Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Treatments
How do you treat Rotator Cuff Tears?
Rotator Cuff Tears can vary in size and location. This will dictate treatment.
Most small to medium tears can be treated non operatively first, these are rarely time sensitive. But large or massive rotator cuff tears often require surgery and are time sensitive. If a large of massive tear is not repaired within 3 – 6 months the tendons will retract and the muscle will waste away leaving it potentially irreparable.
Non-operative treatment of rotator cuff tears is multimodal. It involves:
- Analgesia- simple analgesia, NSAIDs and often a corticosteroid injection
- Reverse Shoulder Replacement
It may take a few months to see benefit from non operative treatment. Failure to improve or for large size tears will require a Rotator Cuff Repair.
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What is an Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair?
If you require a rotator cuff repair, Dr Nandapalan will perform this Arthroscopically (keyhole). The surgery involves using a series of bone anchors and tape to anchor the tendon back down to its bone insertion. In doing so the “footprint” of the Rotator Cuff tendon is re-established.
While the tendon is anchored to the bone your body will heal the tear over the following 3 months.
During the surgery other associated problems such as the following will also be addressed:
- Bursitis
- Subacromial impingement
- Biceps tendon pathology
- AC joint arthritis
The surgery will usually take 30 to 60 minutes. It can be performed as day surgery or with an overnight stay. Post-operatively you will be in a sling for 4-6 weeks depending on the size of your rotator cuff tear during which time you will commence Physiotherapy and follow Dr Nandapalan protocol. Once again depending on the size of the tear your shoulder with take 3-6 months to recover.
Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Conditions
View conditions for Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
