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