Shoulder arthroscopy surgery

If you’re considering treating your shoulder problem in Spain, you can book an appointment with one of our traumatologists and recover your quality of life under the guarantees of Operarme.

If you live abroad and you are interested in having your surgery done in Spain, our patient service team will help you with all the planning of your surgical process.

You can find more detailed information by clicking here 

In Operarme you will find the best offer in surgical care in Spain. We work with first-rate private hospitals in different cities, equipped with modern facilities and an experienced staff and medical team. Our trauma and orthopedic surgeons bring years of experience in surgical procedures.

Operarme offers its patients a Medical Complications Insurance which covers possible eventualities that may happen during the surgery of the following 30 days after the intervention, such as more days of hospital stay, or the need of a re-intervention.

As published on this page, the cost of Shoulder arthroscopy surgery in Spain through Operarme is from 4.990 €: a fixed price with all the services included. However, if there is any special need in the technique or the surgical process, always under the surgeon’s medical recommendation, you will be informed of the variation in the price before starting the process.

Contact our Patient Service Team if you have any questions by calling at +34 91 141 33 56, by filling out the contact form or through Whatsapp. Operarme is not only at your disposal throughout the process, advising you and programming each stage of the procedure, but will also try to solve any concerns that may arise.

If you need guidance on the surgical process, the postoperative stage and the advantages of having Shoulder Arthroscopy surgery, we offer you more detailed information below.

Arthroscopy is a technique used to treat shoulder injuries, allowing surgery to be performed through small incisions (0.5 - 1 cm), through which audiovisual instruments are inserted to guide the specialist. It also stands out for its significant advantages compared to traditional open surgery (arthrotomy).

This surgery can treat a wide range of conditions and provides solutions for injuries that are more challenging to address with open surgery. The main indications for shoulder arthroscopy include:

• Instability and recurrent dislocations
• Rotator cuff tendinitis
• Calcific tendinitis of the supraspinatus
• Acromioclavicular joint arthritis or pain
• Rotator cuff tears, including supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendon tears
• Subscapularis tendon tears
• Biceps tendon injuries
• Shoulder stiffness and complications from previous surgeries
• Acromioclavicular joint problems
• Labrum injuries, including SLAP tears
• Salvage procedures for massive rotator cuff tears or injuries

If you or someone close to you is experiencing discomfort caused by a degenerative joint disease or an accident and you want to regain your quality of life as soon as possible, at Operarme we offer a surgical assessment consultation with our Traumatologists, throughout all Spain.

Likewise, if you are certain that you want to undergo shoulder surgery or are looking for the technique that best suits your particular case, you can request a surgical assessment appointment on our website:

Assess your case with a Traumatologist

Request a free and immediate surgical consultation with our specialist in Traumatology.

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Consultation with the Traumatologist

On the day of your consultation with the specialist, you should bring recent x-rays or MRI of the shoulder, so that they can review your case, and rule out any possible contraindications for surgery. 

The specialist will examine your test, and conduct a physical examination if necessary.

Additionally, during the appointment, you can take the opportunity to address any doubts or questions you may have about the procedure, so you can make an informed decision.

If you decide to proceed with the surgery, you will be able to schedule the preoperative assessments and the surgery date during the consultation. Additionally, during the consultation, the surgeon will provide you with some recommendations to help you prepare for the procedure.

Once the decision is made and before undergoing shoulder arthroscopy surgery, a series of preoperative tests will be conducted to ensure that you are fit for the procedure.

Preoperation tests for Shoulder Arthroscopy Surgery

Pre-op tests will be performed to ensure the surgery is carried out with maximum safety and precision. The tests include:

• Complete Blood Test: To check for signs of infection. If an infection is detected, the procedure may need to be postponed to avoid complications like infection in the surgical area, which could require a second surgery.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG): To evaluate the patient’s cardiovascular health.
• Chest X-ray: This test is only performed if the doctor deems it necessary. It helps confirm that there are no signs of infection and that the trachea is properly aligned.
• Consultation with the Anesthesiologist: Inform the anesthesiologist if you have any allergies, are taking any medications (prescribed or not), or have had previous surgeries, among other relevant details. This consultation determines the type of anesthesia that will be used during the procedure.

If the anesthesiologist approves the surgery, the next step will be to go to the hospital for the procedure. 

Shoulder arthroscopy without tendon suture is typically performed under general anesthesia.

The patient will be admitted on an empty stomach, following the prior instructions provided by the Operarme team, on the same day as the surgery procedure. 

After admission, they will be accompanied to the operating room, where the specialized surgical team will receive them. Once inside, the anesthesia team will help calm any anxiety before putting the patient to sleep.

For this type of surgery, general anesthesia is used — the patient will be completely asleep and relaxed. Additionally, before entering the operating room, in the recovery area, the anesthesiologist will perform a nerve block using an ultrasound device. This means the arm will be numbed to ensure that any discomfort during the first 24 hours after the surgery is well-controlled.

Next, the surgical team will position the patient and prepare for the procedure. Once everything is ready, they will proceed with the shoulder arthroscopy.

Arthroscopic shoulder surgery lasts approximately 30-90 minutes.

