Shoulder Arthroscopy: Is it Right for You?

Shoulder arthroscopy has been a major advancement in the treatment of shoulder pain. Shoulder arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows your surgeon to view the inside of the shoulder joint through small puncture incisions using specialized lighted instruments. This procedure helps your surgeon identify and possibly repair damaged structures in the joint with minimal trauma to the body.

Conditions arthroscopy can treat

The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint that can move in more directions than any other joint in the body. This high level of mobility is made possible by a network of strong ligaments, tendons, and a rim of cartilage that encapsulate and stabilize the joint. If you have an injury to any of these structures which does not heal with rest or non-surgical treatment, you might be a candidate for shoulder arthroscopy.

• Rotator cuff tears
• Damage to the shoulder labrum (the fibrocartilage rim around the shoulder socket)
• Torn ligaments
• Bone spurs
• Shoulder instability
• Frozen shoulder
• Inflamed tissue or necrotic debris in the joint that might be causing shoulder impingement

What to expect

Shoulder arthroscopy is usually performed as an outpatient surgery, allowing patients to avoid a hospital stay and return home on the same day as the procedure. As the procedure is minimally invasive, patients generally recover much faster and better than previously.

Book an appointment with us for a thorough evaluation of your shoulder condition and a personalized treatment recommendation.

Dr. Patrick Denard has been voted one of the top 20 Shoulder Surgeons in North America and is the most widely published shoulder specialist in Oregon. Dr. Denard has advanced arthroscopy training and is able to perform the vast majority of shoulder procedures in a minimally invasive fashion, including all types of rotator cuff repairs and instability repair. These techniques allow him to repair tears that some consider "irreparable."