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What are the shoulder diseases and what are the causes of their occurrence?

The most common shoulder diseases are the following:

• Rotator cuff tear (tendon rupture in the shoulder) can be caused by one or more minor injuries or even by chronic tendonitis of the shoulder.
• Shoulder tendonitis, which is due to inflammation of the tendons in the shoulder area.
• Calcific tendonitis, is a particularly painful condition characterized by the deposition of calcium salts in the rotator cuff.
• Shoulder dislocation, is caused when the head of the humerus is displaced outside the hollow part of the joint.
• Frozen shoulder, the pathological condition characterized mainly by painful stiffness of the shoulder.
• Biceps tendon diseases, in which the tendon of the long head may become inflamed, partially or completely torn, and unstable.
• Superior Labral Tear (SLAP Lesion), which involves the traumatic detachment of the upper part of the labral cartilage from the shoulder socket.
• Shoulder arthritis, is a degenerative disease characterized by the destruction of the articular surfaces of the shoulder.

What are the new, minimally invasive techniques for their treatment?

The Shoulder arthroscopy is now the most appropriate, effective and modern solution for the treatment of the above diseases. It belongs to the category of minimally invasive, bloodless techniques, in which a fiber optic camera with cold lighting is inserted through a 4 mm hole.

The instrument used is called an arthroscope and is connected to a high-definition video screen in the operating room.

Using this method, the doctor has full visibility of the area in and around the joint in order to inspect and repair any damage.

Which patients is this method intended for?

When a patient is experiencing any of the aforementioned conditions or has pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint that does not respond to non-surgical treatments, such as rest, physiotherapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and injections, then arthroscopy is recommended. In certain conditions such as tendon rupture and traumatic dislocation, arthroscopic treatment is recommended from the outset.

What are the benefits for the patient with the use of arthroscopy?

The benefits that arise from the application of the minimally invasive technique are multiple: first of all, it is one of the safest and bloodless techniques, which has extremely low complication rates.

It provides excellent aesthetic results due to the small incision, while at the same time, through the special access, the underlying tissues are not injured and there is no postoperative pain.

At the same time, fewer intraoperative and postoperative complications are achieved, a shorter hospital stay (fast track protocol), but most importantly – upon indications – immediate mobilization of the shoulder is allowed within a few days (rapid recovery protocol).

Finally, the patient who needs shoulder arthroscopy receives regional anesthesia and not general anesthesia or intoxication. In this way, he is given the opportunity, if he wishes, to monitor the operation from the special screen in the operating room.

This protocol is known as awake shoulder surgery.

Specialization and Organized Hospital Structures:

Daily updates on new technologies and materials, combined with the continuous investments of the Athens Medical Group in biomedical equipment, allow us to provide the Group’s hospitals with the latest in modern treatment for shoulder diseases.

At the same time, and through the high degree of experience and specialization of our Team, we are able to offer the most personalized, safe and minimally invasive solution for each case, no matter how complex it may be. It is important to realize that even in the difficult period we are experiencing, we should never neglect our health.

At Athens Medical Group, in addition to providing high-quality health services, the safety of its patients, staff and doctors remains a top priority. To this end, the strict admission and stay measures and protocols that have been established are fully implemented, including the mandatory molecular testing for the virus, of all patients and their companions.