Keyhole Ankle & Tendon Surgery

What is it?

This is a broad area and I cover each of the conditions in more depth in their relevant sections of the website.

Essentially keyhole ankle surgery can be used to have a look and help make a diagnosis or to actually treat a variety of problems.

Ankle arthroscopy was classically performed through two small cuts called portals at the front of the ankle but as skills develop, some surgeons are now able to “scope” the back of the ankle and also the tendons around the ankle.

What conditions can be treated by arthroscopy?

Most specialist foot and ankle surgeons will do keyhole surgery at the front of the ankle to deal with swollen tissue and extra bone causing catching clicking and pain and most will also deal with small lesions of damaged cartilage. I have been on specialist training courses and European visitations with some of the most advanced arthroscopic ankle surgeons in the world. My aim is to increase the number of diseases I can treat with keyhole surgery, reducing risks and recovery whilst still maintaining the good outcomes known to open surgery. As such in certain cases, I am able to repair ligaments and transfer tendons arthroscopically as well as perform more advanced treatments on larger cartilage lesions than can normally be dealt with arthroscopically.

What are the risks of arthroscopy and tendinoscopy?

There are risks to all surgery and conservative measures should be tried when possible. If surgery is an option, we will discuss all of the pros and cons and the risks that are specific to you in detail.

The main risks of advanced arthroscopic techniques are that they are technically demanding and in some cases, the surgery may have to be converted into a mini-open procedure to ensure that the result is not hampered by technical difficulty. As time goes by, and more surgeons receive specialist training, I believe more surgeons will be offering more procedures around the foot and ankle through keyhole techniques