Frozen Shoulder Surgery

Overview

If you have a frozen shoulder then you might be in pain when you reach into your back pocket, the back seat of your car, or try and groom yourself. Frozen shoulder surgery might benefit you.

How to Prepare for Frozen Shoulder Surgery

To prepare for a frozen shoulder surgery don’t eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery. We also ask that you bring a large shirt with buttons or a zipper on the front so you won’t have to pull a shirt over your head. You might also prepare your home so you won’t have to reach your hand over your head during your upcoming recovery.

Procedure

A typical treatment for the frozen shoulder is arthroscopic capsular release. During this surgery, we insert a small camera into an incision. Small instruments can treat the issue through multiple small incisions near the injury. Arthroscopic surgery is an outpatient procedure. That means after you wake up you can return home the same day. You will be administered anesthesia for approximately two to two and a half hours, the entirety of the surgical procedure. You will spend one to two hours in the recovery room as we monitor your progress of waking up.

Recovery

Upon surgery completion, we as physicians will splint the shoulder in a position to ensure the shoulder is still stretched. We ask you to immediately begin moving your shoulder and begin using therapy after surgery in hopes to maintain improvements in the shoulder motion.

Efficacy

The tight capsule of the shoulder capsule is cut to allow the joint more freedom and mobility.

Complications

The main complication you might experience is residual shoulder stiffness or pain. You might experience pain and/or stiffness for up to three years. Some may experience pain if a tear occurs due to excessive force. Surgery could also cause scar tissue which could cause the pain and stiffness worse than before surgery. Other risks include infection and nerve or cartilage injury.

Outlook

It’s unusual for a frozen shoulder to recur in the same shoulder, but some people can develop it in the opposite shoulder. Rarely do patients require additional surgery. People who suffer from a stroke, heart condition, or surgery and then remain immobile might also experience pain due to a frozen shoulder. You might also increase your chances of having a frozen shoulder if you experienced a rotator cuff injury, broken arm, or if you are recovering from surgery. Patients with diabetes, overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis, and Parkinson’s disease have an increased risk of frozen shoulder.

 
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