Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

Rotator cuff tears can occur from a one-time traumatic event, degenerative changes, or small repetitive movements that cause stress to the tissues. As we age, the risk of rotator cuff damage increases as the shoulder tendons and muscles often deteriorate. When you injure a rotator cuff, it is imperative that you see a specialist like the ones at the Shoulder Institute at ORTHOKnox. Our shoulder surgeon can provide minimally invasive procedures like arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery.

How the Shoulder Institute Treats Rotator Cuff Tears

After giving you the diagnosis of a rotator cuff tear, your shoulder surgeon at ORTHOKnox will discuss a complete set of treatment options with you. These are choices that you will make with your surgeon because not every treatment is appropriate for every patient. An important part of diagnosing your injury is advanced imaging, such as an MRI or CAT scan. Armed with this information, your doctor can determine the next step.

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery is performed through tiny 5 mm incisions to sew and repair the torn rotator cuff down to the bone. The surgeon may use small anchors fixated in the bone to anchor the suture and hold the tendon to the bone.

There are many benefits to arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, including less bleeding, quicker recovery, and significantly less postoperative pain. As a result of this and other advanced techniques we employ, you can avoid narcotics in part, or sometimes altogether.

Surgery is not always necessary. Your doctor may start with conservative treatments, such as physical therapy. The highly-trained physical therapists at the Shoulder Institute provide specialized therapy customized to rehabilitate your specific injury. If physical therapy fails to relieve your pain or restore movement, your surgeon will recommend arthroscopy. Following the procedure, it is important to continue physical therapy to restore full use of your shoulder.

Arthroscopic Subacromial Decompression

Rotator cuff tears and shoulder impingement syndrome often occur together. This is why many orthopedic surgeons, such as Dr. David Hovis at The Shoulder Institute at ORTHOKnox, combine a rotator cuff repair procedure with arthroscopic subacromial decompression.

This procedure relieves impingement by widening the narrow subacromial space in the shoulder. It involves shaving off a bone spur (if present) and removing damaged tissue from the area. An arthroscopic subacromial decompression can relieve your pain and restore normal function of your shoulder.

As a board-certified and fellowship-trained surgeon, Dr. Hovis is experienced at successfully performing this minimally invasive and delicate procedure. Following the procedure, you will likely be prescribed a few weeks of physical therapy to ensure the health and functioning of your shoulder is restored. Physical therapy is as crucial to the healing process as the surgery itself.