Outpatient Shoulder Surgery VS. Traditional Shoulder Replacement Surgery

Were you aware that our shoulders are the most mobile joints in our bodies? Ask anyone experiencing a rotator cuff injury and they’ll likely agree. From chronic pain to a sudden injury, the lack of mobility and accompanying pain impedes on everyday life and even our sleep.

But is shoulder arthroscopy the best option for you? Traditionally, shoulder replacement surgery involved a large incision and cutting through the deltoid muscle to gain access to the otherwise well encapsulated shoulder joint. While traditional shoulder replacements are still regularly performed, arthroscopic procedures are often advised for a number of shoulder injuries that include a torn rotator cuff, a torn labrum or biceps tendon, treatment of frozen shoulder, and treatment of shoulder instability.

Arthroscopy employs a minimally invasive surgical technique using a device known as an arthroscope. By accessing the shoulder joint through small incisions utilizing a thin camera and specialized tools, the surgeon gains a superior view of the rotator cuff and surrounding shoulder structures to identify and repair injuries that could have gone missed during an open surgery or MRI. While both types of surgery share the same goals and recovery times are similar, patients who undergo an arthroscopic shoulder repair typically experience less discomfort and stiffness verses a traditional open surgery along with a smaller incision site. Another benefit of outpatient arthroscopic procedures is that they are often performed on an outpatient basis in a surgical center, rather than a traditional hospital setting.

This minimally invasive approach to shoulder repair requires a highly skilled surgeon that has undergone extensive training and is intimately familiar with the techniques needed for arthroscopic repair. The orthopedic surgeons at OrthoKagan are regarded as some of the leading shoulder surgeons in Southwest Florida. Our team takes pride in helping patients regain their shoulder mobility utilizing the latest arthroscopic surgical techniques.