Dr. Lázaro Amorós MD PhD, is a recognized specialist in Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology for his excellent clinical practice and educational work. Currently, he is co-founder and orthopedic surgeon at Institut Amorós, as well as specialist traumatologist Section Chief of the Arthroscopy Unit and the Shoulder and Elbow Unit of MC Mutual.
Shoulder arthroscopy surgery is a method used to examine and repair the intra- and periarticular structures of the shoulder, which are fundamental to its movement and functionality. Depending on the pathology to be treated, the intervention will consist of making two or three small incisions through which the viewing optics and the specific surgical instruments for each procedure are introduced.
When is a shoulder arthroscopy performed?
- Repair of the glenoid impeller (ring of fibrocartilaginous tissue that joins the shoulder to the scapula).
- Treatment of shoulder instability.
- Rotator cuff surgery.
- Treatment of post-traumatic recurrent dislocation.
- Bursectomy (surgery to remove inflammatory tissue from the shoulder).
- Shoulder biopsy.
- Removal of calcifications.
- Surgery for injuries of the acromio-clavicular joint (nexus of the acromion with the tip of the clavicle), dislocations, osteoarthritis.
- Removal of chondromas or free bodies.
- Arthrolysis (removal of fibrous bands and adhesions of the joint).
- In subacromial impingement syndrome, acromioplasty is performed to create more space and thus improve movement.
- Repair of proximal humerus fractures.
Postoperative period after shoulder arthroscopy
Depending on the treatment performed, especially in the case of fixation of soft or bony parts with anchors or tendon sutures, immobilization with a sling is necessary for 4-5 weeks to avoid tension and help fixation of the repaired or inserted tissues. When these circumstances are not present, moderate rotational exercises are authorized from the first day. The recovery period after arthroscopy is approximately 2-3 months for patients who need tissue or structural fixation and 2-6 weeks for those who do not. The orthopedic surgeon will set the rehabilitation guideline in each case, depending on the pathology and the surgery performed. Thanks to the fact that arthroscopy is a minimally invasive technique, hospital admission is a maximum of 24 hours and most procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis.
Evolution and prognosis after arthroscopic shoulder surgery
Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is not very painful, has hardly any complications, hospitalization is short and recovery is fast. The outcome and prognosis of shoulder pathologies treated arthroscopically is very good, achieving a refunctionalization in the absence of pain in a high percentage of patients. Occasionally, cases are observed in which pain is prolonged for months or mobility delays occur without apparent cause.