
SHOULDER SURGERY

	SHOULDER ARTHROSCOPY ARTHROSCOPIC ACROMIOPLASTY ROTATOR CUFF REPAIR TOTAL SHOULDER REPLACEMENT TYPES OF SHOULDER SURGERY
SHOULDER CONDITIONS

	COMPARTMENT SYNDROME SHOULDER ARTHRITIS BURSITIS OF THE SHOULDER SHOULDER TENDONITIS ERB'S PALSY FROZEN SHOULDER SHOULDER FRACTURES ROTATOR CUFF TENDONITIS SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT SHOULDER SPRAINS & STRAINS SHOULDER DISLOCATION
PATIENT RESOURCES

	FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BEFORE SHOULDER SURGERY AFTER SHOULDER SURGERY ANATOMY OF THE SHOULDER SHOULDER SURGERY GLOSSARY

Shoulder Arthroscopy

Shoulder arthroscopy is surgery that uses a tiny camera called an arthroscope to examine or repair the tissues inside or around your shoulder joint. The arthroscope is inserted through a small incision (cut) in your skin.

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that cover your shoulder joint. These muscles and tendons hold your arm in your ball and socket shoulder joint, and they help you move your shoulder in different directions. The tendons in the rotator cuff can tear when they are overused or injured.

Most people receive general anesthesia before this surgery. This means you will be unconscious and unable to feel pain. 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 to 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.

Who Needs Shoulder Arthroscopy

There are two primary groups of people who undergo shoulder arthroscopy – young overhead athletes with labral tears from dislocations, SLAP tears, loose bodies; older people with rotator cuff tears.

The young athletes often develop SLAP lesions from repetitive overhead activities and labral tears / loose bodies from dislocations. These lesions can be treated through the arthroscope with loose body removal and labral repair. Sometimes, a capsular placation is performed to “tighten up” the capsule and ligaments of the shoulder. These injuries are most commonly seen in overhead athletes – swimmers, throwers, volleyball players, and water polo players, as well as young athletes who compete in contact sports that can often lead to dislocations – football, hockey, gymnastics, wrestling, and lacrosse.

The older person who tears his/her rotator cuff can be treated through the arthroscope as well. The rotator cuff tendon can be repaired back to its anatomic location with the use of anchors (dry wall screws) and high strength sutures.