Shoulder Arthroscopy Specialist

What is shoulder arthroscopy?

Shoulder arthroscopy is a surgical procedure that Dr. Feldman performs to assess the cause of pain in your shoulder joint and repair any damaged tissues.

An arthroscope is a flexible tube with a miniaturized camera at the end that Dr. Feldman passes through a small incision in your skin. Arthroscopy is a less invasive form of surgery that avoids the need for making large incisions.

Why might I need shoulder arthroscopy?

Dr. Feldman may recommend shoulder arthroscopy if you have conditions such as:

• Torn shoulder ligaments
• Damaged cartilage
• Shoulder instability
• Torn biceps tendon
• Tendinitis
• Torn rotator cuff
• Bone spurs
• Inflammation of the joint lining
• Arthritis
• Shoulder impingement syndrome

Dr. Feldman only recommends shoulder arthroscopy if other forms of treatment aren’t yielding results, or in cases where surgery is the best option.

What happens during the shoulder arthroscopy procedure?

To prepare for shoulder arthroscopy, you receive either a general anesthetic or local anesthesia in your shoulder, combined with a sedative to keep you relaxed and sleepy. Either way, you won’t feel any pain during the operation.

Dr. Feldman makes a small incision in your shoulder and inserts the arthroscope. He can see the internal tissues of your shoulder via a monitor that receives a feed from the camera on the end of the arthroscope.

The images on the screen enable him to determine where repairs are necessary. He makes more small incisions to accommodate specially designed instruments he uses to carry out the repairs.

How is damaged tissue repaired during shoulder arthroscopy?

There are a variety of techniques Dr. Feldman can use to repair damaged tissues, including:

• Cleaning out irreparably damaged tissues
• Reattaching tendons with sutures or rivets
• Shaving bone spurs
• Cutting a ligament
• Repairing tears in muscles and soft tissues

When the repairs are complete, Dr. Feldman closes the incisions with stitches and covers them with a dressing to keep the wound clean and protected.

After the initial recovery period, Dr. Feldman arranges physical therapy to rebuild strength and mobility in the affected shoulder.

If you have a shoulder problem that requires surgery, Dr. Feldman has the skills and experience to carry out the procedure safely and with optimal results. Call Active Joints Orthopedics today, or book an appointment online.