Recovering From Rotator Cuff Surgery
Rotator cuff injuries are actually a fairly common occurrence. The rotator cuff is located in the shoulder and is composed of the muscles and tendons in the upper arm connecting the humerus bone to the shoulder blade. The tissues are tasked with maintaining proper motion in the arm and shoulder. If an injury occurs, most individuals will experience common symptoms such as pain in the area, especially when moving the joint, shoulder weakness, and a significantly reduced range of motion.
Surgery vs non-surgical methods
Rotator cuff injuries are incredibly common in athletes because of repetitive motions that increase the risk of shoulder damage. However, even average individuals with poor posture or who work physically taxing jobs may also be at risk. Some people can simply rely on at home treatments, or even non-surgical interventions like steroid shots to fix minor injuries. Yet, if the damage is pervasive or severe enough to seriously limit mobility, surgery may be the best solution. Once managed as an open surgery, minimally invasive methods now make it possible for patients to be treated on an outpatient basis and to ideally get back to regular life on a faster timeline.
Who is a good candidate?
Not every person with a rotator cuff injury is an ideal candidate for surgery. Typically, an orthopedic surgeon won't consider an individual for surgery unless other treatment methods haven't yielded significant or any improvement. A common timeline is to wait for up to 6 months since the initial injury to allow for natural recovery to potentially occur. If pain is still significant, mobility is severely impacted, and shoulder weakness is impacting daily life, surgery is usually recommended.
Rotary cuff surgery
While open rotator cuff surgeries are still performed, most patients and surgeons will recommend arthroscopic or a minimally invasive surgery (MIS). In both cases, most people are usually treated on an outpatient basis and are discharged on the same day. The biggest difference between an open or a MIS treatment is going to be scarring, incision site sizes and recovery timelines. Arthroscopic surgery is usually the preferred option and relies on a camera scope and smaller surgical tools that are guided through small incisions in the affected area to repair the damage. Sometimes, surgeons might recommend a mini-open repair, which combines open surgery with arthroscopy. Arthroscopy locates and removes damaged tissue or bone, while an open approach may be required to repair more widespread injuries.
What to expect in recovery
Individual recovery is always going to depend on the injury severity, patient health and adherence to recovery guidelines. Less severe rotator cuff injuries may yield full healing in as fast as 4 months. More serious injuries can take 6 months to fully recover. Severe or widespread damage may have a 6-12 month recovery window. In most cases, non-athletes can return to previous activity levels 12 weeks after surgery. Athletes may be barred from previous activity levels until 4-6 months.
Don't get sidelined
While healing timelines are estimates, experts agree that consistent physical therapy is a key component that helps speed recovery. The therapy routine may last 3-4 months and may even incorporate strength training halfway through that timeline. If a shoulder injury is sidelining daily life and non-invasive or at-home treatments aren't working consider speaking with an orthopedic surgeon.
