Shoulder Arthroscopy Cost in India

The cost of shoulder arthroscopy in India typically ranges from $500 to $6,000 USD, depending on the hospital, city, and type of procedure.

Shoulder arthroscopy is keyhole surgery using a small camera and instruments passed through small cuts around the shoulder. It can be used to diagnose problems and to treat them in the same operation. The cost depends on:

• The procedure performed: for example decompression, calcium removal or rotator cuff repair.
• Implants: anchors are needed if a tendon is repaired.
• Anaesthesia: general anaesthetic with a nerve block.
• Physiotherapy: rehabilitation sessions after surgery.

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust lists procedures that can be done arthroscopically:

• Examination and manipulation: for a stiff or frozen shoulder.
• Subacromial decompression: shaving a bone spur that rubs on the tendons.
• Acromioclavicular joint excision: removing a few millimetres of bone from the joint at the top of the shoulder.
• Calcific deposit removal: clearing calcium from the tendons.
• Rotator cuff repair: reattaching a torn tendon to bone using anchors.

Sometimes the surgeon only finds the full problem during the operation, so the procedure may change from what was planned.

The operation is usually done under general anaesthetic, with a nerve block that can leave the arm numb and weak for 12 to 24 hours. It is usually a day case.

There are typically 3 to 5 small wounds, and stitches are removed at about 2 weeks. A sling is often only needed for a couple of days, but after a rotator cuff repair it may be needed for 4 to 6 weeks.

Physiotherapy usually starts about 3 to 4 weeks after surgery, according to the East Kent leaflet. Recovery is quicker after a simple procedure than after a repair. After a rotator cuff repair, the leaflet advises not using the arm or driving for 6 to 8 weeks.

The leaflet describes risks as rare or low. They include bleeding, wound infection, blood clots, nerve or blood vessel injury, stiffness or frozen shoulder, persistent pain, and the need for further surgery.