What is open shoulder surgery?

Open shoulder surgery is more invasive than arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Dr JP Grey, an expert orthopaedic surgeon, creates an incision about ten centimetres over the affected part of the shoulder.

Open shoulder surgery is preferred in cases where both intra and extra-capsular work need to be done or when implants need to be inserted that is not possible through arthroscopic surgery alone. For example, open shoulder surgery allows better visualization to place the implant in the perfect positions as planned pre-operatively.

Dr Grey specialises in the following open shoulder surgeries:

• Reverse shoulder replacement
  involves creating an incision on the anterior part of the shoulder. Afterwards, Dr Grey removes the affected bone and preps the joint surfaces to securely place the implants in the correct place to allow stable and early return to functional mobility of the shoulder.
• Latarjet technique for shoulder instability
  involves using a bone graft taken from the same side coracoid (whilst keeping the tendon attachments) and inserting it on the anterior defect of the glenoid to prevent further dislocations.
• Anatomical shoulder replacement surgery/ anatomical total shoulder arthroplasty
  involves replacing components of the shoulder, such as the ball and socket, with synthetically made metal-alloy implants.

How do you perform open shoulder surgery?

On the day of open shoulder surgery, your anaesthesiologist will administer an anaesthetic to ensure you remain asleep and pain-free during the procedure. Dr Grey creates an incision in the affected part of the shoulder to reach the underlying tissue and bones. The region and expansion of the incision depend on the specifics of the surgical procedure. Specialised shoulder surgical equipment is used to visualize and measure the anatomical defects and to plan bony cuts that need to be made. Open surgery involves repairing or replacing ruptured tendons, repairing broken bones, surgically resecting injured cartilage, or replacing the affected shoulder joint completely.

While traditional open surgery may be intimidating at first, understanding how the procedure is performed, the details of the surgical approach and the recovery process can help put your mind at ease.

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