Shoulder Specialist in Seattle, WA
When Should I See a Shoulder Specialist?
Many people experience shoulder pain. Some studies estimate up to 20% of the population experience shoulder pain sometime in their lives. Luckily, most people with shoulder pain do not need to see a shoulder surgeon. In fact, 70-80% of the people Dr. Samuel Koo sees never require surgery.
You may be thinking, “But is my condition bad enough to see a shoulder specialist first?” Although most shoulder conditions can be treated non-operatively, Dr. Koo recommends seeing a shoulder specialist if your symptoms last longer than 3 months, gets worse with time or associated with a specific injury. In such cases, it may be beneficial to get an appropriate work up in order to prevent a non-operative condition progressing to an operative one. If you’re experiencing these conditions and haven’t been diagnosed yet, schedule an appointment with Dr. Koo today.
Who should I see for my shoulder problem?
Who you choose to see for your shoulder problem can have a significant impact on your treatment. A specialist in shoulder specific problems can improve the quality of your care.
Dr. Samuel Koo is fellowship trained in shoulder surgery with the world renowned shoulder surgeon, Dr. Stephen Burkhart. Having trained with an undisputed leader in minimally invasive shoulder surgery, Dr. Koo has the breadth and depth of knowledge in the shoulder that very few surgeons are exposed to. Complicated issues such as massive rotator cuff tears, revision surgery, rotator cuff atrophy, early shoulder arthritis, superior capsular reconstruction and more are problems Dr. Koo is comfortable addressing.
The literature also supports the value of specialists. Numerous studies have shown correlation between higher volume and better outcomes. This makes intuitive sense as all of us know that repetition is a key to perfecting procedures. Therefore, seeing a shoulder specialist yields better results than a more general physician for shoulder pain.
As a shoulder specialist, Dr. Koo only sees and operates on shoulder patients in his elective practice. As a result, he has developed a network of providers including physical therapists, imaging centers and medical equipment providers all throughout Seattle who are experts in treating shoulder conditions. With Dr. Koo, you can be assured in knowing that everyone along the chain of treatment, from the initial diagnosis to its eventual treatment, will be provided by a person specializing in the care of shoulder related ailments and are colleagues of Dr. Koo. In addition, his staff is specially equipped to treat shoulder patients, streamlining the care his patients receive.
If you have any questions, or would like to schedule an appointment for shoulder surgery in the Seattle, WA area, contact Dr. Samuel Koo at (425) 823-4000.
See The Shoulder Conditions Dr. Koo Treats