I’ve now had two shoulder surgeries, one on each side. The procedures I’ve had though couldn’t be more different. In 1997 I had a bone spur removed that was causing nerve impingement. My left arm used to go numb during rocky down-hilling on my mountain bike. I consulted an orthopedic specialist and after physical therapy and a cortisone injection, I had surgery.

The procedure was not arthroscopic, instead it was performed using traditional techniques. I was given general anesthetic, which means I was completely asleep and breathing with the aid of a ventilator. That was more intense than the sedative and nerve block I had this time. Instead of being out patient, I was required to spend the night in the hospital as a precaution.

The main difference that I see between an open procedure and an arthroscopic one is the size of the incision. Below is a picture of the scar on my left shoulder.

This is much more noticeable nine years later than the arthroscopic incision from only a few weeks ago. It also was closed with staples instead of stitches. Compare that picture with this one of the front incision following my slap tear surgery.

While seen as a cosmetic issue, incision size is a major player in infection rates. It’s really common sense; the larger the incision the more internal surface area is exposed to the environment. Arthroscopic surgeries, with a smaller incision length, statistically have lower rates of post surgical infections.