Hello. I am Dr. Dongkyu Lee, an orthopedic specialist. Many patients come to us with calcific tendinitis. Some come after being diagnosed at other hospitals and finding conservative treatments (steroid injections, shockwave therapy) ineffective. Others come after being told their condition requires surgery because conservative treatment failed, seeking non-surgical options. Those who have experienced calcific tendinitis know how extremely painful it can be. Some patients describe the pain as wanting to tear their arm off. Injections provide only temporary relief, and without fundamentally removing the calcium, extreme pain recurs. Some patients end up choosing surgery because the pain becomes unbearable. However, calcific tendinitis can be treated without surgery through barbotage. This procedure uses a syringe to fragment and aspirate the calcium. Business owners and self-employed individuals often endure extreme pain with periodic injections because they lack the time for surgery.
Barbotage is a same-day procedure that does not require surgery, and there are no activity restrictions after the procedure. Patients who previously could not find the time for treatment were thrilled. Of course, they were also happy that both the pain and calcium were resolved.
Today's case involves a patient who traveled from Busan. The patient was an ophthalmologist who was told by a nearby hospital that the calcium was too large and surgery was needed. Surgery would require at least 2-3 days of hospitalization, a brace, and rehabilitation. Given their schedule, surgery was absolutely impossible, so they searched online and came to see me. As a fellow doctor who runs a clinic, having to close the practice for surgery would be extremely difficult. The patient booked an appointment by phone in advance, asked whether same-day treatment was possible, and came on their day off.
The X-ray shows multiple large calcium deposits within the red circle. Since local anesthesia was required, fasting instructions were given in advance. The patient arrived fasted and underwent barbotage immediately.
A post-procedure X-ray was performed.
The large calcium deposits previously visible within the circle have almost completely disappeared, with only partial remnants remaining.
Comparing the two images side by side makes the disappearance of calcium even more apparent. The patient was advised to return to their local hospital for additional shockwave therapy for the remaining small deposits. The ophthalmologist said the pain had almost completely disappeared after the procedure and expressed deep gratitude. They said they came with a desperate, last-resort mindset because closing their practice for surgery would severely impact their business. They described it as grabbing a lifeline rather than grasping at straws. As a fellow clinic operator, I was very proud to see another doctor recover well through this treatment.
Barbotage is a highly effective non-surgical treatment for calcific tendinitis.
