Discharge Instructions for Shoulder Arthroscopy

You had a shoulder arthroscopy. This is a surgical procedure that helps your health care provider diagnose and treat shoulder problems. These include instability, arthritis, and rotator cuff problems. Below are instructions to help you care for your shoulder when you are at home.

What to expect

After surgery, your joint may be swollen, painful, and stiff. The joint will heal with time. Recovery times, however, vary depending on what was done. For example, with a shaved rotator cuff, you may be told to move your arm soon after surgery to prevent stiffness. But if the rotator cuff is repaired or treatment is for instability or arthritis, your health care provider may want you to limit the movement of your arm for some time. Follow your provider’s instructions about arm movement.

Activity

• Don’t drive until your health care provider says it’s OK. And never drive while taking opioid pain medicine.

• Check with your orthopedic surgeon or physical therapist about which shoulder-specific exercises you should do. Exercise recommendations are based on your provider's practice guidelines and your unique needs. Ask for printed handouts with illustrations to help you safely do the suggested exercises at home.

• When doing recommended activities or exercises, always use pain as your guide. Stop if it hurts. Moving too much too soon can result in injuries or make it harder to recover.

Incision care

• Check your incision site daily for redness, tenderness, or drainage.

• Ask your health care provider when you can begin showering. You may be instructed to wait 1 to 3 days after your surgery. Then shower as needed. Carefully wash your incision site with soap and water. Gently pat it dry. Don’t rub the incision site or apply creams or lotions to it.

• Don’t soak in a bathtub, hot tub, or pool until your provider says it’s okay.

Other home care

• Take your temperature daily for 7 days after your surgery. Report a fever above  100.4º F (38º C) to your health care provider. Fever may be a sign of infection.

• Wear your sling or immobilizer as directed by your provider.

• Use pain medicine, as needed and as directed. Don't wait until the pain is severe to start using the medicine.

• Use an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas—or something similar—wrapped in a thin towel on your shoulder to reduce swelling for the first  48 hours after surgery. Leave the ice pack on for  20 minutes; then take it off for 20 minutes. Repeat as needed.

Follow-up

Make a follow-up appointment as directed by your health care provider.

When to call your doctor

Contact your health care provider right away if you have:

• Increasing shoulder pain or pain not relieved by medicine.

• Pain or swelling in the arm on the side of your surgery.

• Numbness, tingling, or blue-gray color of your arm or fingers on the side of your surgery.

• Drainage or oozing, excessive bleeding, redness, or warmth at the incision.

• A fever of 100.4º F (38º C) or higher, or as directed by your provider.

• Shaking chills.

• Nausea or vomiting.

Call 911

Call 911 right away if you have any:

• Chest pain.

• Shortness of breath.