Rotator cuff operation is a surgical procedure that is undertaken to repair tears and severe injuries in the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder joint. Injuries to the shoulder joint mostly mean injuries to one or more of the four rotator cuff muscles. If surgery is decided, then the type and severity of the rotator cuff operation depends on whether the rotator cuff muscle tear is of partial thickness or full thickness.
Even if only one of the four rotator cuff muscles is injured, the shoulder may or may not hurt much. This is because tendons don’t have nerves attached to them. If one muscle is injured, and the other three are still attached, the patient will be able to have relatively good function of the shoulder until degeneration starts.
These days, rotator cuff operation takes place arthroscopically. Small incisions are made into the shoulder under a general anesthesia or a local nerve block. The surgeon uses tiny instruments at the end of which miniscule video cameras are attached. The surgeon is able to watch the path of the instruments via the cameras on a television screen. The surgeon locates the rotator cuff muscle tear and stitches it up using self-dissolving stitches. Once the rotator cuff operation is complete, the entire shoulder is wrapped up tight and a strong sling is applied with strict instructions not to move it.
The sling is supposed to be kept on for a couple of weeks after the rotator cuff operation for complete healing to take place. Open rotator cuff operations usually cause a lot of pain, which is now avoided by managing minor rotator cuff operations using arthroscopic techniques. If done properly, recovery should be quick and the patient should be able to resume normal activities within a few weeks.
