AV Orthopaedics — specialist shoulder and upper limb clinic

About

Miss Aparna ViswanathConsultant Shoulder & Upper Limb Surgeon

Private Practice based in Darlington, also serving Yarm, Northallerton, Stokesley, Middlesbrough, Durham, Thirsk and York.

Miss Aparna Viswanath - Consultant Upper Limb Surgeon

About my approach
Miss Aparna Viswanath, Consultant Shoulder & Upper Limb Surgeon

Miss Aparna Viswanath is an experienced Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon specialising in conditions affecting the shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist. With a patient-centred approach, she combines surgical expertise with a strong emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation to help individuals achieve long-term relief from pain and restore function.

Miss Viswanath graduated in 2007 from King's College London before undertaking her higher surgical training in the East of England deanery. She has trained extensively in upper limb surgery, completing prestigious fellowships in:

  • Hand and wrist surgery - Auckland, New Zealand
  • Shoulder and elbow surgery - Auckland, New Zealand
  • Shoulder and elbow surgery - Wrightington Hospital
  • Shoulder and elbow surgery - UHCW, Coventry

Her NHS practice is based at South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, where she has been a Consultant since 2021. Here she delivers expert care in the management of complex trauma and upper limb conditions.

Conditions treated

Miss Viswanath provides comprehensive care for a wide range of upper limb conditions, including:

  • Rotator cuff tears
  • Shoulder arthritis
  • Shoulder instability
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Elbow pain and arthritis
  • Tennis and golfer's elbow
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Other peripheral nerve compressions of the upper limb
  • Sports injuries including muscle and tendon ruptures

She offers both surgical and non-surgical treatments, tailoring each approach to the patient's specific needs.

Life beyond the clinic

Aparna leads a vibrant and active personal life shaped by a passion for the arts, wellness and adventure. An avid dancer, she spent her formative years deeply immersed in Indian Classical dance, honing her craft and performing at prestigious venues. Among her most notable performances were solo appearances at the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, and a celebrated role in the Queen's Golden Jubilee Parade 2003. A standout moment in her dance journey was performing at the iconic "Coming of Age" event at South Bank.

Today, Aparna continues to embrace movement through her love of yoga, which she practises regularly. Her understanding of whole-body movement has become integral to her approach to shoulder rehabilitation, where she incorporates these principles into her professional practice.

Aparna is a passionate baker, often finding solace in the kitchen, and enjoys escaping to warmer climates for exhilarating watersports adventures. An enthusiastic reader, she values the quiet moments spent with a good book, allowing her to recharge and continue pursuing her many interests.

Prevention and lifestyle

Beyond surgery, Miss Viswanath believes in preventative care and empowering patients with lifestyle strategies to manage and prevent upper limb pain. She recognises the impact of posture, stress, muscle balance and overall well-being on joint health. As part of her treatment philosophy, she incorporates advice on:

  • Posture correction to reduce strain on the shoulders
  • Strengthening exercises to support joint stability
  • Stress management techniques to help alleviate muscular tension

Her goal is to help patients not only recover but also prevent future injuries, improving their long-term quality of life.

Appointments and enquiries

Miss Viswanath welcomes both self-referrals and GP referrals for private consultations, and has insurer recognition through most UK providers. To book an appointment, please contact her secretary or Woodlands Hospital, Darlington.

Miss Aparna Viswanath examining a patient's shoulder in clinic
A careful examination is part of every assessment.

Where patients are seen

Her private clinic is based at Woodlands Hospital, Morton Park Way, Morton Park, Darlington DL1 4PL. Patients travel to see her from Darlington, Yarm, York, Middlesbrough, Northallerton, Stokesley, Durham, Thirsk, Harrogate, Stockton-on-Tees and across the North East and North Yorkshire.

She also holds NHS commitments, which means private clinic availability varies from week to week. The practice will always find the earliest suitable appointment.

Published articles

A selection of her peer-reviewed papers, reviews and book chapters.

