Fields of treatment / Orthopedy / Elbow arthroscopy
Elbow arthroscopy
Pain, limited movement, swelling and signs of joint instability are problems caused by an traumatic or non-traumatic mechanism that brought you to the doctor, on whose recommendation you should undergo an arthroscopic examination. This should clarify the origin of your difficulties, determine the extent of joint damage and thus enable its treatment according to the available treatment methods. Surgical interventions that can be performed during arthroscopy will be performed during surgery and thus speed up and improve the treatment procedure.
Operative procedure
The operation is performed under general anesthesia. The patient lies on his back, when the arm is suspended in a special holder with a 90-degree bend in the elbow joint. An arthroscope – an optical device containing a digital camera that transmits an image of the joint to a monitor – is inserted into the joint through one or several openings of about 1 cm. With the arthroscope, we gradually examine the entire joint space and thereby obtain information about its damage. Special instruments designed for this type of operation can be introduced into the joint through other inputs, with which we perform operations in the joint. For a better overview of the joint, the operation is performed in the so-called bloodless state. A pneumatic cuff is placed on the arm of the operated limb, which is filled with compressed air for the duration of the operation. This will reduce blood flow to the limb and prevent bleeding into the joint. The operation takes 20-60 minutes, depending on the difficulty. According to the findings, we treat cartilage, remove loose bodies and so-called synovectomy, and deal with post-traumatic conditions and osteoarthritis.
Special circumstances that occur during the operation may lead to an extension of the surgical intervention or a change in the surgical procedure, we ask that you agree to this, rarely occurring option. If we had to proceed only in the original scope of the operation, it could also mean the burden of another operation for you.
Postoperative care
Postoperative recommendations are strictly individual and based on the findings and procedures performed on the elbow.
Other treatment options
The introduction of arthroscopy brought a significant improvement in the results of treatment and shortened the healing time of damaged joints. Joint damage of this type can also be treated with open surgery - arthrotomy without the use of an arthroscope. However, the overview in the joint is not so good, the intervention in the joint is significantly more aggressive, and therefore the postoperative course tends to be more complicated in this type of operation. Joint problems can also be treated conservatively without surgical treatment - the use of drugs (pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, muscle tension reliever), injections of the affected joint, rehabilitation therapy including various procedures (laser, magnetotherapy, ultrasound). According to experience, further damage and changes in the joint take place here much faster than in the case of surgical treatment. The result of this process can be damage to the joint to such a degree that the only possible solution is a joint replacement or its surgical immobilization, which will eliminate the pain in the joint.
