Shoulder Arthroscopy Surgery

Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure used to visualize, diagnose, and treat problems inside a joint. The procedure involves making a small incision in the skin and inserting a pencil-sized arthroscope into an injured or damaged joint. The arthroscope’s tiny camera and instrumentation allow Dr. Samimi to see inside the joint in a magnified and illuminated manner to accurately diagnose and effectively treat the condition. Dr. Samimi specializes in the treatment of complex and routine shoulder problems that may be treated with arthroscopic techniques.

Arthroscopy is almost always performed as outpatient surgery and offers such benefits as reduced risk, fewer complications, less postoperative pain, less recovery time, and far less scarring. Using this minimally invasive procedure we can perform shoulder surgeries such as rotator cuff repair, labral repair, shoulder instability reconstruction, and biceps tendon repair.

What happens during the shoulder arthroscopy procedure?

First, we examine your shoulder with the arthroscope. The arthroscope is inserted into your shoulder through a small incision. The arthroscope is connected to a video monitor in the operating room. All the tissues of your shoulder joint and the area above the joint -- the cartilage, bones, tendons, and ligaments are inspected.

Once a thorough understanding of the problem is obtained damaged tissues are repaired. To do this, we will make 1 to 3 more small incisions and insert other instruments through them. A tear in a muscle, tendon, or cartilage will be fixed. Damaged tissue may need to be removed.

At the end of the shoulder arthroscopy surgery, your incisions will be closed with stitches and covered with a dressing (bandage). Typically you will go home the same day in a sling followed by a course of physical therapy depending on the nature of the surgery. You will be able to remove the bandage and shower 2 days after surgery. The small incisions will simply be covered by a band-aid.

Rotator cuff repair: Your orthopedic shoulder specialist may use arthroscopic shoulder surgery to treat tears of the rotator cuff tendon. The edges of the tendon are brought together and are attached to the bone with sutures and anchors. The anchors can be made of metal or plastic. They do not need to be removed after surgery.

Impingement syndrome: Your orthopedic shoulder specialist may use arthroscopic shoulder surgery to treat this common condition causing shoulder pain. Damaged and inflamed tissue is cleaned out in the area above the shoulder joint. Your orthopedic surgeon may also cut a specific ligament, called the Coracoacromial Ligament, and shave off the under part of the Acromion bone. This procedure is called Subacromial Decompression.

Shoulder instability: If you have a torn labrum (the rim of the shoulder joint that is made out of cartilage) your orthopedic surgeon has the specialty training to repair it using arthroscopic surgery. Ligaments that attach to this area will also be repaired. The Bankart lesion is a tear on the labrum in the lower part of the shoulder joint. A SLAP lesion involves the labrum and the ligament on the top part of the shoulder joint.

Biceps Tendon Repair: The biceps tendon may be torn due to trauma or repetitive injury and may cause pain, weakness, and deformity. It is commonly seen in combination with rotator cuff tears. Your shoulder specialist will use minimally invasive arthroscopic techniques to repair this tendon if necessary.

For detailed information about this condition and treatments such as Shoulder Arthroscopy please visit: AAOS Online Service Fact Sheet - Shoulder Surgery

Dr. Samimi is a Los Angeles orthopedic surgeon offering shoulder arthroscopy at 3 location in West Covina, Encino and Brentwood / West LA.