Shoulder & elbow surgery

We use our shoulders and elbows numerous times every day as we go about our normal activities. Whether we’re brushing our teeth, getting dressed, making a cup of tea or driving our car, our shoulders and elbows are actively involved in making these things possible.

Any type of pain, stiffness or weakness in a shoulder or elbow has the potential to limit the ways we’re able to use our arms.

If you’re struggling with an elbow or shoulder condition, it’s good to know that expert help is readily available. The Consultant Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons at The Park Hospital treat a wide range of shoulder and elbow conditions, helping to get people out of pain and stiffness and back to better function and mobility once again. They would be delighted to help you too.

Do you have any of these common symptoms?

Many shoulder and elbow problems are caused by:

• Acute trauma – for example, a car accident, sports injury or nasty fall onto the arm
• Chronic trauma - injury to the joint caused by a repetitive movement or overuse
• Inflammation
• ‘Wear and tear’ degeneration

Common reasons people visit a Consultant Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon at The Park for help include:

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

Sudden and severe injuries (acute trauma) such as a broken bone may require emergency treatment via A&E. However, many injuries can lead to persisting pain, weakness or instability of the shoulder and elbow. It can be far easier to ignore the early, mild symptoms of many longer-term shoulder and elbow conditions. (For example, some stiffness in the shoulder is often too readily dismissed as a natural consequence of ageing.) It’s only when the symptoms become more pronounced and start affecting our quality of life that we start to take more notice and think about seeing a doctor.

Shoulder and elbow pain can affect all ages. We are more likely to experience degenerative problems such as arthritis as we age, but these conditions can also affect younger patients.

When your symptoms have lasted more than a few weeks, are particularly severe or are interfering with daily life, you’ll appreciate being able to get help, quickly. At The Park, your Consultant will provide you with an expert diagnosis and arrange for you to start any treatment necessary as soon as possible.

Given the complexity of the upper limb, from the top of the shoulder all the way down to the fingertips, it’s not surprising that shoulder and elbow problems are common. Some of the complaints and conditions seen by the Consultants at The Park include: 

• Osteoarthritis – while there is currently no cure for this degenerative condition, a range of treatments can often be effective at relieving the symptoms of pain and stiffness, particularly in the earlier stages. In its more advanced stages, shoulder or elbow replacement surgery may be required 
• Frozen shoulder – causes pain and stiffness in the shoulder. Progresses through three distinct phases: freezing, frozen, thawing.  
• Rotator cuff injury/tendon tear – the rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that help keep the shoulder in position. Damage to the rotator cuff can cause pain in the shoulder which often gets worse when the arm is moved away from the body. 
• Tennis Elbow – usually caused by overusing the muscles involved in twisting motions 
• Golfer’s Elbow – caused by overusing the muscles involved in gripping movement
• Recurrent shoulder dislocation – statistically, a shoulder that has dislocated once is far more likely to dislocate again in the future 
• Bursitis - inflammation of a fluid-filled sac (bursa) in your elbow or shoulder 
• Bicep tendon rupture – tends to cause a sharp pain (and possibly bruising) at the shoulder or elbow 
• Sports injuries – can range from sprains and mild injuries to more significant damage to the joints. Acute trauma is usually treated by the NHS in A&E. 

Whatever problem you’re experiencing in your shoulder or elbow, our experienced Consultant Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons can help you.

When you first meet with your Consultant, they will ask you about your symptoms. They will want to know: 

What symptoms you have 

How long you’ve had these symptoms for 

• What your job is 
• Whether your symptoms have been getting worse 
• Whether any particular movements or actions trigger your symptoms, or make them worse 
• Whether you’ve recently had an injury, such as a fall onto your arm or a hard tackle while playing rugby 
• Whether you’ve received any type of treatment already, such as prescribed medication or physiotherapy

They will take a clinical history and carry out a physical examination of the affected area as they assess mobility, strength and function in your arm and/or shoulder. 

