Preparing For Rotator Cuff Injury Surgery
One of the most frequent musculoskeletal injuries is the rotator cuff injury. Sometimes this type of injury is not associated with symptoms, but usually it is quite painful. A rotator cuff tear or rotator cuff tendonitis can cause you to experience pain and weakness in the shoulder when using your arms. It can be especially painful to lift the arm higher than shoulder level. Luckily, there are a number of ways to treat rotator cuff injuries - both surgical and non-surgical. The type of injury you have, your condition, and your age will be determining factors in deciding which type of treatment is right in your situation.
There are two categories of rotator cuff injury. One is rotator cuff tendonitis. The other is rotator cuff tear. Be aware that there are several other conditions that could be the cause of shoulder pain. The only way to get an accurate diagnosis of rotator cuff injury is to see a doctor. He or she will first look at the symptoms and perform a basic physical examination. After this, the physician may use a local anesthetic that will be injected into the injured shoulder. This will help determine whether the injury is a muscle tear or tendonitis. If the injury seems to be a rotator cuff tear, the doctor may order some imaging tests. These will help confirm that the injury is a tear and isolate the location of the injury.
Rotator cuff tendonitis is more common than rotator cuff tear, but the treatment is similar for both. Rest, ice, compression and elevation, also known as RICE therapy, is prescribed for both conditions. Your doctor may also tell you to take an over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen. You may also be referred to a physical therapist who will help you to understand how to modify your activities to avoid pain and may also give you instructions on exercises to help strengthen your shoulder. If these measures dont help, your doctor may give you a shot of a steroid/anesthetic mix. This injection will be made directly into the joint to help address your pain.
Of the patients who use this non-surgical intervention, about half report having a decrease of pain and an increase in range-of-motion within six weeks to three months. Aside from efficacy, there are a number of advantages to non-invasive therapy. Surgical risks such as permanent stiffness, anesthesia complications, and infection can be completely avoided. With non-invasive therapy, there is no down-time for recovery. On the other hand, use of non-invasive techniques may cause an increase in the size of the tear. While there is not a recovery period, there may be a time period when the patient is able to do less. Of course there is also the chance that the non-invasive technique simply will not work. In this case, your doctor may recommend surgery. Your doctor may also recommend surgery if your injury is so severe that he or she feels a non-invasive approach would not be effective.
Click here for more on rotator cuff surgery .
Rotator cuff injuries can be treated surgically in three ways:
1. Open repair surgery: With this option, the surgeon makes a full incision into the shoulder. This method gives the surgeon a great deal of freedom of movement; however, it is the largest incision option of the three available methods.
Another method that utilizes both an incision and arthroscopy is called mini-open repair surgery. This is an outpatient procedure in which the surgeon makes a smaller incision and uses an arthroscope to see the interior of the shoulder structure. This procedure leaves a much smaller scar.
All-arthroscopic surgery is the least invasive surgery. It is an outpatient procedure that leaves a very small scar.
After examining and diagnosing your injury, your doctor will be able to make a sound decision as to which method will work best for you.
After rotator cuff surgery, most patients have decreased pain and an increase in range-of-motion. Recovery is usually complete within 4 to 6 months. Results are usually quite satisfactory, with 80 - 95% of patients reporting good results.
The success of your recovery is dependent on a number of factors. Among them are, your surgeons level of expertise, your fitness level, the severity of your injury, and your compliance with your doctors instructions.
It is rare to experience complications with rotator cuff surgery. Tendon re-tear, which is the most commonly experienced complication, only occurs in about 6% of patients. One or two percent may have nerve injury. As little as one percent of patients may contract infection. Detachment of the deltoid muscle and/or stiffness are experienced by fewer than one percent of patients. - 17269
There are two categories of rotator cuff injury. One is rotator cuff tendonitis. The other is rotator cuff tear. Be aware that there are several other conditions that could be the cause of shoulder pain. The only way to get an accurate diagnosis of rotator cuff injury is to see a doctor. He or she will first look at the symptoms and perform a basic physical examination. After this, the physician may use a local anesthetic that will be injected into the injured shoulder. This will help determine whether the injury is a muscle tear or tendonitis. If the injury seems to be a rotator cuff tear, the doctor may order some imaging tests. These will help confirm that the injury is a tear and isolate the location of the injury.
Rotator cuff tendonitis is more common than rotator cuff tear, but the treatment is similar for both. Rest, ice, compression and elevation, also known as RICE therapy, is prescribed for both conditions. Your doctor may also tell you to take an over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen. You may also be referred to a physical therapist who will help you to understand how to modify your activities to avoid pain and may also give you instructions on exercises to help strengthen your shoulder. If these measures dont help, your doctor may give you a shot of a steroid/anesthetic mix. This injection will be made directly into the joint to help address your pain.
Of the patients who use this non-surgical intervention, about half report having a decrease of pain and an increase in range-of-motion within six weeks to three months. Aside from efficacy, there are a number of advantages to non-invasive therapy. Surgical risks such as permanent stiffness, anesthesia complications, and infection can be completely avoided. With non-invasive therapy, there is no down-time for recovery. On the other hand, use of non-invasive techniques may cause an increase in the size of the tear. While there is not a recovery period, there may be a time period when the patient is able to do less. Of course there is also the chance that the non-invasive technique simply will not work. In this case, your doctor may recommend surgery. Your doctor may also recommend surgery if your injury is so severe that he or she feels a non-invasive approach would not be effective.
Click here for more on rotator cuff surgery .
Rotator cuff injuries can be treated surgically in three ways:
1. Open repair surgery: With this option, the surgeon makes a full incision into the shoulder. This method gives the surgeon a great deal of freedom of movement; however, it is the largest incision option of the three available methods.
Another method that utilizes both an incision and arthroscopy is called mini-open repair surgery. This is an outpatient procedure in which the surgeon makes a smaller incision and uses an arthroscope to see the interior of the shoulder structure. This procedure leaves a much smaller scar.
All-arthroscopic surgery is the least invasive surgery. It is an outpatient procedure that leaves a very small scar.
After examining and diagnosing your injury, your doctor will be able to make a sound decision as to which method will work best for you.
After rotator cuff surgery, most patients have decreased pain and an increase in range-of-motion. Recovery is usually complete within 4 to 6 months. Results are usually quite satisfactory, with 80 - 95% of patients reporting good results.
The success of your recovery is dependent on a number of factors. Among them are, your surgeons level of expertise, your fitness level, the severity of your injury, and your compliance with your doctors instructions.
It is rare to experience complications with rotator cuff surgery. Tendon re-tear, which is the most commonly experienced complication, only occurs in about 6% of patients. One or two percent may have nerve injury. As little as one percent of patients may contract infection. Detachment of the deltoid muscle and/or stiffness are experienced by fewer than one percent of patients. - 17269
About the Author:
Dr. Edelson is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in sports medicine. His clinic, Sports Medicine Oregon, focuses on athletes of all ages. Click here to learn more about Dr. Edelson, Oregon ACL Surgery and Oregon Athletic Injuries.
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