Minimally invasive surgical techniques like shoulder arthroscopy allow the skilled team at Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine to view and treat the intricate structures of your shoulder joint without a large incision. They use shoulder arthroscopy to diagnose and treat many conditions at their location in Kansas City, Missouri. Call the office or book an appointment online today to see an expert in shoulder arthroscopy.
Shoulder arthroscopy, or arthroscopic shoulder surgery, is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a special camera, also known as an arthroscope. The surgeons at Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine use arthroscopy to get an up-close view of the inside of your shoulder joint.
The scope is a thin, flexible instrument about the width of a pencil. Your Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine surgeon inserts the scope through an incision about the size of a buttonhole. The scope projects magnified images of the inside of your shoulder onto a screen.
If your surgeon sees an area of tissue damage, they may insert miniature surgical tools through one to two additional incisions to perform the treatment. Because arthroscopy is minimally invasive, it involves less pain, faster recovery, and a lower risk of complications than open surgery.
The team at Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine uses arthroscopy to evaluate and treat a wide range of problems that affect the shoulder joint, such as:
They may also use arthroscopy to repair some shoulder fractures. More complex procedures, like total shoulder replacement, still require open surgery.
First, your Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine provider carefully reviews your medical history and performs a physical exam to make sure arthroscopic shoulder surgery is right for you. They make sure you’ve tried nonsurgical treatments first, such as physical therapy and joint injections.
Most of the time, Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine surgeons perform shoulder arthroscopy as an outpatient procedure, which means you don’t have to stay in the hospital overnight. The surgery lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours and requires general or regional anesthesia, depending on the type and severity of your condition.
Shoulder arthroscopy is minimally invasive and involves a faster recovery than open procedures, but you still need to rest for a while as recommended by your surgeon. Afterward, the team at Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine starts you on a physical therapy plan for rehabilitation.
We proudly serve the greater Kansas City area. Call Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, or book an appointment online today to learn more about shoulder arthroscopy.
