Private Shoulder & Elbow Surgery Darlington

Patients visiting our specialist shoulder and elbow orthopaedic consultants commonly present with varying forms of shoulder or elbow pain.

This is usually experienced with movement of the joint and there are two common groups for those visiting us with shoulder concerns:

Younger patients:

• Recurrent dislocations
• Sports injuries

Older patients:

• Rotator cuff tendon tears
• Arthritis in the joints around the shoulder
• Frozen shoulder

These can present as shoulder pain, stiffness and/or weakness. An accurate diagnosis is needed, so that an appropriate treatment plan can be formulated. Our experienced consultants are able to accurately assess your shoulder condition, provide advice and timely treatment.

Conditions affecting your elbow can be debilitating and can quickly affect your quality of life.

The common elbow conditions treated at Woodlands include:

• Nerve-related issues such as entrapment (experienced as pain, weakness, and a tingling sensation)
• Tennis elbow (inflammation caused by overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons, felt around the outside of your elbow)
• Golfer’s elbow (inflammation caused by overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons, felt on the inside of your elbow)
• Arthritis of the elbow (as a result of general wear & tear)

If you have any of these symptoms or conditions, our shoulder and elbow specialists at Woodlands Hospital have the ability to get you a rapid diagnosis, forming a personalised treatment plan to help manage your shoulder and/or elbow condition before it gets any worse.

Surgery isn't always required to bring you relief, and some symptoms can be managed well with non-invasive measures. A personalised exercise and rehabilitation programme can be created for you by our dedicated physiotherapy team to help strengthen your shoulder or elbow and keep it mobile while you recover.

Steroid injections can be administered in the clinic to help relieve pain, either in your shoulder or elbow. These can be repeated if they prove successful. Ultrasound guidance is available for added accuracy, allowing your consultant to administer the injection directly into the affected area to improve success rates.

Many patients coming to see us will already have had some form of treatment which has proved unsuccessful. If physiotherapy, steroid injections, and other painkillers haven’t helped to reduce your symptoms, surgery is the next likely option.

Shoulder dislocations and tendon tears can usually be repaired through a shoulder arthroscopy. This minimally-invasive procedure involves your consultant making a number of small incisions in your arm and inserting a camera to visualise the joint. Surgical instruments can then be introduced via the incisions to repair the damage. Rotator cuff injuries can often be treated in this way also, although extensive tears and complex shoulder dislocations may require an open operation.

Severe cases of arthritis may benefit from a joint replacement. This form of surgery involves the damaged joint being removed during open surgery and replaced with an artificial joint. This surgery tends to have a period of recovery, but success rates are high. You will be supported with a specialised physiotherapy regime throughout your rehabilitation.

Surgical solutions for elbow conditions usually include tendon releases to relieve you of constant irritation. Most patients are able to recover from conditions like tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow with conservative treatments, but surgery can be considered for more serious cases. Your surgeon will make an incision near your elbow, and release part of the tendon from the bone, as well cleaning up any excess tissue or bone spurs.

Establishing a definitive diagnosis is the first step in managing your condition. At the initial consultation, your consultant will take a detailed medical history and will ask about the various symptoms you have been experiencing. They will want to know:

• What are your symptoms?
• How long have you had these symptoms?
• Have your symptoms become progressively worse?
• Are you in pain? If so, can you describe this pain? Is it a stabbing pain or does it spread out?
• Does anything cause your symptoms to flare up?

This is normally followed by a clinical examination, where your consultant will manipulate and move your affected arm, assessing the health and condition of the joints.

An x-ray is normally needed. Some patients come to us having already had scans, and your consultant will wish to see these, but scans can be provided on-site if not. Further scans may be required to confirm a diagnosis, such as an MRI or ultrasound, especially if your consultant needs to assess the soft structures in your arm (useful when looking for tendon tears).

With a full diagnosis confirmed, your management plan will be laid out clearly, and all treatment options outlined for you. Often, non-invasive treatment is enough to provide effective relief, in the form of steroid injections (which in some cases can be performed during this initial consultation). Alternatively, a bespoke physiotherapy programme, catering to your specific needs. Your consultant can advise you if surgery is your best option for recovery.

Woodlands also offers ‘prehab’ physiotherapy, providing mobility exercises and strengthening routines for your shoulder in order to help you best prepare for surgery. As well as helping to ensure you are in the best possible shape for surgery, this can greatly benefit the post-operative recovery period and contribute to overall success rates.

The choice to proceed with surgery is entirely yours. Your consultant can help you weigh up the risks and benefits, based on expectations of success and your goals for recovery, arming you with all the relevant details to make an informed decision.

