shoulder bursitis treatment

Is surgery ever necessary for shoulder bursitis treatment?
The simple answer to this question is yes, but the caveat is that surgery is rarely needed to treat impingement syndrome. Patients with shoulder bursitis almost always respond to non-surgical treatments. Usually these treatments begin to work quickly with resolution of symptoms over a period of one to three months.
How do I know I'm ready for surgery for shoulder bursitis?Patients who are considering surgery should have attempted nonsurgical treatments for at least 3 to 6 months without improvement in symptoms. The symptoms should be causing difficulty with the patient's activities, and/or interfering with sleep at night.
How is surgery for shoulder bursitis performed?The procedure used in the treatment of shoulder bursitis is called a subacromial decompression.
This is an arthroscopic procedure performed using instruments inserted through small incisions. One of the instruments inserted is a video camera about the size of a pencil. Another instrument called a shaver is inserted through another incision. The shaver is used to remove the inflamed bursa. Once the bursa is removed, the rotator cuff is inspected to look for any signs of a tear.
Depending on the bone above the rotator cuff, a burr may be used to remove some bone to create more space for the rotator cuff tendons. Often there is a bone spur in this region that can pinch against the rotator cuff--thus the name impingement syndrome.