Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

Shoulder and elbow surgery treats pain and stiffness in your upper limbs that may be due to injury, wear and tear, or a long-term condition. It aims to restore the full use of your shoulder or elbow without pain.

Fractures, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, cartilage damage, tendon, ligament and muscle tears or damage, connective tissue thickening, nerve impingement, dislocation, and instability are responsible for most shoulder and elbow problems.

Common conditions that shoulder and elbow surgery treat include:

• Frozen shoulder
• Rotator cuff tears
• Shoulder dislocation
• Shoulder and elbow arthritis
• Shoulder and elbow bursitis
• Shoulder and elbow fractures
• Shoulder impingement syndrome
• Shoulder subluxation
• Tennis or golfer’s elbow

Common shoulder and elbow surgeries include

• Elbow and shoulder arthroscopy – is also known as keyhole surgery. Arthroscopy allows your surgeon to look inside your elbow or shoulder through a small cut using a miniature camera. They can quickly diagnose problems and often treat them at the same time. Elbow arthroscopy is used to treat tennis elbow, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fractures, to release scar tissue, and to remove loose cartilage and bone fragments in arthritis. Shoulder arthroscopy repairs rotator cuff tears, treats subacromial decompression for shoulder impingement, repairs tears from a dislocated shoulder, removes loose cartilage and bone fragments in arthritis, and performs SLAP repairs and capsular release for frozen shoulder.
  
  
• Elbow and shoulder joint replacement - removes damaged areas of your elbow or shoulder joint and replaces them with parts made of metal and plastic (implants). This surgery is also called elbow or shoulder arthroplasty. It can be a partial replacement when only one surface of the joint is replaced or a total replacement that replaces the whole joint. Elbow joint replacement is performed to treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, severe fractures, bone tumour, and instability often caused by injury. Shoulder joint replacement surgery is done to treat osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rotator cuff injuries, severe fractures, and osteonecrosis that can result in blood starvation to your humerus bone.
  
  
• Reverse shoulder replacement – switches the socket and metal ball around so that the metal ball is fixed to your socket and the plastic cup is fixed to the upper end of your humerus. It is most often used if you have arthritis of the shoulder joint and your rotator cuff tendons are torn or gone and cannot be repaired. It can also be used if your previous shoulder replacement was unsuccessful, you have a complex fracture, a chronic shoulder dislocation, or a shoulder joint tumour.

The cost of a shoulder and elbow surgery with Ramsay Health Care will depend on your shoulder or elbow condition or injury, the diagnostic tests required, your procedure, and your chosen Ramsay hospital.  

Following your consultation with a shoulder and elbow surgeon, you will receive a written cost quote. This quotation is guaranteed for 60 days and includes unlimited aftercare. 

Ramsay is recognised by all major medical insurers. Most schemes cover shoulder and elbow surgery. We advise you to obtain written authorisation from your medical insurance provider before your procedure.

We have a number of finance options to pay for your shoulder and elbow. These include interest-free finance with no deposit and monthly instalments at 0% interest, a one-off pre-agreed payment for All-inclusive Total Care that comes with unlimited aftercare, and pay-as-you-go that offers flexible funding to pay as and when costs arise.

The recovery process after a shoulder and elbow surgery will depend on the exact surgery you have, the severity of your condition, your pre-surgery fitness level, and your age. You should follow your surgeon’s advice for recovery.

Recovery after arthroscopy is shorter than open joint replacement surgery. You can usually go home after a few hours. You will need someone to drive you home.

It can take one week to several months to recover fully from an elbow or shoulder arthroscopy. This will depend on whether it was your elbow or shoulder joint as shoulder joints tend to take longer to recover from; whether you had any treatment, such as joint repair, during your arthroscopy; and your general state of health.

You may have pain and swelling for at least several weeks after arthroscopy that can be treated with over-the-counter pain relief. Your shoulder or elbow may need protection using a sling. Your expert Ramsay physiotherapist will give you individual exercises to improve your elbow or shoulder movement and strength. If you had a minor arthroscopy procedure, you may be able to return to work or school in a few days. You may need longer to recover from more major procedures.

Full recovery after a joint replacement can take up to six months. Recovery from elbow replacement surgery takes about three months and after shoulder replacement recovery takes three to six months.

After elbow replacement surgery some people go home the same day or the day after their surgery. You may need to wear a splint or a sling for a few days or weeks after surgery. You may also have a drain to avoid the pooling of fluids at your elbow. Your physiotherapist will advise you on the best exercises to help your recovery.

You can expect to go home after two to three days after shoulder replacement surgery. Typically, you will have a sling to support your arm and shoulder that you should wear for up to four weeks, including at night. Your physio will give you an exercise plan to help your recovery that will strengthen the muscles around your shoulder and help get your shoulder joint moving. They will also tell you some movements you should not do, including putting your arm behind your back. You should not lift anything heavy or play contact sports for at least six months. Depending on your job, you may be able to go back to work within two to three weeks after surgery, providing you avoid certain arm movements, such as lifting.

We will arrange a follow-up appointment with your spinal surgeon to see how you are getting on after your surgery.