Surgery of the shoulder has advanced significantly over the last decade. Major advances have been made in the treatments that can be offered to patients suffering from shoulder complaints, and also in surgical procedures that utilise "minimally invasive" or "keyhole" surgical techniques.

In my practice the majority of shoulder conditions that require surgery can be managed arthroscopically. Arthroscopic or "keyhole" surgery involves the use of a camera and "arthroscope" that can be passed into and around the shoulder joint though cuts smaller than a button hole. Other small cuts can be used to pass instruments into the shoulder joint so that surgery can be carried out. The most common arthroscopic surgical procedures performed are;

• Arthroscopic subacromial decompression/acromioplasty
• arthroscopic rotator cuff repair
• arthroscopic shoulder stabilisation
• arthroscopic capsular release
• arthroscopic SLAP repair.

For more information on arthroscopic surgery click on the condition you have on my healthpoint page, or click here

Some surgical procedures still need to be performed "open", the most common of these would be for "massive" rotator cuff tears, or shoulder joint replacement.