How to treat shoulder injury?

Help with arthroscopic shoulder repair surgery from an old injury. Has anyone had any complications or advice?

• I’m a 41 year old male and I dislocated my shoulder over 10 years ago although I had several dislocations the first year or so I haven’t had one in over 9 years. Over the past 9 years I’ve been really self-conscious about how I move/stretch my arm trying protecting my shoulder from it dislocating again. Over the past 8 years I’ve weight trained with very pretty heavy weights and I have been pretty active and other than it getting sore from bench pressing with heavy weights my shoulder feels fine. I haven’t lifted weights in over a year now and I have absolutely no pain. Every once (depending on how I move my shoulder) I do hear/feel a popping/grinding noise. If by accident I jerk my arm back pretty far it does feel like it wants to slip out. I don’t know if this is just a mental thing because I’ve been so self-conscious over the past 9 years about protecting it. I’ve haven’t tried pushing it to-the-limits because I’m so afraid of it popping out again. I’ve had an MRI/X-ray and the 1st orthopedic surgeon (about 3 years ago) told me I had early stages of arthritis but he wouldn’t operate on it. He thought I should just see a physical therapists, which I didn’t. The 2nd orthopedic surgeon want’s to do arthroscopic surgery on it. He said he wants to flush it and see if the ligaments are in need of repair. He said if I don’t go forth with the surgery as I age the shoulder has a chance of getting worse and in the future I might need a shoulder replacement. So my question is: Will the arthroscopic fix my shoulder or cause more problems. I mean if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. Is there a chance I might get scar tissue that might cause more issues. Can he fix the arthritis caused by the dislocation? What are the down sides to this surgery? Has anyone had any complications from arthroscopic shoulder repair surgery? I got the feeling that the surgery wouldn’t fix anything? Please reply with any advice. Thanks-

• Answer:

  I work in surgery assisting surgeons. One of my favorite surgeries is an arthroscopic shoulder repair. Shoulder scopes have came a very long way in technology. A surgeon can make a few small incisions and place a scope in your shoulder, there they can determine your treatment. Its been my experience many patients that lift weights end up with shoulder replacement. Most tears can be repaired thru a scope. It sounds like you may have rotator cuff or labrial tear and possibly a bone spur. I know it is a painful procedure, but your shoulder should not dislocate. My father had his repair and recovered well. He was in a lot of pain but regained the range of motion he had lost prior to the surgery. Often MRIs do not show the extent of the tear. I am not a doctor, but I know first hand how helpful the surgery can be. Good luck on whatever you decide.