Shoulder arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery used to diagnose and treat shoulder problems. You might have arthroscopy for rotator cuff tears or shoulder impingement. Minimally invasive procedures require smaller incisions than traditional surgery. Each incision is about the size of a keyhole.
Treatment Overview.
Eligibility For Treatment.
Your doctor may recommend shoulder arthroscopy if you have a painful condition that does not respond to nonsurgical treatment. Nonsurgical treatment includes rest, physical therapy, and medications or injections that can reduce inflammation and allow injured tissues to heal. Inflammation is one of your body's normal reactions to injury or disease. In an injured or diseased shoulder joint, inflammation causes swelling, pain, and stiffness.
Preparation Before Treatment.
You will likely receive general anesthesia for this surgery. This means you will be asleep and unable to feel pain. Or, you may have regional anesthesia. Your arm and shoulder area will be numbed, as a result you do not feel any pain. If you receive regional anesthesia, you will also be given medicine to make you very sleepy during the operation.
About Treatment.
During the procedure, the surgeon:
Inserts the arthroscope into your shoulder through a small incision. The scope is connected to a video monitor in the operating room.
Inspects all the tissues of your shoulder joint and the area above the joint. These tissues include the cartilage, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
Repairs any damaged tissues. To do this, your surgeon makes 1 to 3 more small incisions and inserts other instruments through them. A tear in a muscle, tendon, or cartilage is fixed. Any damaged tissue is removed.
Your surgeon may do one or more of these procedures during your operation.
Post-Treatment Care Treatment.
After surgery, you will stay in the recovery room for 1 to 2 hours before being discharged home. Nurses will monitor your responsiveness and provide pain medication, if needed. You will need someone to drive you home and stay with you for at least the first night.
Treatment Recovery Tips.
Although recovery from arthroscopy is often faster than recovery from open surgery, it may still take from weeks to months for your shoulder joint to completely recover.
You can expect some pain and discomfort for several weeks after surgery. If you have had a more extensive surgery, however, it may take longer before your pain subsides. Ice will help relieve pain and swelling. Your doctor may prescribe pain medicine, if needed.
Treatment FAQs.
How long is recovery from shoulder arthroscopy?
Most people need 6 weeks or longer to recover. How much time you need depends on the surgery that was done. You may have to limit your activity until your shoulder strength and range of motion are back to normal. You may also be in a rehabilitation program (rehab).
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