While the advances in small incision surgery around the shoulder have been tremendous in modern times, there are still a few cases where traditional incisions may be better.
Arthroscopic techniques tend to work very well in many cases and will usually be my first choice if you have not had many dislocations or little to no bone damage. In addition to small incisions, arthroscopy tends to create less risk of stiffness than open surgery, which can be a good thing.
But there are times when traditional, open incisions work better to fix unstable shoulders.
In general I use open, traditional approaches when there is a need for bone grafting or previous arthroscopic approaches have failed.
I won’t belabor the point further. Just remember, ultimately the quality of the repair trumps all. And having a surgeon that is skilled in traditional as well as arthroscopic techniques can be a huge advantage and save you time when deciding how to treat your shoulder dislocation.
If you need surgery to treat your dislocating shoulder and help you regain more comfortable, stable motion please contact us for more information or for a personal consultation.