Rotator cuff injuries are very common and can persist for years unless treated properly. A damaged rotator cuff can impede your ability to perform many common tasks that you performed with ease before the injury.
Some patients with a partial rotator cuff muscle tear may choose not to have surgery, using rest and exercise instead. The best candidates for this approach are those who only have a partial tear and do not place a lot of demand on their shoulder during everyday activities.
For patients who experience shoulder pain when resting at night, have a large or complete rotator cuff tear, are active and use the shoulder for sports or work, or have a lot of weakness preventing them from performing everyday activities, surgery is appropriate.
If you have been suffering from shoulder pain, schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric Millstein, a rotator cuff surgeon in Los Angeles, to find out which rotator cuff repair treatment is best for you. He will evaluate the extent of your rotator cuff injury and determine if you will benefit from surgical or non-surgical treatments.
Rotator Cuff Repair
Repairing the rotator cuff usually involves removing loose fragments or tendon, bursa, and other debris from the space in the shoulder where the rotator cuff moves. If the rotator cuff is pinched or irritated, it needs more room to move smoothly. This problem is usually solved by shaving bone or removing bone spurs from the point of the shoulder blade.
Surgical Options
The most common treatment option is arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery, a procedure with few complications that uses a tube-like device to examine, diagnose, and treat the injury. Very small instruments are inserted into small incisions and can be used to remove bone spurs or inflammatory portions of muscle.
A mini-open repair relies on arthroscopy and a small incision to treat full-thickness tears, while open surgery is needed to repair severely injured tendons.
Rotator Cuff Repair Gallery
To see more examples of before and after rotator cuff repair surgery, please visit our shoulder arthroscopy image gallery.
Contact a Rotator Cuff Surgeon in Los Angeles
It takes time to recover from rotator cuff repairs, and it could be six months or more before you are able to fully return to your normal activities. In order to optimize the results of the surgery, physical therapy and an individualized exercise plan is needed.
For detailed information, please schedule a consultation with Beverly Hills sports medicine surgeon, Dr. Millstein.
