US Guided Barbotage in South London
Barbotage Procedure at our clinic
We are a leading musculoskeletal clinic offering diagnostic ultrasound and ultrasound guided procedures such as Barbotage for calcific tendonitis. We perform all procedures as part of a comprehensive and global management of your condition.
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We offer our services at our South London clinic and also offer home visits in the South London area. A free telephone consultation is available to understand whether an ultrasound scan will be helpful and appropriate in your particular case.
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Booking is quick and easy, please see our book appointment page for more details.
What is a barbotage procedure?
We use this procedure to treat resistant calcific tendinopathy, especially on the shoulder's tendons (rotator cuff). Calcific tendinopathy refers to the deposition of calcium into tendons leading to pain, inflammation, and reduced joint mobility. The goal of barbotage is to disrupt the calcific deposit, promote the absorption of calcium by the body, and alleviate symptoms such as pain and stiffness. Medical research suggests that this is the treatment of choice for calcific tendonitis with up to 70% success rate. More information are available here.
What our patients say
How is an ultrasound guided barbotage performed ?
Tendon barbotage generally includes the following steps:
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Identification of Calcium Deposits using ultrasound to identify the location and extent of calcium deposits within the affected tendon.
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A needle is then inserted into the area of the calcium deposit and carefully guided to ensure precision in reaching the targeted site within the tendon.
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Once the needle is in position, a mix of saline solution and local anaesthetic is injected into the tendon. The fluid serves multiple purposes, including numbing the area, breaking up the calcium deposits and creating space within the tendon.
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After the fluid injection, we use the same needle to aspirate the dislodged calcium deposits and the injected fluid. This process helps remove the debris from the tendon.
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Following tendon barbotage, patients are advised to rest prior to receive additional treatments, such as physiotherapy or anti-inflammatory medications, to aid in the healing process.
Why should I book my US guided barbotage at Insight MSK?
All our procedures and diagnostics are part of a comprehensive management of your condition in line with recent scientific evidence. All injections are ultrasound guided, which have been proven to be more effective and are all preceded by a thorough clinical examination. We do not only diagnose or "fix" problems but we strive to understand the context and causative factors which have led to your condition in order to prevent re-occurrence. These require several skills and the ability to deal with complex and multiple information which often need the expertise from different specialists and therefore multiple appointments, travel, fees... We offer all these services together to give you a prompt single point of contact to assess, diagnose and manage your condition thanks to our unique and vast experience in musculoskeletal medicine.
Your clinician
All our injection treatments are carried out by our experienced physiotherapist and injection clinician, Maxence Legout. Max has over 15 years experience and holds a senior position in the NHS, where he carries out over 2000 ultrasound-guided injection & procedures every year.
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For more information please see our clinician page, or book a free telephone or online consultation to speak to Max directly.
Is an ultrasound guided barbotage procedure painful ?
The level of pain experienced during an ultrasound guided barbotage can vary from person to person. Some individuals may find the procedure uncomfortable, while others may experience more significant pain. We use local anaesthesia to numb the area before performing the procedure, which can help minimize pain during the actual injection. After the procedure, patients may experience some soreness, but this is typically temporary.
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We encourage you to communicate any concerns with us to ensure a comfortable and informative experience.
MEDICAL REVIEW - The medical information on this page has been reviewed for accuracy by Maxence Legout, MSc, Physiotherapist.