What is involved in an arthroscopy procedure?

what's involved in an arthroscopy? So an arthroscopy is an operation like any other operation it's minimal access so the small portals or holes that we make to introduce the scope and the other instruments are quite small less than a centimetre. It does involve all the prep for a general anaesthetic which is usually the mode of anaesthesia that we use although there are other options including a block where the anaesthetist injects the base of your neck to numb the arm. You will be prepared as for a general anaesthetic so you will need all the pre-op workup including blood tests, CCG depending on your medical conditions. And then on the day of surgery you come in and it's usually a day case type procedure and typically the procedure lasts for up to an hour, depending on what you're doing, if it's a simple debridement or repair of the cuff or a stabilization type procedure. And then afterwards, you will be in a sling if we've repaired something for up to five to six weeks. On the day of surgery, when you come back from theater, you will have a bulky dressing and that bulky dressing is removed And you have usually up to three waterproof dressings applied to the three separate entry sites for the scope and the instruments. And those are normally waterproof so you can wash and shower. And then you will be seen by the physiotherapist before discharge and advised how you can change your clothes safely, wash yourself and clean. And then normally we see you back in the clinic two weeks after to check the portals to remove the sutures and discuss the operation further as well.