Shoulder surgery
Shoulder surgery
Shoulders are the most flexible part of our body. And that makes them susceptible to several ailments and injuries. Shoulders can get damaged due to aging and overuse too.
Most of the conditions related to shoulders can be treated with medications and physical therapy. Some major injuries like rotator cuff tears, frozen shoulder, shoulder dislocation, and tendonitis necessitate surgery.
Shoulder Physiology
The shoulder joint includes the upper arm bone (humerus), shoulder blade (scapula), and collarbone (clavicle). The scapula’s round socket holds the humerus. A rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles that protects the humerus. Tendons are tissues that attach muscles to shoulder and arm bones. In addition, there is a bursa sac that lies between the tendons and bones and acts as a cushion.
Common Shoulder Injuries
Following are some common shoulder conditions: Shoulder arthritis – This condition is characterized by inflammation and degeneration of shoulder joints. Stiffness, numbness, pain, and discomfort in the shoulder are the symptoms experienced by the patient.
Fractured Collarbone: In this condition, the collarbone gets fractured due to a fall on the shoulder side. It can happen to anybody of any age.
Instability: The condition is marked by the shoulder coming out of the socket either due to a fall or accident. The fall can cause partial instability (subluxation) or complete instability (dislocation).
Acromioclavicular joint arthritis: Repetitive use of the shoulder by weightlifting or playing badminton puts excess pressure on the acromioclavicular joint (AC joint) and leads to its inflammation and degeneration.
Ways of Performing a Shoulder Surgery
Based on what the shoulder condition is, the surgeon will derive a plan to treat it. Some of the surgical options are:
Minimally invasive surgery/Arthroscopy
When performing Arthroscopy, an arthroscope and other special instruments are inserted into the shoulder through many small incisions made in that area. The arthroscope transmits the pictures to a monitor outside. The surgeon gets a clear view of the interior pictures of the shoulder. Then, he uses special instruments to fix the shoulder joint. Arthroscopy ensures quicker recovery, fewer risks, and less pain.
Mini-open surgery
As the name suggests, it is a surgery performed through a mini-incision smaller than a standard open surgery incision. It allows more repairs to the shoulder than an arthroscopic procedure would allow. The chances of damage to the shoulder are low compared to open surgery.
Open surgery
A large incision is made during open surgery. It gives the surgeon a clear view of the shoulder and enough room to fix it. However, open surgery involves more risk of infection and other complications. It also takes more time to recover compared to the other types of surgery.
Conditions that need Shoulder Surgery
The conditions that need surgery of the shoulder are arthritis, cartilage conditions, rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocation, shoulder separation, tendonitis, frozen shoulder, humerus or collarbone fracture, and bursitis.
Rotator cuff surgery
The damaged tendons are repaired and cleaned in the rotator cuff surgery. Then, the tendons are reattached to the head of the humerus. In case of a partial tear, the tendon is trimmed. In complete tear, the damaged tendons are replaced with healthy tissues on the humerus.
Shoulder dislocation surgery
A shoulder dislocation is characterized by the upper bone of the shoulder dislocating from the shoulder blade socket. It can occur in either the anterior or posterior part of the shoulder. Bankart repair, Remplissage procedure, Latarjet procedure, Capsular shift, and shoulder replacement are the surgical options to treat shoulder dislocation.
Frozen shoulder surgery
Frozen shoulder is a condition where the shoulder becomes stiff and restricts movement. A surgery to fix this condition aims to loosen the tissues around the shoulder ball. It is performed using an arthroscope. Physical therapy, along with the right exercises, helps in recovering from the surgery quickly.