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One of the concerns many people have about surgery is that it’s risky and painful. That’s why surgeons prioritize using minimally invasive techniques whenever possible for treating conditions like ankle pain.
Highly skilled surgeons can use minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery to minimize the size of incisions required for an operation. This is beneficial because the procedure uses a small camera attached to the end of a tube known as an arthroscope. This provides the surgeon with a view of the inside of your ankle so they don’t have to make a large incision to open it up and see what they’re doing.
Reducing the size of the incision reduces the risk of complications like infections, blood loss, and nerve damage. If you have ankle pain and aren’t finding relief from conservative treatments like medicine or physical therapy, you may need to talk to your doctor about arthroscopic surgery.
Conditions treatable with arthroscopic ankle surgery
Surgeons can use arthroscopic surgery to treat several ankle injuries. Sometimes, they even use it to diagnose the cause of your pain if other tests aren’t conclusive. Below are the four common categories that include the types of injuries arthroscopic ankle surgery can treat:
- Bone spurs — Arthritis and traumatic injuries can lead to the development of bone spurs in your ankle. These bone spurs can cause pain and inflammation in the soft tissue of your ankle. Surgeons can use arthroscopic techniques to shave down the bone spur to reduce the pain.
- Scar tissue — Scar tissue after a traumatic injury or open surgery can be painful and limit the range of motion in your ankle. With arthroscopic techniques, surgeons can remove the scar tissue and any other loose debris that causes pain and swelling in the ankle.
- Torn cartilage — Arthritis, sprains, fractures, and other conditions can cause the cartilage in your ankle to tear. This is painful and limits the use of your foot and ankle. Surgeons can use arthroscopic surgery to repair the damaged cartilage.
- Heel pain — Achilles tendonitis and other soft tissue injuries in the back of the ankle can cause pain in your heel. Surgeons can use arthroscopic surgery to reattach damaged tendons and ligaments that may be the source of your heel pain.
Visit the iRISE Spine and Joint Institute for arthroscopic ankle surgery
Is ankle pain keeping you from getting on your feet to live out your daily life? Our surgeons at the Florida Spine and Joint Institute can perform ankle arthroscopy and other procedures to help get you moving again. Contact us today to talk to our team about arthroscopic ankle surgery or to schedule an initial appointment.
