Virginia Beach Physician on the Cutting Edge of Shoulder Surgery

Posted by samantha.jones, Community Contributor

As one of only nine surgeons in the nation to perform a highly specialized, minimally-invasive technique for total shoulder replacement, Virginia Beach’s Chad Manke, M.D., of Atlantic Orthopaedic Specialists, is committed to innovative and results-driven patient care.

This specialized technique, known as the subscapularis sparing approach, aims to preserve the muscle, reduce the risk of failure, shorten rehabilitation time and provide fewer post-operative restrictions to patients.
Today, more than 55,000 shoulder replacements are successfully performed every year. While the success rate of these surgeries is high, about 45 percent of them will need to be revised due to a failed rotator cuff within 15 years following the initial surgery. The number one reason for this is soft tissue failure. This clinical challenge is what drove surgeon experts like Manke to adopt the subscapularis approach.

“As the largest of the rotator cuff muscles, the subscapularis is critical to a healthy and optimal shoulder. It provides an incredible amount of stability and without its proper function, even simple activities, like reaching for a cup, can become unbearable,” said Manke.

In traditional shoulder replacement, an incision is made through the front of the shoulder and the subscapularis muscle is detached from the humerus in order to reach the diseased portions of bone and cartilage. Meanwhile, in the subscapularis approach, the muscle remains attached while the surgeon works around it to reach and replace the diseased portions.
“I wanted to learn this new technique in order to give my patients the best chance of having a great outcome during the earlier stages of healing as well as long term. This translates into a faster recovery time from surgery with potentially a lower risk for rotator cuff failure in the future,” said Manke”
Currently, Manke is the only surgeon in the state of Virginia to perform this surgery. His practice, Atlantic Orthopaedic Specialists, is located in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk.

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