Dr Howard Marans: Costs Associated With Shoulder Impingement Surgery

One of the most common forms of shoulder pain is shoulder impingement syndrome. The symptoms can occur after frequent and over use of overhead activity. The repeated activity can create persistent pain due to the narrowing space between the rotator cuff and acromion. The pain can actually cause a patient to have reduced movement in the arm. The costs of shoulder impingement surgery will be based on different contributing factors from initial diagnosis to the surgery option.

Cost of Shoulder Impingement Surgery

Begin With a Diagnosis

Costs of shoulder impingement surgery will begin with the initial diagnosis from a health care professional. If the patient has medical insurance, the costs of the doctor’s appointment will be dependent on co-pays and deductibles. Without health insurance or minimal coverage, the initial doctor visit can exceed $250.

- A complete medical history will be evaluated and reviewed.

- X-rays and MRI may be done prior to the doctor’s appointment or part of the evaluation process. The costs of the X-rays and MRI’s will be an additional cost to the doctor’s appointment. The photo imaging tests are needed to verify the absence of bone spurs and arthritis.

- Physical therapy may be required to ensure surgery is the best option. Each session can costs over $100. The amount of sessions will depend on if the physical therapy appears to be working. In some cases, physical therapy can only help after the surgery is performed.

The Surgery

When all other options are exhausted, surgery is the next step to fix the shoulder impingement. There are three different types of surgery used to repair and reconstruct the shoulder impingement.

- Shoulder arthroscopy is less invasive which gives the patient a decreased recovery span. The surgery consists of making small incisions in the shoulder area to fix the damage. The costs of arthroscopy surgery can exceed over $8000.

- Open surgery costs will be higher than arthroscopy. The open surgery method is used when there is severe damage to the shoulder area. By opening with a larger incision, the surgeon will be able to view the joint and tissues in a more direct method. The expense for the conventional approach can exceed $18,000. The drawbacks of this method are larger scars and longer healing times.

- The third and more complex procedure is shoulder arthroplasty. The surgeon will reconstruct or replace the joint to bring back form and function to the shoulder area. The cost is the highest of three shoulder impingement surgeries with a price exceeding $21,000. The major drawback of this type of surgery is the longer recovery time – approximately nine months.

Shoulder surgery is usually covered by the patient’s health care provider. With any type of major surgical procedures, discussing the costs of shoulder impingement surgery with the insurance company or health care provider can provide a basic assessment of the costs and potential out of pocket expenses.

An accurate diagnosis is important for an optimal outcome of the client’s shoulder impingement needs. With 20 years of experience in the same location, Dr. Howard Marans can provide a complete explanation of treatment options and surgery expectations. Dr. Marans welcomes PPO and will work with other insurance companies to give the best treatment available. Please click below to schedule your consultation or call us at 714.979.8981.