Barbotage

If you suffer from shoulder complaints, you can have them treated by barbotage. A barbotage is performed if the shoulder complaints are the result of calcifications in the shoulder tendons.

Barbotage is a scientifically proven technique for highly targeted puncturing of calcification.

Barbotage procedure

The treatment

First, we will disinfect your skin and locally anesthetize it. The calcification is then punctured with a fine needle and treated. The calcification is punctured, broken up, and washed away as much as possible. The inflammatory response that arises, as a result, encourages the body to dissolve the remaining calcium. Anti-inflammatory medication is injected locally into the bursa to reduce the inflammation.

The treatment takes a maximum of 30 minutes.

Barbotage is a safe procedure with little risk. In very rare cases, the following complications may occur:

• local bruising
• infection
• tear of the tendon
• allergic reaction to medication (cortisone and local anesthetic, very rare)

If you do develop a fever or pronounced local swelling, you should contact your GP or go to the emergency department to rule out infection.

After barbotage treatment

It is normal that you will initially experience more pain (up to two weeks after the procedure). The complaints and calcification will gradually decrease. You can always use painkillers or cool with ice to ease the pain symptoms.

You can go home shortly after the treatment. Because your shoulder may be bothering you, we do not recommend driving home yourself.

The first week after treatment you should not put too much strain on your shoulder. After this week you can resume your normal activities and physiotherapy.

If you still experience residual complaints after six to eight weeks, we can treat the shoulder again. In that case, request a new referral letter / prescription from your GP or a specialist.