Shoulder Surgery in Elizabethtown, KY
Shoulder Care for Elizabethtown Patients
Shoulder pain that keeps you from sleeping on that side, reaching overhead or lifting at work has a cause, and most causes can be identified at a single visit. At Aptiva Health’s Elizabethtown clinic, 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, Dr. J. Steve Smith, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, evaluates and treats the full range of shoulder problems: rotator cuff tears, labral tears and instability, arthritis, frozen shoulder, impingement and fractures. Exam, X-ray, injections, physical therapy and every pre- and post-operative visit happen in Elizabethtown; when surgery is needed, it is performed in the Louisville metro area and you return to Westport Road for all follow-up care.
Call 270-506-4888, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, for a same-day appointment at 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, Elizabethtown, KY 42701.
Medically reviewed by J. Steve Smith, MD. Last reviewed: October 2026.
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Shoulder Procedures for Elizabethtown Patients
Rotator cuff repair: arthroscopic reattachment of a torn cuff tendon for weakness, night pain and loss of overhead strength.
Shoulder labrum repair: arthroscopic repair of SLAP and Bankart tears, and stabilization after dislocation.
Shoulder replacement: anatomic or reverse total shoulder replacement for advanced arthritis or large irreparable cuff tears.
Arthroscopic decompression and biceps procedures: for impingement, bone spurs and biceps tendon tears that fail non-surgical care.
Fracture care: evaluation and treatment of collarbone, upper-arm and shoulder-blade fractures, with surgery when the fracture is displaced or unstable.
Each procedure has its own Elizabethtown page in the menu above: rotator cuff repair, shoulder labrum repair and shoulder replacement surgery.
Your Elizabethtown Shoulder Surgeon
J. Steve Smith, MD - Director of Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine
Dr. Steve Smith is the Director of Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine at Aptiva Health and a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. He graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, trained at the University of Rochester, and completed a sports medicine fellowship at the renowned Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, where he served on the medical staff for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Anaheim Ducks. He has performed thousands of orthopedic procedures on patients and athletes of all ages and treats the full range of shoulder conditions, from sports injuries and rotator cuff and labral tears to shoulder arthritis and shoulder replacement. He has been nominated as the best orthopedic surgeon in Kentucky in 2026. Dr. Smith evaluates and treats shoulder patients at Aptiva Health’s Elizabethtown clinic on Westport Road, performs surgery in the Louisville metro area, and follows patients in Elizabethtown afterward.
Specialty: Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgery
Title: Director of Orthopedics, Aptiva Health
Accepting New Patients: Yes
Shoulder Conditions We Treat in Elizabethtown
Rotator cuff tears and tendinitis, shoulder impingement and bursitis, labral tears and shoulder instability, shoulder arthritis, frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), biceps tendon problems, AC joint injuries and arthritis, fractures of the collarbone and upper arm, and work and auto injuries to the shoulder.
Most of these are diagnosed at the first visit with an exam and on-site X-ray at Westport Road. MRI, when needed, is scheduled at Aptiva Health Imaging, 3615 Newburg Road in Louisville, and reviewed with you at your next Elizabethtown visit.
What We Try First, in Elizabethtown
Most shoulder problems are treated without surgery, and that care is delivered at Westport Road:
Physical therapy with Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA, restoring motion and strengthening the rotator cuff and shoulder-blade muscles. Dovie works one on one with patients and has extensive experience with orthopedic injuries and conditions.
Image-guided corticosteroid injections into the joint, bursa or biceps sheath
Activity modification and a home program written for your job or sport
Re-examination to confirm progress before any surgical discussion
Your First Visit at Westport Road
Where: 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, Elizabethtown, KY 42701.
When: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; same-day appointments at 270-506-4888.
What happens: history, a shoulder and neck exam, and on-site X-rays. Many patients leave the first visit with a diagnosis, a therapy plan and, when appropriate, an injection.
Further imaging: MRI, when needed, is scheduled at Aptiva Health Imaging, 3615 Newburg Road in Louisville, and reviewed with you at your next Elizabethtown visit.
Bring: photo ID, insurance card, medication list, prior imaging, and claim details for work or auto injuries.
If You Need Surgery
Your pre-operative visit, where the procedure, anesthesia plan and therapy schedule are set, is in Elizabethtown. Surgery for Elizabethtown patients is performed in the Louisville metro area; most shoulder arthroscopy is outpatient, and shoulder replacement is usually an overnight stay. Follow-up visits, stitch removal, X-rays and physical therapy are all back at Westport Road.
When to see a doctor: shoulder pain that wakes you at night, weakness lifting the arm, a shoulder that has dislocated or feels unstable, a fall or injury with sudden loss of motion, or pain that has not improved after several weeks of rest. Same-day appointments are available at our Elizabethtown clinic Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Call 270-506-4888.
Get Evaluated in Elizabethtown
Aptiva Health Orthopedics, Elizabethtown: 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, Elizabethtown, KY 42701. Call 270-506-4888, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, or schedule online. Same-day appointments are available. Physical therapy at Westport Road is provided by Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA.
Insurance accepted: most major medical insurance, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, most Kentucky Medicaid plans, workers’ compensation and auto injury coverage. We offer self-pay where there is no insurance, it is a non-covered service, and on a case-by-case basis. Call 270-506-4888 and our team will check your plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shoulder Surgery in Elizabethtown
Do I have to go to Louisville for shoulder surgery?
Your evaluation, X-rays, injections, pre-operative visit, follow-ups and physical therapy are all at our Elizabethtown clinic on Westport Road. The surgery itself is performed in the Louisville metro area, and you return to Elizabethtown for all follow-up care.
Do I need an MRI before my first visit?
No. Most patients are evaluated first with an exam and on-site X-ray in Elizabethtown. If an MRI is needed, it is scheduled at our Newburg Road imaging center in Louisville and reviewed at your next Elizabethtown visit.
Will I need surgery?
Most shoulder patients do not. Rotator cuff tendinitis, impingement, bursitis, frozen shoulder and many partial tears improve with therapy and injections. Surgery is discussed when a full-thickness tear, instability or arthritis does not respond to that care.
Can I do physical therapy in Elizabethtown?
Yes. Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA provide both non-surgical and post-operative shoulder rehabilitation at the Westport Road clinic, one on one.
How soon can I be seen?
Same-day appointments are available Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Call 270-506-4888.