Dominique-Francois Gazielly M.D

Specialist in Orthopaedic Surgery

Associate-Professor of Tia Tong Shanghai University

  • Francais
  • Anglais

Therapeutic Options

 

1. Each patient is a special case

Professional or sporting context, age, environment and medical history, patient motivation to support the post-operative rehabilitation: the ideal therapeutic option, for the treatment of a shoulder disorder precisely defined, can be modulated according to patient-specific criteria.
In reality, the decision to operate on a patient is taken jointly by a medical team including the family doctor, the anaesthesiologist and the surgeon, in agreement with the patient's motivation.

 

2. The surgery is not a systematic treatment option

Our 28 years’ experience, exclusively devoted to the pathology of the shoulder, has proved that rehabilitation, when supported by our protocol, is sufficient to stabilize or heal three patients out of four (6,000 patients operated out of 24,000 seen in consultation...)

 

3. We carry 80% of the surgery by the micro arthroscopic surgical technique

Arthroscopic shoulder surgery allows to operate on a patient without a trace of scarring on the skin, which means almost no risk of infection and a significant reduced post-operative pain.

 

4.  Approximately 20% of our surgeries are typically performed as an "opened surgery": instability surgery for athletes and total shoulder arthroplasty

 

5. After shoulder surgery, rehabilitation is a key partner with participation up to 50% until the final functional outcome

It is our role to prepare the patient before the procedure by choosing a physiotherapist who knows our protocols and who we trust to support and motivate the patient after surgery.

It is also our role to control post-operative rehabilitation by regularly reviewing our patient, the 15th and 45th day, as well as 3 and 6 months later in consultation, either directly or by using suitable means of communication (ex: Skype®), when the patient lives in a country away from Switzerland.

 

6. Infiltration of cortisone can decrease transiently, severe shoulder pain

- If this temporary treatment option is supported on an accurate diagnosis.

- If infiltration is performed, either by consulting a specialist shoulder surgeon or by the radiologist under fluoroscopic control.

 In all cases, infiltration of cortisone do not address to the cause of the pain, but only to the symptoms.

Beware of repetitive cortisone injections, labelled without radiographic assessment and accurate diagnosis in the pathology of the shoulder to treat!