What are the signs of shoulder damage or injury?
Because you probably use your shoulder joint more than you realize, shoulder symptoms are usually obvious. They commonly include:
- Pain
- Decreased shoulder strength
- Difficulty sleeping on your side
- Popping sounds when you move your shoulder
- Inability to raise your arm
- Change in your shoulder’s appearance
If you regularly experience at least one of these symptoms, it’s time to arrange an evaluation at Hudson Valley Bone & Joint Surgeons. The team can diagnose your problem and recommend either nonoperative treatments or shoulder surgery.
What conditions or injuries require shoulder surgery?
Many conditions can require shoulder surgery. Although some shoulder damage will respond well to nonoperative treatments, you’ll need surgery in cases of severe joint degeneration or trauma. Some examples of conditions and injuries that require shoulder surgery are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Shoulder instability
- Fractures
- Rotator cuff damage, including tears and fraying
- Labral tears
- Tendinitis
Hudson Valley Bone & Joint Surgeons could also recommend shoulder surgery for other problems that resist nonoperative treatment.
What are the different types of shoulder surgery?
Hudson Valley Bone & Joint Surgeons has a 30-year history of performing all kinds of orthopedic shoulder surgery. The two main categories of surgery are minimally invasive and open surgery.
Minimally invasive shoulder surgery
In minimally invasive shoulder surgery, your surgeon makes tiny incisions above your shoulder joint. They typically use an arthroscope, a long tube with a built-in camera.
While viewing your shoulder joint on a high-definition TV monitor, your surgeon uses slim surgical tools to repair tissue tears and other damage.
Some of the most common minimally invasive arthroscopic shoulder procedures include rotator cuff tear repair, labrum repair, labrum reattachment, loose cartilage removal, ligament repair, and tendon tightening.
In some cases, you can have a minimally invasive shoulder joint replacement to restore worn joint surfaces. Minimally invasive surgery causes less pain and offers a faster recovery than open surgery. In many cases, it's an outpatient procedure.
Open surgery
In open surgery, the incision is larger, and your surgeon views your joint directly. Your surgeon has more space to work in, but the larger incision does cause more damage and heals more slowly.
Some cases, like total shoulder reconstruction, can require the open surgery approach. If your shoulder problem is quite severe or you’re at risk of developing complications, your surgeon might need the larger working space of open surgery to provide maximum precision and give you the best results.
In the experienced hands of the Hudson Valley Bone & Joint Surgeons, LLP surgeons, both minimally invasive and open shoulder surgery are reliable procedures that provide excellent results. Call the office nearest you today or book a consultation online.
