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Arthroscopy - How To Prepare
About this test
Arthroscopy is often done on an outpatient basis without requiring an overnight stay in a hospital.
Tell your doctor if you:
- Have allergies to any medicines, including anesthetics.
- Are taking any medicines, including blood-thinning medicines (such as warfarin [Coumadin]) or aspirin.
- Have had any bleeding problems, including blood clots in a vein (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT).
- Are or might be pregnant.
- Have a history of joint stiffness or arthritis. Joint damage caused by arthritis may make it difficult or impossible to do this procedure.
- Have had an X-ray of your joint that used contrast material (arthrogram) within the previous 10 days. The contrast material may cause inflammation within your joint that makes performing arthroscopy difficult. This inflammation also can prevent a clear picture of your joint during arthroscopy.
- Have a history of infection, such as septic arthritis, in the affected joint.
- Have a history of a broken bone (fracture) or injury to the affected joint.
Before the procedure, you will be asked to sign a consent
form. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for
the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. To
help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the
medical test information form 
(What is a PDF document?).
You may have more tests, such as blood tests or urine tests, before your arthroscopy.
Arrange to have someone drive you home after the procedure.
If you have arthroscopy of your ankle, knee, or hip, your doctor will talk to you about having crutches available after the procedure. If you have arthroscopy of a joint in your arm, you will likely wear a sling or splint after the procedure.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: January 7, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine Kenneth J. Koval, MD - Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Trauma | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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