Shoulder Specialists

Personalized Care
When shoulder pain limits your mobility and affects the quality of your daily life, it may be time to seek shoulder pain treatment. Your Duke shoulder specialist will conduct a thorough assessment and work with you to develop a treatment plan that’s tailored to your needs.

A Variety Nonsurgical Treatment Options
Before recommending surgery, Duke shoulder specialists will advise you on nonsurgical shoulder treatments to resolve shoulder pain and restore function. Options may include activity modification, physical therapy, steroid injections, and more. These approaches can delay or even eliminate the need for surgery.

Sports Medicine Specialists
Our sports medicine experts are trained to care for sports-related injuries and specialize in treating athletes of all levels. In addition to our shoulder surgeons, you may be seen by primary care doctors, physiatrists, and physical therapists who specialize in sports medicine and may be able to work with you avoid surgery. They can help you recover from a shoulder injury, prevent future injuries, and work with you to improve your sports performance. They’ll help you return to the activities you love.

Extensive Experience
Our orthopaedic surgeons have completed fellowship training in shoulder surgery and, as a team, perform thousands of shoulder arthroscopies every year. Research has shown that surgical outcomes are better when doctors or hospitals perform higher volumes of a procedure. You can see which procedures our shoulder surgeons perform most often on their profile pages.

Advanced Surgical Procedures
Our shoulder surgeons use advanced surgical procedures that may improve your outcome and lower your risk for complications. This includes minimally invasive approaches that use smaller incisions to help you recover faster.

Recover Comfortably at Home
We are often able to perform outpatient surgery with regional anesthesia, so you can recover comfortably at home and return to your normal activities faster.

If nonsurgical treatments do not resolve pain and restore mobility, your doctor may recommend surgery. Duke shoulder surgeons perform a variety of procedures to meet your needs.

Rotator Cuff Surgery 
If you have persistent shoulder pain or a complete rotor cuff tear, you may need surgery. Most rotator cuff surgeries are minimally invasive, but large or complex tears might require open surgery. You can feel confident knowing that Duke surgeons are accomplished in the procedures that restore shoulder strength and range of motion.

Shoulder Instability Surgery
Duke shoulder surgeons are experts in resolving recurrent shoulder dislocations. They perform a range of procedures, from arthroscopic repairs of cartilage to open surgery that transfers bone and muscle to stabilize the shoulder. Your doctor will help you select the appropriate surgery based on your goals and the severity of your injury.

Shoulder Replacement Surgery
Our expertise in performing shoulder replacement surgery -- also known as shoulder joint arthroplasty -- draws people with shoulder injuries from around the country, including people who have had failed shoulder replacement surgery elsewhere. Our shoulder surgeons also develop and test new advances in shoulder prostheses.