Ankle Arthroscopy in McKinney, Texas

Do you suffer from chronic ankle pain?  Ankle arthroscopy may be the answer for you!

Ankle arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that helps to clean out the tissues and fluid that create the inflammation, which causes the pain.  The procedure takes about an hour and is outpatient surgery.  The recovery time is very short (in most cases you can walk in 3-4 days) and the results can be much longer lasting than a steroid injection or pain medicine.

What Happens During the Procedure?

Using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions, the ankle joint can be inspected and many causes of ankle pain can be repaired.  These causes include synovitis (inflammation of the lubricating tissues), damage to the cartilage, removing loose pieces of bone, damaged ligaments and bone spurs.

What Needs To Be Done First?

An x-ray and/or an MRI, as well as a physical exam by your doctor, are necessary to see if you are a candidate for ankle arthroscopy.  Your doctor will explain the goals, expected benefits, complications and alternatives during this visit.  In most cases, arthroscopy of the ankle is a low risk and high reward procedure that can quickly and effectively decrease your ankle pain and get you back to the activities that you desire.  Depending on the reason for your ankle pain, the recovery period can be short or a little longer and proper workup is important to determine your prognosis.

What Is the Recovery Like?

Again it depends on the extent of the procedure but in most cases patients only need to be on crutches 3-4 days and usually can go back to work after that time if they work at a desk.  If work requires a lot of walking or heavy lifting, 2-3 weeks may be needed before a return to work. 

How Much Pain Will I Be In?

Pain medication is usually needed for 3-7 days following the procedure, depending on the extent of the procedure and a person’s pain tolerance.  In most cases, the pain is improved compared with before the surgery in about a week.  

The doctors at Advanced Foot and Ankle Center are well versed in all forms of ankle arthroscopy and would love to assist you in improving your ankle pain.  If you would like more information about ankle arthroscopy please call our office at 972-542-2155