Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Shoulder arthroscopy

Table of Contents

Definition

Shoulder arthroscopy is surgery that uses a tiny camera called an arthroscope to examine or repair the tissues inside or around your shoulder joint. The arthroscope is inserted through a small incision (cut) in your skin.


Alternative Names

SLAP repair; Acromioplasty; Bankart; Shoulder repair; Shoulder surgery


Description

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that cover your shoulder joint. These muscles and tendons hold your arm in your ball and socket shoulder joint, and they help you move your shoulder in different directions. The tendons in the rotator cuff can tear when they are overused or injured.

Most people receive general anesthesia before this surgery. This means you will be unconscious and unable to feel pain. Or, you may have regional anesthesia. Your arm and shoulder area will be numbed so that you do not feel any pain in this area. If you receive regional anesthesia, you will also be given medicine to make you very sleepy during the operation.

First, your surgeon will examine your shoulder with the arthroscope. Your surgeon will:

  • Insert the arthroscope into your shoulder through a small incision. The arthroscope is connected to a video monitor in the operating room.
  • Inspect all the tissues of your shoulder joint and the area above the joint -- the cartilage, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
  • Repair any damaged tissues. To do this, your surgeon 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.

Your surgeon may do one or more of these procedures during your surgery:

  • < Page
    • 1 2 3
  • >

Review Date: 02/09/2009
Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)