Shoulder Surgery
MINIMALLY INVASIVE SHOULDER REPAIR
If you’re like most people, you take your shoulder for granted. After all, it’s one of the strongest parts of your body, and it helps you do everything from swinging a golf club to carrying groceries.
When shoulder pain strikes, you quickly realize how important the shoulder joint is. Physical Therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and injections are considered front-line treatments for many shoulder conditions. However, when conservative treatments do not help or you have a condition such as a rotator cuff or labral tear, you may need surgery to fix the problem.
Dr. Boyett specializes in shoulder arthroscopy procedures to help relieve the pain and repair the damage. Shoulder arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that Dr. Boyett uses to examine and repair the tissue around your shoulder joint, as well as to treat a variety of shoulder conditions.
Through small incisions he makes in your shoulder, Dr. Boyett will insert a small camera attached to a fiber-optic cable to view the inside of your shoulder joint. This camera projects pictures of your shoulder joint to a video screen, which he uses to locate the source of your injury. If you need a shoulder repair, Dr. Boyett uses miniature surgical instruments to restore your shoulder’s mobility.
Common arthroscopic procedures include:
- Rotator cuff repair
- Labral repair
- Excision of bone spurs
- Biceps tenodesis and tenolysis
- Tissue tightening procedures for shoulder instability
- Grafting procedures for irreparable Rotator cuff tears
Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair
Rotator cuff tears are one of the most common shoulder conditions that require surgery. The rotator cuff is the tendon group responsible for raising the arm above your head. When even a portion of this tendon group tears, weakness, and pain result. Full thickness rotator cuff tears will not heal and require surgery.
Repair is achieved when using a few small, single stitch incisions and the tendon is reattached to the bone. The surgery typically takes about 30-45 minutes and is done through a scope about the size of a pencil. Factors such as bone quality, tendon thickness, and healing potential all have an effect on outcomes but typically rotator cuff repair restores good function and strength.
All arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs can achieve great results, but double-row rotator cuff repairs offer even more enhanced tendon healing.
A double-row arthroscopic rotator cuff repair for rotator cuff injuries is an arthroscopic shoulder surgery that can improve the overall quality of the rotator cuff restoration process. This increases the tendon-to-bone contact, which helps provide for a better outcome when healing. It helps increase the strength and durability of the repair and also helps reduce chances of reinjury while you heal.
With this technique, Dr. Boyett uses minimally invasive keyhole surgery to repair torn rotator cuff tendons. Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is not only less invasive, but also decreases the risks of post-operative complications such as muscle injury, stiffness, or infection.
Arthroscopic labral repair
A labrum is a protective cuff of cartilage found in ball and socket joints like the shoulder. It helps stabilize the joint by deepening the socket of the shoulder that holds the humerus (upper arm bone) securely to the socket. The labrum is one of the structures important in allowing the incredible range of motion of the shoulder joint while maintaining stability. A tear in the labrum can cause weakness, pain, and instability within the shoulder joint.
When the labrum is torn, the shoulder can become painful and unstable, particularly in overhead maneuvers. There is a limited range of motion and patients are at a higher risk of dislocation. Dr. Boyett uses arthroscopic surgical techniques to repair the torn labrum and restore shoulder stability.
During this procedure, Dr. Boyett inserts the arthroscope through a small incision in the shoulder so he can visualize the torn labrum. He then cleans up any scar tissue and rough edges of the labrum and prepares the bone for healing, then reattaches the labrum to the bone. Using special implants called suture anchors. Multiple suture anchors are used to hold the labrum in place and to tighten the injured shoulder joint. Then it is up to the body to heal the repair and this is achieved through a balance of motion and protection to the joint utilizing physical therapy during the recovery.
Arthroscopic biceps tenodesis
Dr. Boyett performs arthroscopic biceps tenodesis to treat patients who have torn or damaged the tendon that connects your biceps muscle to your shoulder. This tendon is located at the top of your bicep muscle and is connected to your labrum, which is the cartilage that lines your shoulder socket. Patients with this condition typically experience pain and instability in the upper arm and shoulder.
During the arthroscopic biceps tenodesis procedure, Dr. Boyett will make several tiny cuts in your shoulder to insert a tiny camera called an arthroscope, which he uses to view your biceps tendon and labrum. Using small surgical tools, Dr. Boyett detaches your biceps tendon from your labrum and then drills a small hole in your upper arm. He will then use a suture anchor to repair your bicep tendon and actually move the biceps attachment into a more advantageous location.
Recovery is heavily dependent on post operative restrictions and physical therapy.