For restoration of the shoulder or removal of damaged tissues, arthroscopic shoulder surgery is a minimally invasive option. To the residents of Palm County Florida with rotator cuff injuries can seek assessment and treatment with Dr. Van Sice. Dr. Van Sice assesses and treats patients with shoulder problems , elbow injuries at Jupiter Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, located in Jupiter, FL.
There are two main causes of rotator cuff tears: injury, or acute, and degenerative.
To treat a rotator cuff injury, the doctor will often begin with non-surgical options such as resting the shoulder, avoiding activities which cause the pain, NSAIDs or other anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy and stretching exercises, or steroid injections into the joint. However, when these do not provide adequate relief surgical treatment can be necessary.
Surgery can be employed to address a torn rotator cuff when the injury is very serious or if non-surgical treatment has not been successful. It can improve shoulder strength and range of motion satisfactorily. Surgery to fix a torn rotator cuff tendon typically entails:
Arthroscopic surgery is the most common. However, the surgeon may need to perform Open-shoulder surgery for severe cases.
Shoulder arthroscopy is a minimally-invasive procedure which uses a small scope mounted camera to visualize the interior of the joint during surgery. Unlike traditional open surgery that requires a large incision, Shoulder Arthroscopy uses one or more very small incisions in strategic places and allows for a much faster recovery.
Shoulder surgery can be used to address numerous conditions which affect a person’s ability to move their shoulder freely including:
Initially, the surgeon will make a few small incisions in the shoulder, and a sterile solution will rinse and fill the joint. This helps the surgeon to observe the shoulder clearly and in detail. The surgeon can properly diagnose the issue by studying the joint. An arthroscope will be inserted and the picture projected on a TV so he can see the joint and his tools to complete the procedure. The doctor will then insert specially designed instruments through small incisions and perform the repairs or removals. These instruments can include scissors, motorized shavers, or lasers. The procedure usually lasts between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on the extent of the necessary repairs. Once the repairs or removal are complete, the surgeon will close the incisions with either a stitch or a sterile strip. Then these will be protected with a bandage.
Traditional surgery requires a large incision that exposes the joint so the surgeon can see it. This means more trauma to the tissues, more post-operative pain, a larger scar, and a longer recovery time. Shoulder Arthroscopy uses very small incisions—around half an inch long—which means far less trauma. Arthroscopic surgery results in less scarring, lower risk of infection due to the smaller incision, less post-operative pain, and a shorter recovery time.