  1. Survival of allologous structural bone graft at a minimum of two years when used to address significant glenoid bone loss in revision shoulder arthroplasty: a computed tomographic and clinical review

    Viswanath A, Newell AK, Cunningham L, Walton M, Monga P, Bale S, Trail IA

    Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Arthroplasty, 2023;7 · View

  2. Outcomes following 159 stemmed pyrocarbon shoulder hemiarthroplasties and how they compare with conventional hemiarthroplasties and total shoulder arthroplasties in patients younger than 60 years of age with osteoarthritis — results from the New Zealand National Joint Registry

    Gao R, Viswanath A, Frampton CM, Poon PC

    Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 2023

  3. Subacromial balloon spacer for irreparable rotator cuff tears of the shoulder (START:REACTS): a group-sequential, double-blind, multicentre randomised controlled trial

    Metcalfe A, et al. START:REACTS team

    The Lancet, 2022;399(10339):1954-63 · View

  4. Survivorship of anatomic press-fit short-stem radial head replacement with a pyrocarbon bearing

    Viswanath A, Watts AC

    Shoulder & Elbow, 2022;14(4):426-433 · View

  5. Subacromial balloon spacer — where are we now?

    Viswanath A, Drew S

    Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, 2021;17:223-232 · View

  6. Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for irreparable cuff tears without arthritis: a systematic review

    Viswanath A, Bale S, Trail IA

    Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, 2021;17:267-272 · View

  7. Trends in rotator cuff surgery: research through the decades

    Viswanath A, Monga P

    Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, 2021;18:105-113 · View

  8. Greater sigmoid notch dysplasia causing elbow instability: lateral ligament reconstruction and stamp osteotomy

    Viswanath A, Thomas JL, Watts AC

    Shoulder & Elbow, 2021 · View

  9. Recent advances and future trends in wrist arthroscopy

    Viswanath A, Talwalkar SC

    Journal of Arthroscopic Surgery and Sports Medicine, 2020;1(1):65-72 · View

  10. Treatment of displaced intracapsular neck of femur fractures with THA or hemiarthroplasty: a single centre review of 2721 patients

    Viswanath A, Malik A, Chan WC, Klasan A, Walton NP

    The Bone & Joint Journal, 2020;102-B(6):693-698 · View

  11. Working through the COVID-19 outbreak: rapid review and recommendations for MSK and allied health personnel

    Viswanath A, Monga P

    Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, 2020;11(3):500-503 · View

  12. A review of the New Zealand National Joint Registry to compare outcomes of the Coonrad-Morrey and Latitude total elbow arthroplasty

    Viswanath A, Frampton CM, Poon P

    Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 2020;29:838-44 · View

  13. A prospective study of screening for musculoskeletal pathology in the child with a limp or pseudoparalysis using erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and MRI

    Mitchell P, Viswanath A, Obi N, Littlewood A, Latimer M

    Journal of Children's Orthopaedics, 2018;12 · View

  14. Can hip arthroscopy in the presence of arthritis delay the need for hip arthroplasty?

    Viswanath A, Khanduja V

    Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery, 2017;4(1):3-8 · View

  15. Clinical diagnosis of FAI: an evidence-based approach of history and physical examination of the hip

    Viswanath A, Khanduja V

    Chapter in Diagnosis and Management of Femoroacetabular Impingement: An Evidence-Based Approach, 2017 · View

  16. Self-perception in orthopaedic trainees: is there a gender difference?

    Viswanath A, Chase H, Young L, Deakin S

    Journal of Trauma and Orthopaedics, 2016;4(3):40-1

  17. Perthes disease in a 2-year-old child

    Dhas D, Viswanath A, Latimer M

    BMJ Case Reports, 2015 · View

  18. Periprosthetic epithelioid haemangioma of the proximal tibia

    Viswanath A, Nolan JF

    JBJS Case Connector, 2012;2(4):e70 · View

  19. Does modafinil enhance cognitive performance in young volunteers who are not sleep-deprived?

    Randall DC, Viswanath A, Bharania P, Elsabagh SM, Hartley DE, Shneerson JM, File SE

    Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2005;25(2):175-179

Let's look at this together

A consultation is a conversation. We work out what is going on, talk through every reasonable option, and agree a plan that suits your life.

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