Keyhole assessment and repair for an unstable shoulder or a torn rotator cuff.
Shoulder instability. After a first dislocation, the soft tissue rim that holds the ball in the socket can be torn, leaving the shoulder prone to dislocating again — particularly in young, active people.
Rotator cuff tears. The rotator cuff is a group of tendons that move and stabilise the shoulder. They can tear after a fall or lifting injury, or gradually with age and repetitive overhead activity.
Physiotherapy to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder, activity changes and pain relief — often effective for partial cuff tears and some cases of instability.
Arthroscopic stabilisation for recurrent dislocation, and rotator cuff repair for suitable tears — particularly after an injury or when weakness persists.
Shoulder arthroscopy is keyhole surgery using a small camera and instruments through small incisions. Torn tissue is reattached to the bone using small anchors, restoring stability or reattaching the torn tendon.
The arm is usually protected in a sling for a period after surgery, followed by staged physiotherapy over the following months to restore movement first and strength later.
It is worth an assessment after a shoulder dislocation, or if shoulder pain, night pain or weakness has not improved after a few weeks.
Consultations at Sahyadri (Deccan), Bharati Vidyapeeth (Katraj) and Apollo (Swargate).
