Outpatient arthroscopy under local anesthesia.

Arthroscopy under general anesthesia is carried out today by many orthopedic surgeons. Endoscopy of joints under general anesthetic conditions seems to be too much effort for diagnostic purposes only. These reflections gave reason to perform arthroscopy as an outpatient examination under local anesthesia. From 1977 to 1979, 160 outpatient arthroscopies have been carried out at the University Hospital of Orthopedic Surgery in Düsseldorf. Preparation, technique, complications, and problems of this procedure are discussed.