What Would a Knee Surgeon Do?
Andrew Stratton
May 12, 2011
A knee surgeon is a specialist within the orthopedic concentration of medicine. A common way to have a procedure on this joint performed is with an arthroscope. An arthroscope is a tiny camera which is used to view the internal workings of the body. By using this device, operations can be less invasive. Instead of cutting a person open to take a look, a small incision can be made and the camera placed inside. The digital pictures taken are viewed on a computer screen by the doctor during the surgery and in the diagnostic stage. If surgery is taking place, the medical tools and instruments will also be quite small in order to fit through tiniest incisions. These cameras, as with all digitalized equipment, have been taken to an advanced level. Millions of arthroscopic procedures are performed every year.
If a person has a condition which requires an operation, one of the first stages will be a pre-op appointment. A physical examination will be performed along with lab work to ensure a patient´s good health. During the pre-op appointment, doctors and nurses will interview the patient to find out about all medications that are being taken including prescription, over-the-counter and natural remedies. If a person smokes, it would be wise to quit as cigarettes are known to hamper the immune response and could slow down the healing process.
During a procedure, anesthesia will be delivered in order to keep the patient pain-free. This may be in the form of general, regional or local. A general would completely knock an individual out, a regional would numb everything in the lower portion of the body and a local would just address the knee. There are pros and cons to each approach and will be selected depending on a variety of factors including doctor preference and the extent of the operation.
Some common techniques that are done while using an arthroscopic device are removal of infected synovial tissue, dislodging loosened bone, cartilage or repairing torn meniscal cartilage or ligaments. Trimming and reconstruction is also done with the relatively non-invasive tactics. All of these surgeries will be recovered from more quickly than more invasive types of operations.
After the operation, a patient will need to carefully follow the surgeon´s aftercare instructions. It will be common for swelling and some pain to occur.
Swelling can be reduced by placing ice packs on the area and keeping it elevated. A great way to apply ice is with a frozen bag of peas from the home freezer. A patient should expect to change bandages on a regular basis for a period of time. He or she should also expect to stay off the healing leg for a bit. Crutches or a walker may be required for a few weeks. Driving will have to be curtailed somewhat as well. Having a friend or family member do the driving for one to three weeks will be the best idea. Any questions about the procedure or aftercare should be addressed to the knee surgeon.
When searching for a knee surgeon syracuse residents want someone they can trust. For more information please visit http://www.upstateorthopedics.com/.
If a person has a condition which requires an operation, one of the first stages will be a pre-op appointment. A physical examination will be performed along with lab work to ensure a patient´s good health. During the pre-op appointment, doctors and nurses will interview the patient to find out about all medications that are being taken including prescription, over-the-counter and natural remedies. If a person smokes, it would be wise to quit as cigarettes are known to hamper the immune response and could slow down the healing process.
During a procedure, anesthesia will be delivered in order to keep the patient pain-free. This may be in the form of general, regional or local. A general would completely knock an individual out, a regional would numb everything in the lower portion of the body and a local would just address the knee. There are pros and cons to each approach and will be selected depending on a variety of factors including doctor preference and the extent of the operation.
Some common techniques that are done while using an arthroscopic device are removal of infected synovial tissue, dislodging loosened bone, cartilage or repairing torn meniscal cartilage or ligaments. Trimming and reconstruction is also done with the relatively non-invasive tactics. All of these surgeries will be recovered from more quickly than more invasive types of operations.
After the operation, a patient will need to carefully follow the surgeon´s aftercare instructions. It will be common for swelling and some pain to occur.
Swelling can be reduced by placing ice packs on the area and keeping it elevated. A great way to apply ice is with a frozen bag of peas from the home freezer. A patient should expect to change bandages on a regular basis for a period of time. He or she should also expect to stay off the healing leg for a bit. Crutches or a walker may be required for a few weeks. Driving will have to be curtailed somewhat as well. Having a friend or family member do the driving for one to three weeks will be the best idea. Any questions about the procedure or aftercare should be addressed to the knee surgeon.
When searching for a knee surgeon syracuse residents want someone they can trust. For more information please visit http://www.upstateorthopedics.com/.
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