Rotator cuff repair is the term given to the surgical process where a torn tendon in the shoulder is repaired through the operation. There are three different kinds of surgeries to treat rotator cuff tears. These are open repair, arthroscopic repair and mini-open repair. The last one combines both arthroscopic and open techniques.
Open Rotator Cuff Surgery
This surgical procedure involves a several centimeters long incision over the shoulder. The surgeon to get near to the torn tendon to repair it has to separate the shoulder muscle.
Open Rotator Cuff Repair is suggested for:
The surgeon may even remove bone spurs during the operation. Osteophytes are a sign of osteoarthritis which causes shoulder pain. It also affects shoulder joint function.
Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
Patients those who have small to medium sized tears, which is about three centimeters or smaller are suggested arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. It is an outpatient surgery and is the least invasive of the different rotator cuff repair procedures.
Arthroscopic surgery is done by making small incisions, each not more than a centimeter long. This means less pain, shorter recovery period and a reduced risk of complications for the patient.
This procedure requires the doctor to insert surgical instruments and a small camera through small incisions.
Mini-Open Rotator Cuff Repair
This procedure uses both open surgery and arthroscopic techniques. Arthroscopy is used to assess the injury, for bone spurs trimming and lose cartilage removal. Moving forward, a 1 to 5-inch incision is done to give direct visual access to the surgeon to repair the tear.
This procedure is arguably less invasive than its open repair counterpart. The open repair operation would need the shoulder muscle to be detached, but the same is not applicable in case of mini-open and arthroscopic repairs.
The Best Option of All
All three types of surgeries give similar results as far as strength improvement, pain relief, and rotator cuff functioning is concerned. The factors concerning the choice of surgery vary. These are:
There are three steps for all these surgical procedures:
There is a lot to consider before going for rotator cuff surgery. Below are some home preparation recommendations and certain medical guidelines that you may be asked to follow before the surgery.
General Medical Guidelines
If there is an issue like heart infection, lung infection, tooth problems, etc., they must be treated beforehand. Any shoulder and arm related skin conditions have to be taken care of before the surgery. Taking proper precaution helps in the entire process, from surgery to the recovery of the patient.
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