Shoulder Arthroscopy in Houston

Everyone has aches and pains in this or that joint from time to time. A strained shoulder muscle or tendon, for instance, might bother you for a while and then resolve itself. However, some kinds of shoulder damage can’t heal on their own, even after the intervention of common first aid and rehabilitation treatments. If your shoulder can’t rotate normally without causing you agonizing pain, you may be a good candidate for shoulder arthroscopy in Houston.

What Does Shoulder Arthroscopy Involve?

3D medical illustration of a human with shoulder injury The term “arthroscopy” comes from two Greek words that refer to seeing inside a joint. This procedure doubles as a diagnostic measure and a form of surgical treatment. In a shoulder arthroscopy, the surgeon sees inside the joint by inserting a long, thin device called an arthroscope through a tiny incision. The device contains a light source and a miniature camera for relaying clear, detailed images to the surgeon via a monitor. Once the surgeon has identified the exact nature and location of internal shoulder damage, minimally-invasive surgery can correct it.

When Should You Consider Shoulder Arthroscopy?

The human shoulder can suffer from many kinds of damage due to the many tissues it contains and the everyday stresses it must endure. Overuse of the shoulder in sports or at work can cause tendonitis, rotator cuff tears, shoulder impingement syndrome, or even a dislocation. Natural aging also takes its toll on the shoulder, potentially leaving you with bone spurs and osteoarthritis that cause chronic stiffness and pain. Prolonged immobilization of the shoulder following surgery or an injury can cause another form of stiffness called “frozen shoulder“.

Man holding his shoulder cause of intense pain Mild shoulder injuries often respond to physical therapy, heat, ice, anti-inflammatory drugs, and pain-relieving medication. However, if the shoulder has sustained too much damage, you may need arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

You shouldn’t put off shoulder arthroscopy in Houston if your symptoms refuse to go away. The longer you wait for proper diagnosis and treatment, the more serious the damage can get. Eventually, you may find that:

  • You can’t lift your arm, or your shoulder lacks sufficient strength to let you carry items with that arm.
  • Your shoulder joint loses the ability to rotate normally.
  • You can’t find a comfortable sitting or sleeping position.
  • Your shoulder becomes so unstable that the ball and socket finally separate from each other, or dislocate.

What Happens in a Shoulder Arthroscopy?

Surgeon doing some physical examination to the patient with a shoulder injury After undergoing an initial physical examination to determine your general state of health, you’ll receive either general anesthesia or a nerve block to prevent you from feeling any pain. Fluid injected into the shoulder inflates it and cleans it out, permitting easier viewing through an arthroscope.

Next, the surgeon will make an incision in the shoulder, guiding the arthroscope through the incision. As the arthroscope’s camera sends pictures to the monitor, the surgeon will move it around to examine all the shoulder’s tissues in detail.

After the surgeon has discovered the cause of your symptoms, it’s time to perform any necessary shoulder surgery. In this step, the surgical team makes two or more additional small incisions. Elongated surgical tools can then fit into these incisions to make repairs. Depending on your specific condition, the surgeon may trim away bone spurs, remove or repair damaged cartilage, reattach torn tendons, and/or modify ligaments.

Let NW Surgery Help You

Surgeon having a consultation with a patient in a surgery center Arthroscopic techniques can relieve shoulder pain and restore normal function without extensive incisions that prolong recovery and contribute to postoperative pain. However, this delicate work requires expertise, which is why you should turn to NW Surgery. Our experienced orthopedic surgeons can perform shoulder, knee, hand, foot, neck, and back surgery with equal skill. Since 1999, we’ve proven ourselves to be the finest outpatient surgery center in Houston.

At NW Surgery, we believe everyone should have access to high-quality care. Our facility accepts liability letters of protection and workers’ compensation in addition to many leading private health insurance policies. Our main goal is to help our patients feel and function better through state-of-the-art surgery and pain management solutions.

Don’t Let Shoulder Pain Limit You

If you’re tired of having limited use of your arm because of shoulder joint damage or deterioration, and conservative care hasn’t solved the problem, contact us about undergoing shoulder arthroscopy in Houston. Our medical experts can help you get the advanced, minimally-invasive diagnosis and treatment you need to get your shoulder working again.