Dislocation Repair

What is a Shoulder Dislocation?

Shoulder Dislocation occurs when the shoulder joint becomes unstable through injury or laxity of the cartilage and ligaments surrounding the joint.

There are two common types of shoulder dislocation:

a) Traumatic Dislocation: caused by an individual experiencing a significant or high impact force such as through a road traffic accident or heavy rugby tackle.

b) Atraumatic or Positional Dislocation: caused by abnormally lax joints and/or cartilage that fail to support and hold the shoulder joint in place (patients with this condition are often referred to as 'double jointed')

Why does Shoulder Dislocation occur?

A Shoulder Dislocation usually occurs when supporting cartilage surrounding the shoulder known as the Labrum, or the supporting ligaments attached to the Glenoid surface of the shoulder blade become lax or tear.  

How is a Shoulder Dislocation treated without surgery?

Shoulder Dislocation can be treated conservatively by manipulating the shoulder back into its correct position, treating any pain with painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication and gradually training the surrounding ligaments and muscles to tighten and support the joint with physiotherapy. However, an unstable shoulder joint that repeatedly dislocates is unlikely to respond well to this type of non-surgical treatment and will usually require surgical intervention.

How is a Shoulder Dislocation treated with surgery?

A surgical procedure to resolve a dislocation is usually performed under general anaesthetic (you will be asleep) and takes around one and a half to two hours to complete, dependant on the complexity and extent of the condition. 

The surgery to resolve a dislocation problem can be provided either through a traditional incision (also known as an open procedure) made over the shoulder joint or through a key hole incision (also known as Minimally Invasive Surgery or MIS).  MIS techniques involving an arthroscope and keyhole incisions are more favoured with specialist shoulder surgeons because this method is known to cause less trauma to the surrounding shoulder muscles and typically results in a less painful and more speedy recovery.

In either procedure the surgeon will carefully explore, repair, shorten or tighten the lax or torn cartilage and ligaments with the ultimate aim of eliminating the cause of the dislocation problem, but without impairing the normal range of shoulder movement. 

New surgical techniques such as Thermal Capsulorrhaphy involving the use of a heat source to shrink and tighten the damaged tissues surrounding the shoulder joint are now beginning to emerge and likely to gradually replace more traditional surgery.   

What is the recovery like?

Once a patient is fully recovered from the effects of anaesthetic they are normally quickly encouraged to be as active and mobile as possible to avoid joint stiffness and other complications such as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) from developing. It is therefore normal for patients to be encouraged to take a short walk and perform gentle postoperative exercises with guidance from a physiotherapist on the day of surgery.

Following a progressive improvement of mobility and pain control patients are normally discharged from hospital 2-3 days following surgery. By the time the required level of recovery is achieved for discharge, patients are normally fully mobile, wearing a light weight dressing and support sling on the effected shoulder, eating and drinking normally and taking only mild analgesia (pain killers).

Over the next 6 weeks patients will be expected to work on improving their new shoulder joints mobility and stability through a dedicated and progressive upper limb physiotherapy regime. Your Consultant Surgeon will assess your joints stability and range of movement after 6 weeks and then again after three months to evaluate how successful your shoulder procedure has been.

Patients should expect a continuous and full physical recovery to take around nine to twelve months to achieve.

Are there any risks associated with Shoulder Dislocation surgery?

Although shoulder Dislocation surgery is regularly performed without any complications, it is very important that all candidates are fully aware of both the benefits and risks of undertaking this type of specialist upper limb surgery.

All surgery, no mater how expertly or carefully it is performed, carries risks and the importance of a full evaluation and consultation with an expert in shoulder surgery to discuss your condition in relation to these risks cannot be over emphasised.

How do I find out if I am a suitable candidate for Shoulder Dislocation surgery?

Surgical Advisor will be delighted to help you find a leading expert in Shoulder Dislocation surgery to consult with. Your surgeon will carry out a thorough evaluation of your condition and provide you with a comprehensive explanation of the most appropriate surgical solution.
 
Our Expert Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons are most carefully selected and recommended because they understand the importance of the decision you are making when contemplating shoulder surgery and because of their specialist upper limb surgical expertise. Throughout your consultation you will therefore be encouraged to ask as many questions as you wish and to take your time in making a decision to proceed with any recommended treatment.

To ensure that all patients are comfortable with any recommendations or advice given in their consultation, all patients are asked to go away after a consultation and think through all the information they have received. If for whatever reason you are still not sure about the best course of action and wish to have further dialogue with your surgeon, you will not be expected to pay for a second consultation appointment.

How do I make a consultation appointment?

For further advice on how to make an appointment to consult with an expert upper limb orthopaedic surgeon: 

Please call Surgical Advisor on: 0870 41 41 41 2
Or email us by clicking on: advice@surgicaladvisor.com