1. The arthroscope is inserted into the shoulder through a small incision. The arthroscope connects to a video monitor in the operating room.
2. Once the incisions — also called portals — are made, special working cannulas (tubular plastic structures) are placed. These cannulas help guide the specialist accurately into the joint without losing position. They also create a sealing effect, preventing the saline solution used to expand the shoulder joint during the procedure from leaking out. Typically, 3 to 4 portals are made. A camera is inserted through one portal, while the others allow the introduction of specialized instruments, implants, and tools to repair any injuries within the joint.
3. All shoulder joint tissues are carefully examined, including cartilage, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
4. After confirming that the procedure was successful, the instruments are removed, and the area is bandaged to immobilize the shoulder.

Once everything is completed successfully, the patient wakes up and is transferred to the recovery area. There, the patient gradually regains consciousness, and any remaining discomfort is effectively managed.

Finally, the patient is transferred to their private room, where they can rest with their companions. The hospital staff will provide attentive care, ensuring the patient is comfortable, administering pain medication as needed, and performing all necessary post-op care.

The following day, after the wound dressing is checked and changed, and the patient receives discharge instructions and documentation, they will be able to return home.

The recovery from shoulder arthroscopy depends on the injuries being treated and the activities the patient intends to resume. Therefore, personalized protocols are always used.

The recovery period ranges from one to two weeks for surgeries without rotator cuff injuries, up to two to three months if the rotator cuff has been repaired. It may even extend to 4 to 6 months for athletes involved in throwing or contact sports.

Once the surgical incisions have healed, all patients can perform basic activities like eating or personal hygiene within seven to ten days, even while wearing an immobilizing sling.

Between the second and third month after surgery, near-complete shoulder joint mobility is typically regained. At this point, muscle toning exercises are introduced to progressively rebuild strength.

The great advantage of the arthroscopic technique is that it allows the evaluation of the structures inside a joint without damaging the surrounding tissues (muscles, tendons, and ligaments). This results in a faster recovery, enabling the patient to quickly return to their usual activities (sports, work, etc.).

As mentioned earlier, since the surrounding shoulder structures remain unharmed, joint mobility recovery is faster. Typically, the day after surgery, patients start performing very simple exercises (called pendulum exercises) to begin moving the shoulder joint, helping to minimize the risk of joint mobility limitations.

Another great advantage of shoulder arthroscopy is that it allows for a full evaluation of all joint structures. In contrast, open surgery provides a much more limited field of view, which may lead to overlooking injuries that should be repaired.

The risks and complications associated with shoulder arthroscopy can be classified into three categories:

• Anesthetic risks: These are assessed by specialists to determine the best anesthesia technique. The approach doesn’t differ from other surgical procedures, and the operation itself isn’t particularly long.
  
  
• Pre-operative risks: The surgeon must have the necessary knowledge and skills to prevent and manage any complications that may arise during the procedure.
  
  
• Postoperative risks: These are similar to those of any joint surgery. For example:
  
  
  • Infection, which is very rare in arthroscopic surgery.
  • Joint stiffness or residual pain. To prevent this, it’s crucial to follow a proper exercise plan, starting immediately after hospital discharge.

You can find below several reasons why hiring Operarme services for your Shoulder Arthroscopy surgery (without tendon suture), it’s a safe and wise choice.

We have been helping our patients solve their medical problems for more than 10 years, through high-quality surgical procedures.

Our Patient Service team will answer all your questions, and will schedule each of the appointments of your surgery procedure:

• Fixed price, all-inclusive.
• Fully personalised patient service.
• Specialists in Traumatology and Orthopedics surgery recognized by the Spanish health system.
• Hospitals with the best facilities and equipped with the most advanced medical technologies.
• A medical complications insurance that will cover any eventuality that may arise.

Our Patient Service team, as well as the doctors who are part of our medical team, speak English, so you won’t find communications problems throughout the process. If you speak French, we also have staff who speak it fluently.

Organization of the surgical service from Spain

Before travelling to Spain to have the first consultation with our specialist, we would help you out with the planning of your trip:

• Reception of medical tests for review by the specialist: Before you travel to Spain, you would send us the necessary diagnostic tests via email so that our specialists can check them, and confirm that the surgery is indeed viable.
• Once it’s been confirmed, Operarme’s patient service team will organise the in-person consultation with the doctor, according to your arrival in Spain, and set up a date for your hospital admission so in the event that you go ahead with the surgery, the timing of the procedure fits your stay in Spain.

Personalised attention

Anytime you need to discuss and ask any questions about the process, the surgery or the conditions of the service, please do not hesitate to contact our patient service team.

Service available in all main cities in Spain

We have specialists and private hospitals available in all major cities in Spain that have international airports: Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Valencia.

In addition, the technological equipment and infrastructure of private hospitals in our country are of first rate. In fact, the Joint Commission International (health accreditation organisation) has valued and awarded medical care in Spain on more than 20 occasions.

If you need more information or you plan to travel to Spain to undergo Arthroscopic Shoulder surgery, contact our patient service team by filling out our contact form, via Whatsapp or by clicking below:

Are you planning on having shoulder surgery?

Request now a free surgical consultation with our specialist in Traumatology.

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