MIS Arthroscopic Stabilization Surgery of the Shoulder
For patients whose shoulder is unstable and “comes out of the socket” with activities, and improve function as well. The shoulder is an inherently unstable joint and the causes of instability are multi- factorial. However, most of the shoulders that are loose can be stabilized by either reattaching the ligaments that are pulled away from the bone, or by tightening up the ligaments that have become stretched out.
The surgery can be performed with only a few small puncture wounds rather than the traditional larger incisions. The arthroscopic treatment for the unstable shoulder has come a long way and results now are comparable if not better than the standard surgical techniques. However, not all patients are candidates for this method of surgery. Some of the factors that are used to select the proper method for stabilizing the shoulder include:
- The shape of the bones and any areas of deficiency
- Any previous surgery
- The type of activities the patient is involved in (contact sports for example)
- The cause of the instability
By keeping the incisions smaller, the recovery from MIS stabilization surgery is less painful but not painless. The patients go home the same day as the surgery. They must use a sling for about 4 weeks and need to be careful while the tissue is healing back to the bone. Physical therapy is used to help to restore motion, strength and function. Once recovery is completed, patients may resume any and all activities as tolerated.
The risks of surgery using MIS techniques are still present and are no different than those using standard techniques. These would include; infection, stiffness of the shoulder, the risks associated with anesthesia, recurrence of the instability, and continuation of the pain as before the surgery.
