Arthroscopic surgery is truly a modern miracle. It's difficult to focus on this however, when faced with a roomful of people wearing strange green outfits that cover from head to toe. Only their eyes are exposed and these are covered with a scary contraption that gives the surgeon an up close and personal view inside your body.
Around you there is an array of video monitors and strange instruments with tiny robot-like tools for cutting, grinding, sucking and stitching you back together. While these are intimidating, it's somewhat reassuring to note that at least one instrument - a miniature camera - will document the surgeon's work. The visual evidence following arthroscopic surgery is truly amazing. Just two or three tiny wounds and a small incision attest to what's happened to you. The wounds heal very quickly and you're on your way - at least from the surgeon's point of view. And here's where it gets interesting.
The Healer is Among Us
Each of us is our own healer. The surgeon is a technician - albeit a very skilled one - and we are grateful for his or her work. However, the first thing to keep in mind is that it's up to you to heal yourself. It will be a full time job that can take four to six weeks to accomplish.