Depending on your symptoms and physical examination, additional investigations may be needed to help with diagnosis. Most commonly, this will be a plain X-ray of the shoulder or elbow, as this will often show obvious abnormalities in the bony structures. For soft tissue queries, such as bursitis or a rotator cuff tear, an Ultrasound or MRI scan may be arranged. 

We have comprehensive on-site diagnostic capabilities, including MRI, CT, Ultrasound, X-ray and nerve conduction testing, so these are easily arranged where required. A team of dedicated Musculoskeletal Radiologists helps ensure a quick turnaround of any test results.  

Once the results of any tests are back, your Consultant will explain the results to you and talk through suitable treatment options. 

It’s important to know that many shoulder and elbow problems can be successfully treated without the need for any type of surgery. Non-surgical treatments can include:

• Physiotherapy and exercise programmes 
• Pain relief medication (analgesia) 
• Steroid Injections 

If non-surgical treatments aren’t able to relieve your symptoms, or become less effective if your symptoms become worse, surgery may be needed.

Rotator cuff tears around the ball and socket joint of your shoulder can need surgery to repair, and this is normally done by keyhole surgery as a day case procedure.

A frozen shoulder will often resolve naturally. However, some people may have more severe pain or stiffness that does not respond to therapy or injection. In these cases, a keyhole surgical release can be considered.

Advanced osteoarthritis in the shoulder can cause severe pain and stiffness, to the extent that moving the shoulder may be all but impossible. Shoulder replacement surgery can be helpful in this situation. Similar joint replacements operations for the hip and knee are very well known, but many people have never even heard of a shoulder replacement. There are different ways this can be done, and your Consultant will explain the best option for your particular shoulder. The worn, damaged joint is replaced with a new artificial shoulder joint (prosthesis).

If you need shoulder or elbow surgery, your Consultant will explain how the operation will be done, the benefits you should expect to see from it and any potential risks or complications you should be aware of. If you have any questions or concerns at any time, your Consultant will be very happy to talk these through with you for your peace of mind. 

Some people are referred to us by their GP or physiotherapist. Others come to us because a friend or family member has recommended us to them.

Many of our patients are from Nottingham and the surrounding areas but due to the expertise of the Shoulder and Elbow Consultants at The Park we also receive many regional and national referrals, as well as requests for second opinions.

We treat people with private medical insurance and those who choose one of our fixed-price self-pay options. When you choose The Park Hospital for your shoulder or elbow treatment, you will benefit from:

Access to an expert, ASAP – the Shoulder and Elbow Consultants at The Park are vastly experienced, recognised both nationally and internationally as leaders in their field. They cover the spectrum of shoulder and elbow treatments, from simple to complex. Rather than having to wait weeks (or even possibly months) to see somebody for even an initial consultation, you will be able to see one of the UK’s top shoulder and elbow specialists quickly, meaning you’ll be treated and back on the road to recovery sooner. 

Rapid turnaround of diagnostic tests – with radiologists on-site to report on diagnostic scans, the results of any investigations will be back with your Consultant promptly, allowing diagnosis and treatment planning at an earlier stage. 

Convenient appointments – with appointments with a leading expert available throughout the week, you will be able to book a time that’s convenient for you. Bookings can be made online or by telephone. 

An experienced team – as one of the largest providers of private surgery in the country, your Consultant is supported in their work by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, including radiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and nurses. With input from highly experienced experts in their field, you will be well looked after at every stage of your treatment and recovery. If referral is needed to another specialist, for chronic pain management or rheumatic concerns for example, this is easily done. 

Superb aftercare – Post-surgical rehabilitation is crucial in helping you benefit from a full and safe recovery. We have an extremely experienced team who will oversee your recovery, guiding you through exercises and physical therapy to help you recover function, movement and strength in your arm and shoulder safely and sensibly.

As recommended by patients– In an independent survey, 98.4% of people we treated said they were likely or highly likely to recommend us to their friends and family. We’re very grateful for this but don’t take it for granted and continue to focus on delivering exceptional care and support to everyone who chooses The Park for their shoulder or elbow treatment. 

For peace of mind and expert care without unwanted delay, please contact us to book your appointment. We really look forward to helping you.