If you experience a rotator cuff injury, your doctor may first recommend non-surgical methods for repairing the joint. While your body can be pretty good at healing its own tissues, rotator cuff surgery may be necessary if non-surgical treatments aren’t effective. Signs that can indicate the need for rotator cuff surgery include: symptoms that have lasted longer than 6 months, a tear larger than 3 cm, significant weakness or loss of function in the shoulder, or if the tear was caused by an acute injury, which can indicate that urgent treatment is needed.
Rotator Cuff Repair
There are many options when it comes to rotator cuff repair. Many surgical repairs can be done as an outpatient procedure. The more familiar your surgeon is with certain treatments, the more likely he or she will use that form of surgical treatment. If you have other shoulder problems in addition to the rotator cuff, treatment may be based off this point of the injury. Treatment options available for a rotator cuff injury are traditional open repair, arthroscopic repair, and mini-open repair.
In open repair, the shoulder is detached, allowing easier access to the torn tendon. As technology has advanced, new forms of treatment for rotator cuff tears have become available. An arthroscopic repair is where the surgeon makes an incision with a small camera inserted with a light for full inspection of the joint. The camera displays pictures of the joint on a television screen, and the surgeon uses these images to guide the surgical repair. This type of rotator cuff repair is the least invasive and is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. Due to the nature of arthroscopy, your surgeon can make much smaller incisions than needed in open surgery.
If you require rotator cuff repair, contact Millstein Orthopedics by calling (310) 595-1030.
