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At our office, we strive to provide you with the best patient care in San Antonio. We make every effort to ensure your visit is as comfortable as possible. Our goal is to make sure you leave our office after each visit knowing you were heard and cared for not only for your shoulder condition, but also as an individual who is important to us.
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Our office has an X-ray suite for initial evaluation of your condition. Rather than send patients elsewhere for studies, we perform them in our office at your appointment time to reduce time and inconvenience and to improve our diagnostic ability by obtaining the best possible images available.
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We are currently investigating this technique for future availability in our clinic.
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The use of ultrasound is common in obstetrics and familiar to many. In the shoulder and other joints, it affords an immediate, painless and inexpensive method of visualizing soft tissue areas that may be damaged such as rotator cuff, biceps tendon and bony areas. The device is portable and used in conjunction with a physical exam. Often, a diagnosis can be made without requiring the expense and time of an MRI. The ultrasound machine can also facilitate needle placement for certain injections done under local anesthetic in the office. We are currently using ultrasound in our office on a regular basis.
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Dr. Sledge has extensive experience reviewing diagnostic studies obtained elsewhere and he incorporates his review of the reports available from radiologists with direct review of the films to confirm the diagnosis. Correlation in the past of MRI findings and subsequent surgical findings has given Dr Sledge the ability to enhance the value of these diagnostic studies in determining their actual clinical significance for each patient.
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The use of low dose cortisone injections following the administration of local anesthetic may be recommended, and can be accomplished at your office visit if you so choose. Cortisone is used to reduce pain and inflammation by placing the medication directly into the affected area, often improving mobility and function to allow recovery without surgery.
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We are firm believers in the value of physical therapy for shoulder conditions. We have long-standing relationships with therapists throughout the area who provide excellent care to our patients. Many of our patients recover their shoulder function solely due to adherence to a protocol of therapy and exercise.
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Surgery through arthroscopic technique (minimally invasive) is my specialty. In the event your condition requires surgery, I am capable of performing the procedure as an outpatient under interscalene block (numbing medicine) placed above the shoulder to limit postop pain along with a light general anesthetic. Rotator cuff repairs, labral repairs, acromioplasty, distal clavicle resection and instability repairs are all done athroscopically. I perform these surgeries with the assistance of Ashley Book, PA-C. I no longer perform open surgery of the shoulder such as shoulder replacement due to the busy nature of my arthroscopic practice. If you require shoulder replacement, I refer to a limited number of highly qualified surgeons.
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