Shoulder problems severely limit arm movement and cause pain that disrupts your life and sleep. When your pain doesn’t improve, it’s time to consider shoulder surgery performed by Ramin Ganjianpour, MD, and the skilled team at North Valley Orthopedic Institute in Mission Hills and Tarzana, California. With their expertise in arthroscopy, you can heal faster and return to your active lifestyle. Book an appointment online or call the nearest office to get an evaluation of your pain and learn if you’re a candidate for shoulder surgery.
Arthroscopy is minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to examine and repair problems inside the shoulder joint. Your surgeon guides a narrow arthroscope through a tiny incision and into the joint.
A camera in the scope sends high-definition images to a monitor. Your surgeon views the images to diagnose the cause of your pain. They insert narrow surgical instruments through another small incision to repair the problem.
The North Valley Orthopedic Institute team often performs arthroscopy to:
Some shoulder replacement surgeries can be done using arthroscopy.
Your rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that hold the arm in the joint and support arm movement. Rotator cuff injuries are common and most often occur when a tendon is stretched or torn. This damage is painful, limits your arm movement, and can lead to long-term shoulder weakness.
You may need surgery to repair a rotator cuff injury when:
A tendon tear won’t regain its full strength without surgery. You’ll need rotator cuff surgery to return to strenuous overhead activities, such as baseball, tennis, swimming, football, painting, and construction.
You may need to replace the shoulder joint after a severe fracture or if you have osteonecrosis, a condition that occurs when blood loss leads to bone death.
However, advanced arthritis, especially osteoarthritis, is the most common reason people need a shoulder replacement. Osteoarthritis occurs as repeated joint movement wears down the cartilage covering the ends of bones. This cartilage is essential because it cushions the bone, allowing them to glide smoothly inside the joint.
As more cartilage breaks down, the bones become exposed and grate together, leading to extensive joint damage and debilitating pain and stiffness. At that stage, replacing the joint is the only way to relieve your symptoms and restore mobility.
To learn more about shoulder surgery, call North Valley Orthopedic Institute or connect online to request a consultation.