Shoulder arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive keyhole-type procedure that can be used to treat a variety of injuries and conditions affecting the shoulder.

Conditions treated in this manner include rotator cuff tears, frozen shoulders, labral tears, impingement syndromes, biceps tendonitis, acromioclavicular joint arthritis, and shoulder dislocations.

Shoulder arthroscopy usually entails two or three small tiny incisions, with insertion of a camera into one of these incisions to view the shoulder joint, while operating by using instruments inserted through the other openings. Because shoulder arthroscopy requires much smaller incisions, patients typically recover much more quickly and have a lower risk of complications.

Immediately after surgery, patients typically use a sling to rest their arm and will be prescribed simple pain medications or anti-inflammatories. Bandages can usually be removed within two days, with resumption of most daily activities within a week or two. A specific rehabilitation plan is then implemented to facilitate restoration full strength and complete range of motion to the treated shoulder. While a complete recovery is sometimes seen in as little as 6 weeks, patients who have undergone shoulder reconstructions may require several months before fully recovering.