Healthwise: Shoulder Treatment

By: Stephanie Satchell - Email

Updated: Thu 11:26 AM, Jan 19, 2012

January 18, 2011

After 13 years of practicing medicine in California, Dr. Stephen Gunther is bringing his services to Martha Jefferson Hospital.

"There are certain things that I will bring to the community," said Dr. Stephen Gunther. "Minimally invasive shoulder surgery both Arthroscopy surgery and joint replacement surgery and develop some techniques for minimally invasive surgery."

While Gunther is able to treat a wide range of injuries and conditions, his specialty is fixing shoulder related issues.

"There is no target, any patient with shoulder pain we can treat here. For example young kids get dislocated shoulders sometimes, middle aged people get rotator cuff tears, older people have arthritis and need different types of surgery and fractures can occur from young kids to elderly," said Gunther. "We can treat anybody with different problems."

Dr. Gunther is able to eliminate shoulder pain and discomfort for many, all while keeping the incision small.

Dr. Gunther says patients typically see the best results when they have surgery early on in their injury.

"Many of those problems are easily treated in the beginning acutely after the injury whether it be a rotator cuff, or a tendon tear, or a fracture." said Gunther. "Once they shorten and scar it's a more difficult surgery for the surgeon, which is more complicated recovery, longer recovery and probably more pain and not as good of a result for the patient."

No matter what the injury or issue may be, if it deals with a shoulder doctor, Gunther says there is usually a technique of surgery to fix it. He says he is ready to put his experience to use treating patients at Martha Jefferson Hospital.

Martha Jefferson Healthwise: Re-Admissions

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