Orthopedic Surgeons are specialists in diseases and injuries of the entire musculoskeletal system. The explosion of specialized knowledge and techniques in Orthopedic Surgery has resulted in many orthopedic sub-specialties including: Hand Surgery, Spine Surgery, Orthopedic Trauma Surgery, Knee Surgery, Tumor Surgery, Foot and Ankle Surgery, etc. Of course, a Shoulder Surgeon specializes in shoulder surgery.
The shoulder may be the most complicated joint in the human body; and shoulder surgery has experienced many advances in the last few years. With the development of arthroscopic (small incision using fiber-optic microscopic) techniques that allow almost all tears to be repaired without an open incision, revolutionary options for reconstruction and joint-replacement by shoulder specialists are now available offering hope for patients living with debilitating shoulder pain; even if they have had a shoulder surgery in the past that didn't provide acceptable results.
A standard shoulder replacement addresses the arthritis but doesn’t answers the problem of a high riding or unstable shoulder. Note that in a standard shoulder replacement the shoulder hosts the "socket" and the arm has the "ball". A reverse total shoulder replacement helps experienced shoulder surgeons provide an answer for the debilitating shoulder pain due to this combination of arthritis and instability. Note that we "reverse" the ball to the shoulder and the socket to the arm, which gives the procedure its name, the Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement.
Of the approximately 20,000 Orthopedic Surgeons in the United States, less than 25% perform more than 1 or 2 shoulder replacements each year, with only 3% performing more than 10 replacements per year. Advanced arthroscopic shoulder operations still represent a significant challenge for most Orthopedic Surgeons, and techniques that allow almost all tears to be repaired without an open incision are still only available in a few state-of-the-art centers, like The Shoulder Center. Many scientific studies have proven that patients get better results from surgeons who do a LOT of a particular surgery, like shoulders; and that's all we do at The Shoulder Center; hundreds per year! Expertise requires skill, judgment, and lots of experience-the best airline pilots have thousands of flight-hours- and we have performed thousands of shoulder surgeries. Choosing a Shoulder Surgeon – an orthopedic surgeon with advanced training and lots of experience in shoulder surgery- can offer options and solutions not otherwise available; including consistently better results.
Call our office to discuss your shoulder needs and a consultation with a shoulder surgeon.