Choosing to have your shoulder & elbow treatment at Woodlands comes with a host of benefits, such as:

Choosing to have your shoulder & elbow surgery treatment at Woodlands comes with a host of benefits, such as:

• Assessments ASAP – Shoulder and elbow conditions are best treated at the earliest possible stage. If you’ve been experiencing any of the associated symptoms, our consultants can see you for an assessment without delay, getting you an accurate diagnosis and the necessary treatment before your symptoms progress any further.
• Patient satisfaction – 98.1% of patients in 2024 said they would be likely or extremely likely to recommend their consultant to their friends or family. 96% also said that their overall experience of the nursing care was very good or excellent. We aim to make your stay with us as comfortable as possible, and these results highlight our continued efforts to ensure this is achieved.
• Day case procedures – Some minor procedures can be done on the same day as your initial consultation, making Woodlands a ‘one-stop shop’ for certain treatments and procedures.
• Personalised care – We believe in a bespoke approach to treatment, tailoring each experience to our patients’ needs and whatever may be best for you. This is regularly reviewed, ensuring you get the necessary treatment at every stage of your patient journey.
• A multi-disciplinary approach – Our teams at Woodlands work in tandem with each other to provide you with the best possible care from start to finish. Working closely alongside a dedicated team of radiographers, anaesthetists, and nurses, you have support from medical professionals every step of the way during your treatment.
• Convenient appointments – With appointments available between 10am and 8.30pm Monday-Saturday, you are sure to find an appointment slot that suits your needs and availability.
• Park with ease – We know that parking should be the least of your worries when attending hospital, so our car park has ample space to accommodate your needs. This also includes 4 electric vehicle charging points. Alternatively, we are very close to Darlington Railway Station, should you wish to visit us by train. We are also a short walk from multiple bus stops, including Morton Park Way (Morrisons) and Yarm Road.

If pain in your shoulder or elbow has been concerning you, book a consultation with one of our orthopaedic consultants today.

Accessing private healthcare with us is easy, whether you choose to pay directly or use private medical insurance.

If you are paying for yourself, we can usually offer an upfront cost which you can then choose to pay in full or access one of our easy payment options.

If you have insurance, we can arrange direct settlement with your insurance provider, although you should check in advance to see if your treatment is covered. There are usually only three steps to accessing private treatment using insurance:

• Speak to your GP: Let your GP know that you have private medical insurance during your appointment with them. Ask them to refer you to Woodlands Hospital, and in you have already chosen which consultant you would like to see, let your GP know their name so they can give you a specific referral letter. The letter should include the hospital and consultant name, as well as the recommended treatment. Your GP can also give you a referral letter with no specified consultant.
• Speak to us: Once you have your referral letter from your GP, give our friendly Patient Liaison Officers a call on 01325 341786. If your GP gets in touch with us directly with your referral, we will be in touch with you.
• Speak to your insurer: After speaking to your GP, ensure that you call your insurer and activate your insurance. Have your insurance details to hand when you call, as they will need it to confirm that the treatment you need is covered by our policy. If the treatment is not covered but you would still like to go private, you can explore alternative methods.

For more information, visit our private medical insurance page.

Woodlands Hospital first opened in Darlington in 2001, and we have been treating patients from Darlington and the wider area ever since.

We are located on Morton Park Way, opposite Dunelm and Premier Inn and over the road from Morrisons. Darlington Train Station is approximately 3.5 miles away and there is a taxi rank at the station with cabs available throughout the day. We are also a short walk from numerous bus routes, with stops at Morrisons and on Yarm Road. We are a short distance from local attractions such as Hopetown, the brick train sculpture and the Hippodrome.

We have free parking available on-site, with 4 electric vehicle charging points. The hospital has an accessible entrance, however please do let a member of the team know if you require a wheelchair and one of our friendly porters can assist you into the building.

Each of our rooms feature an en-suite for added comfort and privacy. The rooms are spacious with a remote controlled TV and free Wi-Fi available during your stay. Our catering team are on-hand to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner at regular mealtimes. We offer a range of choices available, please do let us know of any special dietary requirements you have prior to your admission.

As well as offering surgery, we have a number of fantastic facilities on-site at Woodlands.

Our physiotherapy department consists of many experienced senior physiotherapists with a range of clinical interests including hand, women's health and men's health. We also have a fully equipped gymnasium, including an anti-gravity treadmill, exercise bike and numerous weights. The team will work closely with you to reach your goals, and you can self refer to book an appointment. If you're interested, please give the team a call on 01325 341712 and choose option 2.

We also have imaging facilities on-site, including a wide-bore MRI scanner, x-ray, ultrasound, fluoroscopy and access to a CT scanner. Please note: appointments for any imaging service at Woodlands Hospital can only be made once the department receives a referral from a GMC-registered consultant. For more information, please give our friendly enquiry team a call on 01325 968 195.