The 97-year-old man who underwent a keyhole (arthroscopic) procedure at Rela Hospital, with the team of doctors.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A 97-year-old man underwent a keyhole (arthroscopic) procedure at Rela Hospital to receive a fully biodegradable balloon spacer for a massive, irreparable rotator cuff tear. Given his advanced age and frail cardiac condition, surgeons avoided general anaesthesia and performed the procedure under a regional nerve block, with the patient remaining awake throughout the surgery.According to a press release, the nonagenarian sustained a tear in the rotator cuff of his left shoulder following a fall at home and experienced persistent pain for nearly a month.The rotator cuff comprises four muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint. These structures facilitate movements such as lifting and rotating the arm.Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine specialists used a biodegradable balloon spacer, a dissolvable spacer designed for patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears. Inserted through tiny holes, the deflated balloon is positioned beneath the shoulder bone and inflated with sterile saline.It acts as a cushion, keeping the ball of the shoulder properly centered within its socket, restoring natural spacing and gliding mechanism.This enables the patient to lift and move the arm without the painful bone-on-bone friction. Over several months, the balloon gradually dissolves, and no permanent implants or screws are left behind, the release said. Published - July 21, 2026 09:36 pm IST
