Shoulder Arthroscopy

Shoulder arthroscopy is recommended if you have a painful condition that does not respond to nonsurgical treatment. Nonsurgical treatment includes rest, physical therapy, and medications or injections that can reduce inflammation.

Common shoulder arthroscopic procedures include:

• Rotator cuff repair
• Bone spur removal- subacromial decompression
• Removal or repair of the labrum-Bankarts/SLAP repairs
• Repair of ligaments
• Removal of inflamed tissue or loose cartilage
• Repair for recurrent shoulder dislocation
• A torn or damaged biceps tendon

Less common procedures – nerve release, fracture repair, and cyst excision can also be performed using an arthroscope.

Possible complications

Complications following arthroscopy are very rare.

• Infection rates tend to be very low
• Stiffness after surgery –frozen shoulder, and prolonged rehabilitation
• Chondrolysis
• very rarely, complications like further damage to the joint or damage to the nerves or blood vessels in or around the area of the operation

Most people receive general anesthesia before this surgery or you may have regional anesthesia. Your arm and shoulder area will be numbed so that you do not feel any pain in this area. If you receive regional anesthesia, you will also be given medicine to make you very sleepy during the operation.

First, your surgeon will examine your shoulder with the arthroscope. Your surgeon will:

• Insert the arthroscope into your shoulder through a small incision. The arthroscope is connected to a video monitor in the operating room.
• Inspect all the tissues of your shoulder joint and the area above the joint — the cartilage, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
• Repair any damaged tissues. To do this, your surgeon will make 1 – 3 more small incisions and insert other instruments through them. A tear in a muscle, tendon, or cartilage will be fixed. Damaged tissue may need to be removed.

Your surgeon may do one or more of these procedures during your surgery:At the end of the surgery using the arthroscope, your incisions will be closed with stitches and covered with a dressing (bandage). Most surgeons take pictures from the video monitor during the procedure to show you what they found and what repairs they made.

If surgeon is not able to justify the treatment with arthroscopy, then he may change to open procedure to complete the job

Recovery can take anywhere from 1 to 6 months. You will probably have to wear a sling for the first week. If you had a lot of repair done, you may have to wear the sling longer.

When you can return to work or play sports will depend on what surgery was performed. It can range from 1 week to several months.

You may be able to return to sedentary job 2-4 weeks following surgery. For job requiring overhead activity you may not be able to return to work for 3-6 months.