Pre Operative Information

Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair 

You have been diagnosed with a tear to the tendons of your rotator cuff. This is where the tendon or part of tendon has pulled off the bone.

These tendons are important for the normal function of the shoulder, particularly overhead activity. They act together to hold the ball of the shoulder (the humeral head) against the socket of the shoulder (the glenoid).

Tears to these tendons may cause pain and weakness in the shoulder and may also be associated with secondary stiffness in the shoulder (frozen shoulder).

In addition there is often a relative narrowing of the space over the rotator cuff tendons due to thickening of the acromion (the point of the shoulder) which forms a spur.

The management of rotator cuff tears may include physiotherapy and injections. These interventions allow the remaining tendons of the shoulder to ‘compensate’ for the tear. The ability of these tendons to compensate is related to the size and location of the tear with larger tears are much more difficult to compensate for.

You have agreed with Mr Griffiths that the next sensible step is a keyhole operation to treat this condition.

This is called an Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff repair

This operation is usually performed as a Daycase with no need for an overnight stay.

It is normally performed under general anaesthetic (with you asleep) and the anaesthetist may also block the nerves of the arm.

The operation is performed though several small incisions around the shoulder and involves re-attaching the torn tendon back onto the bone of the upper arm using bone anchors. In addition to the removal of the bone spur.

The procedure takes approximately 60-90 mins depending of the size of the tear.

Wounds are usually closed with dissolvable stitches.

The aim of the surgery is to improve the pain around the shoulder and help to restore the function of the shoulder.

There are obviously risks of the operation but these are generally small. They include infection, stiffness, scarring and incomplete resolution of symptoms. The shoulder is often painful for several weeks but normally by around 8-12 weeks things are improving. There is also the risk of failure of the repair or recurrent tearing. This is mainly related to the quality of the tendon. Other factors affecting the likelihood of failure or recurrence include the size of the tear, the duration of the tear (how long it has been there) and the age of the patient.

After the operation:

You will see the physiotherapist prior to your discharge. They will show you how to release your arm from the sling and do specific exercises with the arm.

It is important to keep the arm moving within the prescribed safe range. Painkillers should be taken to facilitate this

You will have a follow-up appointment at 2 weeks The stitches will be trimmed prior to seeing Mr Griffiths

You should expect significant recovery by 12 weeks but will continue to recover for 6-9 months