Rotator Cuff Repair

Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Surgery

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and their tendons that form a cuff over the shoulder joint. These muscles and tendons hold the arm in the shoulder joint and help the shoulder move in different directions. The tendons in the rotator cuff can tear when they are overused or injured.

Shoulder arthroscopy is surgery that uses a special camera called an arthroscope to examine and guide repair of the tissues inside or around your shoulder joint. The scope is inserted through a small cut in your skin.

THE PROCEDURE: You will receive a block and general anesthesia before surgery. This means you will be asleep and unable to feel the pain. During the procedure, the surgeon will:

• Inserts the arthroscope into your shoulder through a small incision. The scope is connected to a video monitor in the operating room.
• Inspects all the tissues of your shoulder joint and the area above the joint. These tissues include the cartilage, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
• If necessary, repairs the rotator cuff by bringing the edges of the tendon together to the bone with sutures or small anchors. The anchors do not need to be removed after the surgery is performed.

AFTER THE PROCEDURE:
Your body needs time to heal following the rotator cuff repair. Once the cuff is healed there is a period of rehabilitation to regain strength. It can take as long as a year to reach maximum recovery. Many people recover fully and are pain free but some do not regain all of their pre-injury strength.