What's a rotator cuff surgery like?

Worth doing: The rotator cuff is a group of 4 tendons that serve a very important role in shoulder function. Tears of the rotator cuff do not heal on their own. Surgery is usually necessary if tears are causing pain & dysfunction. The state of the art is arthroscopic repair. Surgery is outpatient, takes about an hour, & pain levels are not so bad. Healing rates around 60 to 80%.

Usually successful: While surgery for most acute cuff tears are 60-80% successful, there are now new treatment options that are minimally invasive such as ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma (prp), and most recently mesenchymal stem cells. These may be successful for partial tears. If the tear is retracted, definitely consider surgery. The immobilization period can be long, and re-tear rates high depending on age.

Outpatient.: It takes about 2 hours, usually done arthroscopically. We perform ours on an outpatient basis. We use a sling for three weeks, then begin physical therapy.