What Are the Benefits of Foot and Ankle Arthroscopy?

Because it is a minimally invasive, technologically advanced surgery, arthroscopy yields numerous benefits for patients who undergo it for foot or ankle problems. The following are only some of the most notable benefits of this procedure:

• getting a more accurate diagnosis: joint injuries are quite challenging to diagnose even for the most experienced orthopedic surgeons, but arthroscopy is a very precise diagnostic tool, as it offers the surgeon clear images from the inside of the joint, which allows them to both diagnose and treat the problem within the foot or ankle
• a faster recovery: because it uses tiny incisions, arthroscopic surgery is easier on the body and entails less stress, which promotes quicker recovery, with the incisions usually healing within a week and the patient being able to return to their daily activities within a few weeks
• lower risk of complications: since it is minimally invasive, arthroscopy for the foot and ankle implies a substantially lower risk of infection, catching a virus or disease from being inside of the hospital (because the procedure is outpatient), and damage to the joints following surgery
• surgical precision: because the arthroscope is equipped with a fiber-optic camera, the orthopedic surgeon is always in control, as they permanently observe what is going on inside the joint and how they are performing the procedure, which means there is a lower risk of them making a major, irreversible error