If you have shoulder pain, stiffness, or similar issues, your orthopaedic surgeon may decide to perform a shoulder arthroscopy to help diagnose and repair the problem.
Arthroscopy is a procedure that is used to examine, diagnose, and repair problems inside the joint. It involves inserting a tiny camera – an arthroscope – into the shoulder joint through a small cut or cuts in the skin.
This camera is connected to a digital display and your surgeon uses the images from the camera to guide their miniature surgical instruments.
Arthroscopic shoulder surgery can be significantly less invasive than more traditional forms of surgery, which require opening up more of the shoulder, and tend to have longer recovery times and more associated pain.
The reason for this, is that the arthroscope and the instruments used in the surgery are extremely thin, and require only small cuts in the skin to operate.
As a result, the shoulder arthroscopy recovery timeline is relatively minimal.
The process is the same for a right shoulder arthroscopy or left shoulder arthroscopy; keep in mind that shoulder arthroscopy recovery may be slightly more complicated or difficult if the procedure is being performed on your dominant arm or side – but it still should be fairly simple and much easier to deal with than recuperating after more traditional types of surgery.