Shoulder and elbow surgery in Manchester

Our shoulders and elbows provide us with extraordinary movement and function in the upper limb. Any damage to them can have a significant effect on daily life.

From getting dressed to brushing our teeth, making a hot drink or driving our car, it is surprising how many things can become more challenging when an elbow or shoulder is not working properly. It is extremely hard to function without a working upper limb.

If you have a problem in your shoulder or elbow, it is sensible to get expert assessment and advice. Here at The Alexandra Hospital, our network of leading upper limb surgeons can help you experience better function and mobility in their arm and shoulder again.

The shoulder and elbow are both incredibly complex joints. Providing a large amount of movement, strength and function, it is not surprising that they are quite susceptible to a number of problems.

Pain in the shoulder or elbow is usually caused by:

• Acute trauma – for example, from a sports injury or car accident;
• Chronic trauma – this occurs over a longer timeframe, often as a result of a repetitive movement;
• Inflammation, and
• Wear and tear.

Problems in your shoulder or elbow tend to cause certain symptoms. Some of the common reasons people visit us for help include:

• Pain and/or inflammation;
• Stiffness;
• Weakness;
• Feeling of instability or dislocations;
• Pain at the end of the collarbone (clavicle), and
• Unpleasant pops, clicks or clunks.

Acute trauma to the elbow or shoulder, such as a broken bone or dislocated shoulder, will often need emergency treatment through A&E. However, many injuries will be less severe but can end up causing ongoing pain, weakness or instability in the shoulder and elbow.

It can often be quite simple to dismiss some symptoms (like stiffness in the shoulder), as a natural part of ageing. For many of us, it is only when our symptoms become more serious and start having a noticeable effect on daily life that we realise we should probably seek medical help.

If your symptoms are particularly severe or limiting, you will appreciate being able to access expert help quickly. At The Alexandra Hospital in Manchester, highly experienced Consultants will thoroughly investigate the cause of your symptoms and arrange the most suitable treatment for you as soon as possible.

Some of the conditions that often cause elbow and shoulder symptoms include:

• Arthritis – the most common type to affect the shoulder and elbow is osteoarthritis. This is an irreversible condition and will usually require joint replacement surgery when more advanced;
• Frozen shoulder – this is more common in people with diabetes;
• Rotator cuff injury / tendon tear; 
• Tennis elbow – this is caused by repetitive twisting motions;
• Golfer’s elbow – this is caused by repetitive gripping motions;
• Recurrent shoulder dislocation
• Tendonitis – inflammation of a tendon;
• Bursitis – inflammation of a fluid-filled sac (bursa) in your elbow or shoulder, and
• Bicep tendon rupture.

Our experienced Consultant Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons can help get back to using your shoulder and elbow fully and safely once again.

When you first meet with your Consultant, they will ask you about your symptoms in detail.

They will carry out a physical examination of the affected area to assess movement, strength and stability in your arm and shoulder. They may also arrange for you to have an X-ray to show any obvious abnormalities in the bony structures.

They may also request an ultrasound or MRI scan, particularly if they are investigating a soft tissue injury like a tendon tear. Nerve conduction tests may also be helpful.

All these investigations are available on-site. We have a team of radiologists to report on diagnostic scans promptly.

Many shoulder and elbow problems will initially have non-surgical treatments, such as steroid injections, pain relief (analgesia) or physiotherapy. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections are also helpful in some cases. If these do not provide suitable symptom relief, surgery may be an option.

Tears in the rotator cuff tendon (around the ball and socket joint of your shoulder) will often need to be surgically repaired. This will usually be done by keyhole surgery as a day case procedure.

Frozen shoulder will resolve naturally, but this can take many months. Physiotherapy and steroid injections will often help, but if pain and stiffness is particularly severe, a keyhole surgical release may be an option.

If conservative treatment isn’t effective for shoulder impingement, arthroscopic subacromial decompression can be done to remove the troublesome bone spur from underneath the acromion.

Severe arthritis in the shoulder can cause severe pain and stiffness in the joint. Shoulder replacement surgery may be advised in this instance to replace the damaged joint with a new artificial shoulder joint (prosthesis). There are a number of ways shoulder replacement surgery can be done. Your Consultant will discuss the most appropriate options with you.

People are referred to us by their GP, physiotherapist, sports physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor or a Consultant in another specialty. Others choose to self-refer to avoid delay.

We treat private medical insurance and self-pay patients.

Many of our patients are from Manchester and the surrounding areas, but excellent road access makes it very easy to travel from further afield to visit with us.

When you visit The Alexandra Hospital, you will benefit from:

• Fast access to an upper limb specialist – When you have a problem with your elbow or shoulder, the very last thing you’ll want it to wait weeks (or even months) to see somebody for help. We can arrange for you to see a leading Upper Limb Consultant quickly, so that you can receive treatment sooner.
• Convenient appointments – Consultations are available throughout the week. We can also provide remote appointments by telephone or video if required.
• Support from an experienced team – Your Consultant is supported in their work by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, including radiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and nurses.
• Patient satisfaction – In an independent survey, 97.3% of people we treated said they were likely or extremely likely to recommend us to their friends and family.
• Free parking – Our on-site car park has 440 spaces, so you won’t have to worry about where to park when you visit for your appointment.

For peace of mind and expert care, please contact us to book an appointment now. You can call us on +44 1413 005 009 or book your appointment with us online.