St. Luke's Shoulder Surgery
Restoring Your Quality of Life
The Human Shoulder
The shoulder is a complex assembly of bones, joints, and muscles providing the greatest range of motion of any joint in the human body. A collection of muscles and tendons stabilize the three joints of the shoulder while providing the ability for movement.
Most shoulder issues are relieved with rest, physical therapy, medications, injections, and other conservative treatments. Surgery may be necessary when shoulder conditions do not improve after nonsurgical treatment. Shoulder surgery repairs injuries and diseased shoulder joints, relieves pain, and restores function.
Long-term relief is possible through surgery, enabling you to return to doing what you love.
Unresolved shoulder pain reduces the quality of life. Patients often regain range of motion through surgery and reduce or eliminate pain. Shoulder surgery repairs shoulder conditions that nonsurgical options cannot treat. Dr. Azar and Dr. Cadier perform most shoulder surgeries. If you experience shoulder pain, visit St. Luke’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.
Three Types of Shoulder Surgeries
1. Minimally invasive
2. Mini-open surgery
3. Traditional shoulder surgery
Dr. Azar and Dr. Cadier experienced excellent results in restoring normal shoulder function. Most procedures are outpatient. Total shoulder fracture repair and shoulder replacement surgery may require inpatient stays.
Shoulder Conditions Treated
Through minimally invasive procedures, we can treat most shoulder conditions, including:
• Bone spurs
• Cartilage tears
• Chronic shoulder dislocation
• Labrum tears
• Ligament tears
• Rotator cuff tears
We use mini-open and traditional surgery to treat complete rotator cuff tears, shoulder fractures, and shoulder replacement.
Post-Surgery Recovery
Recovery is different for each shoulder surgery. Recovery from minimally invasive surgery is quicker than mini-open and traditional.
ROTATOR CUFF SURGERY
The most common shoulder injury is to the rotator cuff. While nonsurgical treatment is often successful, complete tears do not heal on their own and require surgery to repair the joint. Dr. Azar and Dr. Cadier have established impeccable reputations for their work in rotator cuff restoration.
Most rotator cuff injuries require outpatient, minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive procedures create less surgical trauma and pain. Patients respond very well to physical therapy is excellent, and recovery is usually much quicker.
An arthroscopic camera is inserted into the shoulder joint to guide the surgeon during surgery. Absorbable sutures close tissue layers, and removable sutures close the skin.
The procedure takes 60-90 minutes.
Post-Surgery Recovery
Physical therapy is essential to facilitate the recovery process. The patient regains shoulder strength, flexibility, and function through one-on-one physical therapy sessions at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Center. Compliant patients who diligently follow physical therapy regimens experience the best results.
SHOULDER STABILIZATION
Dr. Azar and Dr. Cadier produce outstanding results stabilizing shoulders. Physical therapy and nonsurgical options treat most of the shoulder destabilization injuries. The most severe subluxations and dislocations require surgical repair. Most of these procedures are outpatient operations performed under general anesthesia. Conditions repaired through shoulder stabilization are:
• Acromioclavicular (AC) ligament tears
• Chronic shoulder dislocation
• Glenoid labrum tears
• Rotator cuff tears
Post-Surgery Recovery
The type of shoulder stabilization surgery determines recovery. A comfortable sling immobilizes and protects the shoulder post-surgery. And after complete rehabilitation from surgery, the patient will not have loose, sub-luxation, or dislocation symptoms and can live without restrictions. Total recovery can take up to eight months.
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