The purpose of arthroscopic surgery is to diagnose and treat issues within joints. The surgery involves making a cut in the skin and inserting an arthroscope, a small camera via a tube, to see inside the body and is generally considered a minor, minimally invasive surgery. If the surgeon is treating and repairing a joint, additional instruments will be used as well. During arthroscopic surgery, anesthetics are in fact used. The use of local, regional, or general anesthetics will depend on the patient's condition and the specific reason for surgery. After the surgery, patients are able to leave the hospital within the same day as it is done on an outpatient basis. Keep in mind that it is in fact still a surgery with room for error and risks despite being very low and uncommon. Finally, most arthroscopic surgeries take roughly 30 to 45 minutes, but can vary depending on the complexity and severity of a condition or injury.