Shoulder arthroscopy is an orthopaedic surgery that uses a tiny camera called an arthroscope to examine and repair the tissues inside or around the shoulder joint. It is a keyhole surgery and the arthroscope is inserted through a small incision in your skin.

Shoulder arthroscopy is usually performed if your shoulder has been damaged by an injury, arthritis or for certain other health conditions.

Shoulder arthroscopy procedure makes use of general anaesthetic. Your orthopaedic surgeon will make a few small incisions in the skin around your shoulder joint and insert the arthroscope in one of the incisions. Now, your surgeon will examine your shoulder joint by looking at the images sent by the arthroscope to a monitor.

After the diagnosis of any damage in your shoulder, he or she will insert surgical instruments to repair it. The surgeon will also look to remove any damaged tissue that is stopping you from moving your shoulder and causing pain.

You may return to light activity within a month, but the complete recovery might take up to 6 months.

Complication of shoulder arthroscopy may include stiffness, weakness in the shoulder, injury to blood vessel or nerve, and in rare case failure of the surgery.