“Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.”
-Phil Jackson
Possessing the knowledge on how the body works and the impact it can take is important when knowing what doctor to go to for treatment toward an issue. As an athlete, we are all relentless and want to get back up once getting knocked down because that is our mentality. The winning trait is inside all of us and the drive of success is what fuels us when we are down. Unfortunately, that fuel runs out as our bodies can fall to injury and sitting out for a period of time can occur. How we go about the process is what makes us all winners as overcoming an injury can be one of the biggest forms of adversity following a fall. The wonderful world of technology has made the job of an athlete a lot easier when going through a surgery and having a successful recovery. Sports Doctors have learned a new form of procedures that involve minimal time under the knife with an even faster recovery.
Arthroscopic Surgery is a minimal surgical procedure on a joint in which small incisions are done on the affected area and a small camera is placed in that area, giving the doctors a better idea as to what is going on without the process in removing skin and tissue. This innovative way reduces recovery time and can help performance due to the minimal trauma to the connective tissue due to the lack of cutting the muscles and tendons. Many professional athletes who experience injury in their joints will undergo the procedure that gives faster recovery time, little scarring, and a less stressful way to go through a surgery. In this article we will discuss knee and shoulder issues and the procedure that follows after injury.
Arthroscopic knee surgery applies patients with:
- Torn Meniscus, cartilage that cushions the space between the bones and knee needs to be repaired
- Torn ACL, the hyperextension of the stabilizers in the knee
- Patella alignment, the kneecap is out of position
- Broken cartilage and fractures of the bones
Arthroscopic shoulder surgery applies to patients with:
- Rotator cuff tear, loose tissue around the edge of the cuff
- Labral tears, a direct injury to the shoulder caused by the wear and tear of the tissue
- AC joint arthritis, degenerative disease of a joint caused by constant stress on it
- Shoulder dislocation, the upper arm bone pops out of the socket
This overwhelming list of issues occur with many athletes playing a variety of sports. Unfortunately this can happen to anyone at any given time by moving in an abnormal way. The surgical procedure for these injuries begins with small incisions made around the joint. After the incisions are made, tiny instruments are placed within the joint. Following this, a camera is placed inside the affected area in order for the surgeon to have a better idea as to what is going on. Saline solution is then flowed through a tube, expanding the joint to improve visualization. This will allow the surgeon to make a diagnosis and see what type of instruments he will need to use when performing the surgery. The surgery takes anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour to complete. After that, the patient will go through a rehabilitating process and the recovery time can vary.
Arthroscopic surgery has seen many advancements throughout the years, making the process as easy as possible for both the patient and the surgeon. What isn’t easy is experiencing the injury as it can become very painful and self-diagnosing is not the answer. If you have experienced any pain in the knee and shoulder then it is highly recommended to request a consultation with Dr. Palumbo, and we’ll work with you to explore your best options.