Even though you will be seeing a Consultant Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon, many shoulder and elbow problems can be treated successfully without surgery. Non-surgical treatments can include:
- Physiotherapy and exercise programmes
- Pain relief medication (analgesia)
- Steroid Injections
If these non-surgical treatments don’t relieve your symptoms, surgery may be advised.
Many types of surgery in the elbow and shoulder can be done using minimally invasive keyhole surgery (arthroscopy). This approach can provide a faster recovery. Other types of surgery will be done as open surgery.
A frozen shoulder will often resolve itself naturally, and physiotherapy and steroid injections will often help manage symptoms. However, some people will have much more severe pain or stiffness that just does not respond to these treatments. A keyhole surgical release may be carried out to relieve symptoms.
Rotator cuff tears will often need to be surgically repaired. This is normally done by keyhole surgery (known as shoulder arthroscopy).
When osteoarthritis in the shoulder is severe, shoulder replacement surgery can be carried out, replacing the damaged, worn joint with a new artificial one (known as a prosthesis). This can be done in different ways and your Consultant will explain the best option for your specific shoulder to ensure you see the best results.
If you need any type of surgery for your shoulder or elbow condition, it will be fully explained to you, with your Consultant explaining the expected benefits as well as any potential risks or complications you need be aware of.
Treatment will always be planned to your specific requirements, to ensure you see the best results possible.