If you have an orthopedic condition that can’t be treated effectively with conservative measures, you may be a candidate for surgical treatment.
But what if you’re dreading the pain and time-intensive recovery period following a traditional, open surgery? Fortunately, there is another option: minimally invasive surgery. There are many benefits of getting minimally invasive surgery. In this blog, we will take a look at what minimally invasive surgery is and what kind of wrist, hand, elbow, and shoulder conditions it can treat.
What is Minimally Invasive Surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery involves using the smallest incisions possible to perform surgical procedures. This reduces unnecessary trauma to the surrounding tissue at the surgery site. Minimally invasive surgery uses thin needles and cameras called endoscopes to guide the surgery. Minimally invasive surgery focuses on reducing damage to the body so the post-surgery recovery period is shorter and there is less pain and scarring as a result.
There are many benefits of minimally invasive surgery, making it a viable treatment solution for a variety of wrist, hand, elbow, and shoulder conditions. Because of these benefits, more patients prefer minimally invasive surgeries to traditional surgeries.
Here are some of the top benefits of minimally invasive surgeries:
- Less pain – With smaller incisions, there is less trauma to surrounding tissue, reducing pain drastically.
- Less scarring – The smaller incision results in less stitches and less scarring. This makes minimally invasive surgery great for most of the body, including hands and arms.
- Faster recovery – Minimally invasive surgeries focus on fixing the issue with minimal impact to surrounding tissue. Because there is less trauma involved, recovery time is significantly less than with traditional, open surgeries.
- Fewer risks and complications – With a smaller external wound and less tissue affected by the surgery, there are a far less risks and complications associated with minimally invasive surgeries than traditional ones.
Conditions Treated With Minimally Invasive Surgery
Minimally invasive surgery is a versatile solution because it can treat plenty of orthopedic conditions. Even within the category of wrist, hand, elbow, and shoulder conditions, minimally invasive surgery can treat a variety of common conditions that millions of people suffer from. Here are a few examples:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome – When the median nerve gets compressed, it can lead to pain, tingling, and numbness in the hand, wrist, and forearm.
- Cubital tunnel syndrome – When pressure on the ulnar nerve causes pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the fingers, hand, and forearm.
- Trigger finger – A condition where one or more fingers have difficulty bending or straightening up due to inflamed tendons in the fingers.
- Bone fractures – A bone fracture is a partial or full breakage of a bone. Many times, fractures can heal without surgery. However, in some cases, surgery is necessary for proper fracture healing.
- Ruptured ligaments and tendons – Ligaments and tendons are fibrous tissue made from collagen that connect bones to other bones and muscles. When one of them tears, surgery may be required to fix the issue so the ligament or tendon can heal and restore full function.
- Rotator cuff injuries – The rotator cuff is made up of four shoulder muscles and their tendons. It allows the arm to rotate and move in every direction with ease. When the rotator cuff gets damaged or torn, it can lead to significant pain, stiffness, and weakness in the shoulder. Some factors that can damage the rotator cuff include overuse, aging, and injuries. Orthopedic surgeons can perform minimally invasive arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery to fix the torn or damaged rotator cuff.
At Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder, you will receive high-quality patient care from board-certified orthopedic surgeons with expertise in treating myriad health problems in the shoulder, arm, wrist, elbow, and hand. If you are interested in learning more about orthopedic surgery, including minimally invasive options, the experienced team at Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder would love to help. Call (410) 296-6232 today to make an appointment. You can also request an appointment online.
