Shoulder arthroscopy is a minimally invasive technique, which allows orthopedic surgeons to diagnose and, in many cases, treat a wide range of conditions affecting the shoulder joint.
Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is an outpatient procedure during which a surgeon makes small incisions in the joint and inserts a camera with a fiber optic light to visualize the structures inside the shoulder. The surgeon views the procedure on a high-definition television screen. There is no need for a general anesthetic, as the patient’s shoulder can be anesthetized through a regional block.
Currently, arthroscopy is used to address a number of shoulder conditions. Techniques and instrumentation have evolved to the point that shoulder surgeons can perform various types of tissue repair and reconstruction through an “arthroscopic” approach.
Results for arthroscopic procedures now equal or exceed those of traditional “open” surgery, with much less pain, better preservation of surrounding tissue, and faster recovery. The most common arthroscopic procedures include subacromial decompression (removal of bone spur) for impingement, rotator cuff repair, anterior labral repair, superior labral repair (SLAP lesion), removal of calcium deposits (calcific tendonitis) and removal of the end of the clavicle (AC joint resection).