Hello. I am Dr. Dongkyu Lee, an orthopedic specialist. Many people suffer tremendously from calcific tendinitis. Fortunately, many patients find me for calcific deposit aspiration, a non-surgical treatment, and I am happy to see them quickly escape from their pain. Some patients have suffered for years from calcific tendinitis and with one procedure, both the calcification and the pain are gone. When they tell me that life feels worth living again, it makes everything worthwhile. Recently, a pregnant woman came to our clinic with sudden, extreme shoulder pain. She had been told at another hospital that it was calcific tendinitis, but since she was in early pregnancy, injection treatments could not be given carelessly, and surgery would require general anesthesia, which was also not an option. She came to me saying she could not just endure the pain because it was so severe, and she was genuinely worried that the pain itself might harm her baby. First, I assessed her condition. Even the basic X-ray was taken with a protective lead apron to ensure the baby's safety.
A large calcification is visible within the red circle. Ultrasound examination revealed an enormous calcification measuring approximately 3cm, determined to be in the resorptive stage. I recommended calcific deposit aspiration for the pregnant patient. She asked whether it would be safe for the baby, and I assured her it was a safe procedure and proceeded. First, a brachial plexus nerve block was performed to control pain. Since it acts locally on the nerve area, it does not affect the fetus. Normally, I would also administer sedation to eliminate any anxiety or fear during the procedure, but for the pregnant patient, no sedation was used - she was fully conscious throughout the procedure. (Mothers are strong!) Because of the brachial plexus block, there was absolutely no pain during the procedure. She could hear some drilling and instrument sounds near the shoulder, but she was comfortable enough to chat with me throughout. Let me show you the actual procedure video.
When I showed her the syringe with the removed calcification during the procedure, she was amazed and relieved at the same time, shedding tears that seemed to carry a mix of emotions. After removing the calcification, a regenerative injection (collagen, etc.) was administered to treat the empty space and damaged tendon left by the calcification. The medication is localized to the tendon and is safe for the fetus.
Looking at the post-procedure syringe photo, an enormous amount of calcification was removed.
Compared to pre-procedure, the calcification has been almost completely removed.
Comparing the before and after images, the calcification has been nearly completely removed. The patient expressed deep gratitude, saying "You saved both me and my baby."
Calcific deposit aspiration is a safe procedure that even pregnant women can undergo. Dr. Dongkyu Lee
I also recall a patient who was on kidney dialysis. That patient was also in a situation where neither anesthesia nor surgery was possible, but I was able to safely perform the procedure for them. I hope all patients suffering from shoulder calcific tendinitis can recover safely and quickly.
