If you need to speak with a shoulder specialist in the Reno, Nevada and Carson City area, make an appointment at Swift Orthopedics. Whether you hurt your shoulder playing weekend softball or you have an overuse injury as a result of your line of work, a shoulder specialist in our office will be able to help.
When you meet with a shoulder specialist at our Carson City, NV, office, you can be certain that you’re working with a board-certified orthopedic physician who is highly trained and experienced in helping patients with shoulder-related issues. You can also be certain that we’ll take the time to conduct a thorough physical examination – often with the assistance of state-of-the-art medical imagery technology – to pinpoint the exact source of the problem. With this information, one of our orthopedic specialists will then be able to recommend the specific treatment or combination of treatments that will give you the best chance of regaining range of motion, overcoming your pain, and returning to your daily active life.
Often, disorders of the shoulder can be effectively managed with conservative therapies. At Swift Orthopedics, for example, we offer many non-surgical treatments, including physical therapy and pain management. If, however, your shoulder specialist determines that surgery is the best course of action for your condition, you can be certain that we have the expertise necessary to provide proper care. Our team of surgeons has extensive experience performing a variety of different procedures, including:
- Total shoulder joint replacement
- Shoulder ligament reconstruction
- Rotator cuff repair surgery
- Fracture and dislocation repair
- Arthroscopy
Shoulder Impingement Surgery
This minimally invasive procedure is often performed on an outpatient basis. Shoulder impingement helps relieve pain by decompressing the small enclosed area around the rotator tendon of the shoulder joint. During the procedure, the bursa is removed and the orthopedic surgeon trims back the acromion bone to allow for normal pain-free motion. In most cases, this procedure is performed arthroscopically.
Arthroscopy
Minimally invasive techniques (also known as arthroscopy) and improved tools allow orthopedic surgeons to fix rotator cuff tears usually through 3-4 small incisions, less than ½ inch. The rotator cuff tear is repaired by suturing the torn tendon back to the humerus. Recovery is less painful and scars are less noticeable.
During surgery for a rotator cuff tear, the surgeon removes debris from the damaged shoulder cuff tendon. This is called a debridement and is typically completed arthroscopically. Next, if bone spurs are present, the surgeon will next smooth the acromion area to prevent the acromion from pinching the tendon.
