. Generally the patients return to their daily tasks within a few days but complete recovery may take several months following the guidelines of the elbow doctor and prescribed rehabilitation program.
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Benefits of elbow arthroscopy:
Elbow Arthroscopy is the technique which is most populous with the doctors to treat elbow problems. In comparison to open and lengthy surgical technique, arthroscopy is less painful and the patient does not have to stay overnight in the hospital. The cuts are so small that they do not leave any visible scars and complications during or after the surgery incurred are also minimal which can be easily treated without any side effect.
More about the elbow doctor:
As an aspiring MBBS and MS in Orthopaedics from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr. Vikas Gupta went to further his knowledge in revolutionary and international techniques for upper extremity, to Germany and USA. To enhance his skill and finesse in the field he joined AIIMS as assistant professor and then went ahead to join FORTIS and Medanta- the Medicity. With more than 25 years in the field and 6000 or so complicated surgical releases he is one of the deftest hands in the upper extremity and is referred to as a shoulder and hand specialist.
At present he is an integral part of the core team of Max Healthcare as head of shoulder and hand division and strives to bring relief to any and each debilitating condition of the upper joints.
Max Healthcare, with their varied dimensional approach to treating patients with newest technological techniques joined hands with Dr. Gupta and believed in his foresight, thus bringing about a revolutionary change in the field of medicine.