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Dislocated Shoulder Surgery

Rahul Thadani
What are the reasons for which a person must undergo a surgery for a dislocated shoulder? What are the dangers, the recovery time, and the cost of this procedure? Read the following story to find appropriate answers to all yours queries related to the aforementioned condition.
People suffering from a dislocated shoulder, often have many options laid out in front of them. This is a very painful dilemma to be in, and one can only imagine what kind of pain one will experience when the shoulder gets dislocated from the socket. Any amount of force or pressure can result in a dislocation, and it becomes very hard to predict when this will happen, but once it has set in, one of the best options is to simply get a surgery.
Shoulder is a joint that is more prone to dislocation and many people commonly suffer from it. A simple fall, or a major collision due to an accident or some other trauma, can lead one to experience intense pain. Along with a feeling of pain that differs in intensity from person to person, other signs, like, swelling, bruising, weakness, numbness, and loss of feeling, also accompany a shoulder dislocation.

Surgery

This is just one of the many options for a person who has got this problem. Other alternatives are as follows:
  • Shoulder exercise
  • Application of ice
  • Prolonged bed rest
  • Shoulder immobilization using a sling
  • Closed reduction, which is the manual relocation of the dislocated shoulder
Before you consider undergoing a separated shoulder surgery, you must understand the possible implications of not going through this procedure. The potential dangers are a major hindrance to everyday work and daily activities, possibility of more frequent dislocation, and permanent damage to the shoulder in the form of premature arthritis.
None of these situations are pleasant ones, so to avoid them one must seriously consider surgery, especially, if one suffers from this condition at an alarming regularity. Visiting a specialist will help determine the risk of getting this problem in future, and will help to play a part in the decision to get it or not.

Surgery Options

The gravity of the condition will enable an experienced arthroscopic shoulder surgeon to determine which of the following surgical options will suit the needs of the patient. Any single one of these options, or a combination of them, can be used as a means of separated shoulder surgery
  • Repairing the rotator cuff
  • Repairing of the biceps anchor, or SLAP lesion
  • Anterior or posterior labral repair
  • Tightening of the shoulder capsule, using capsulorrhaphy shift or capsular shift.
  • Repairing of the capsular ligaments.
The surgeon will be the best judge of whether the surgery must be carried out, depending on the severity of the condition, the damage induced, and the medical history of the patient.

Recovery Time

The recovery time for the surgery depends on many factors, like, the individual's age, health conditions, medical history, and the extent of injury. A minimum of 2 months time will be necessary to resume normal activities, and perform a full range of motions. For some people this can even go up to 3-5 months. The kind of rehabilitation program that is undertaken and the nature of exercises that are performed, also play an integral part in this process.
The recovery time can only be considered complete when the entire range of motions can be carried out by the injured shoulder, and the original amount of strength has returned to it. Resuming strenuous activities before the recovery is complete, can result in a major, painful relapse of the condition.

Cost

The cost of this surgery can run up very high, as a lot of factors are taken into consideration. The physician's fees, the operating room costs, the hospital cost coverage, and the physical therapy costs are just some of the factors that drive the cost up the roof. On an average, this surgical procedure will cost you anything between $6,000 - $15,000.
This is a substantially high amount of money, and therefore, the surgery should be carried out, only if, the case is highly complicated. Normal modes of treatment are effective too, however, if the particular case is one having a long history of shoulder dislocations, it is probably in the best interest of everyone to simply opt for it.
Thus, we see that this option is not one that is for everyone, and one must take a lot of things into consideration before making this decision. The associated pain is very intense and annoying, so all possible measures must be taken in order to relieve this pain, and also to ensure that the problem does not arise again.